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Alright so I wanted to hear from those of you who are in IT or related fields. I have worked in IT before as a Technical Support Rep I and II. I've also contracted work for building / ghosting machines for a couple of companies. My personal life has involved the building and troubleshooting of hundreds of computers since I was a child, it's what I'm actually good at.
The sad truth is that years have passed and I haven't received any formal training at all. I'm not happy with the way my professional life has turned and want to get back to what I love, computers.
I have interests in Networking, Programming, Databases, Security, Web Development - pretty much everything.
What I'm looking for is the first certifications I should be looking to get, the most essential things to get me in the door!
You're already in the door you just need to kick in bigger one
The most common 1st certs are for help desk people are the Comptia A+ and Network +. You clearly have experience, you need to think about what area of tech you want to specialize in and pursue some certs based on that. What you you interested in, Cisco, VMware, Microsoft, Apple, Cloud Services, Security?
Chose your cert wisely, some/ most have to be renewed after a couple of years.
Personally, I'm working on getting my MTA and then I'd like to get an MCP in some area
You're already in the door you just need to kick in bigger one
The most common 1st certs are for help desk people are the Comptia A+ and Network +. You clearly have experience, you need to think about what area of tech you want to specialize in and pursue some certs based on that. What you you interested in, Cisco, VMware, Microsoft, Apple, Cloud Services, Security?
Chose your cert wisely, some/ most have to be renewed after a couple of years.
Personally, I'm working on getting my MTA and then I'd like to get an MCP in some area
I do have experience but it's from pre 2009. Everything I've done up until now have been crappy call center jobs... they pay decently and are easy to do. It's killing me mentally though as I have so much more potential. The problem with these call center jobs is I feel STUCK. No career movement at all and the pay is meh.
A+ Certs are good for 3 years but I was pretty sure the Network and Security+ don't expire?
Also, do you recommend college for most IT positions? Is that something I should strive for AFTER I'm in a company? College is prohibitively expensive and the last time I went, I dropped out (electrical engineering). Just that year and a half took me nearly 9 years to pay off.
I do have experience but it's from pre 2009. Everything I've done up until now have been crappy call center jobs... they pay decently and are easy to do. It's killing me mentally though as I have so much more potential. The problem with these call center jobs is I feel STUCK. No career movement at all and the pay is meh.
A+ Certs are good for 3 years but I was pretty sure the Network and Security+ don't expire?
Also, do you recommend college for most IT positions? Is that something I should strive for AFTER I'm in a company? College is prohibitively expensive and the last time I went, I dropped out (electrical engineering). Just that year and a half took me nearly 9 years to pay off.
Congratulations for making the decision to better yourself.
Look at the actual jobs advertised you want to do now and see what the qualifications are. If they all want an CS degree, when you know what you need to do. If they want certs of some kind then you can pursue which kind.
I've worked in IT and software for many years. Professionally, I look at actual work experience, but someone who has gone through to get a degree and/or certs provided they are specific to what is needed show a special kind of initiative. It also helps you get through anything that might be asked for in the job descriptions.
I also recommend you join the computer user groups in your areas that professionals belong to. This will help you network to not only find a job, but learn what is current and some of the newer trends in IT.
I do have experience but it's from pre 2009. Everything I've done up until now have been crappy call center jobs... they pay decently and are easy to do. It's killing me mentally though as I have so much more potential. The problem with these call center jobs is I feel STUCK. No career movement at all and the pay is meh.
A+ Certs are good for 3 years but I was pretty sure the Network and Security+ don't expire?
Also, do you recommend college for most IT positions? Is that something I should strive for AFTER I'm in a company? College is prohibitively expensive and the last time I went, I dropped out (electrical engineering). Just that year and a half took me nearly 9 years to pay off.
Realistically speaking, in the line of work you are looking to get in. Experience is king. I don't care how many letters you have behind your name, if you can't explain to me how you've supported or led various IT projects related to what I'm looking for, you're likely going to lose out to someone that has.
This isn't saying getting certification isn't worth it. You simply have to have realistic expectations. If you can spend $500 or so on a few book and the test itself - then it may be worth it. However, if you're looking to borrow 5K to attend a boot camp and expect to get a job within a few weeks because of those letters.... you'll be disappointed.
At the end of the day - Certs and Degrees add to your experience/accomplishment/attitude - but they will rarely get you far by themselves. Especially in IT Ops. I'd say if you can swing it, try and price yourself better than anyone else and build up your experience.
You may have to take that helpdesk roles to start. However, that is still a foot in the door. If you find the right company, and the right attitude, you may have your certs and college paid for. Hell, you can start out as a NOC/SOC technician. It's a thankless and pretty invisible job. But it is a job, and you'll get the opportunity to pick the brains of folks that are currently holding jobs that you do want.
i would also add that certifications are not everything - the education (bachelor's most commonly) is usually a pre-req for most of the good paying positions and then they usually want actual experience in the field (networking for example) vs having the certification. I have a friend that worked quite a few years as help desk and he ran into those issues when trying to branch out (even with certs). best of luck!
I do have experience but it's from pre 2009. Everything I've done up until now have been crappy call center jobs... they pay decently and are easy to do. It's killing me mentally though as I have so much more potential. The problem with these call center jobs is I feel STUCK. No career movement at all and the pay is meh.
A+ Certs are good for 3 years but I was pretty sure the Network and Security+ don't expire?
Also, do you recommend college for most IT positions? Is that something I should strive for AFTER I'm in a company? College is prohibitively expensive and the last time I went, I dropped out (electrical engineering). Just that year and a half took me nearly 9 years to pay off.
i think college would be good for any type of work where you are designing and engineering new processes or systems. i dont think its necessary if you are implementing and configuring already existing products. i'm not a fan of certs.
Alright so I wanted to hear from those of you who are in IT or related fields. I have worked in IT before as a Technical Support Rep I and II. I've also contracted work for building / ghosting machines for a couple of companies. My personal life has involved the building and troubleshooting of hundreds of computers since I was a child, it's what I'm actually good at.
On the one hand, other posters are correct, actual experience trumps certifications, but on the other hand, how do you prove you know anything? At the interview? The problem is without some sort of measurement, HR has no way to filter what resumes are BS and which are the kinds of people they want to hire. Certifications give you that edge, having certifications get you past the HR filter that allow you to get into the room with the hiring manager and then you can impress them with all your knowledge and experience.
The simple fact is IT professional with certifications have a far easier to advancing there careers than those without. They guarantee nothing, but do give you an edge.
As for the cost of Certifications, depends on what certifications your taking about. Being the holder of two SANS certification's, where the courses are $5,950 each and the certification exam is $675, certifications can be out of the reach for most people unless your employer is footing the bill.
But certifications don't have to cost an arm and leg. If you can apply yourself, you can pick up a book, read, study it and pass the exam for as little as a few hundred dollars. While some might say it's a waste of money, you have to invest in yourself if you want to get ahead.
The alternative is you can whine about how life is unfair, how you can't get ahead and what are you going to do now that your job is getting outsourced to Bangladeshi.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wolf39us
What I'm looking for is the first certifications I should be looking to get, the most essential things to get me in the door!
Really depends on what your interests you, the IT field is vast, while some of the basic certifications are A+, Network+, Security+, you really have to know what you want to specialize in to advance you career beyond basic help desk jobs. Networking, Server Administrator, Cyber Security, Programming, Auditing, management, etc. Each one has a certification track you can follow to help you reach your goals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wolf39us
A+ Certs are good for 3 years but I was pretty sure the Network and Security+ don't expire?
A+, Network+ and Security+ certifications earned before 2013 do not expire, those obtained after that date do and require Continuing Education credits to keep the valid. There are exceptions, Linux+ doesn't expire, another certification that doesn't expire is the OSCP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wolf39us
Also, do you recommend college for most IT positions?
Personally I do not feel that way, unless your getting into upper management IT positions, I do not feel not having a college degree hurts you all that much. There are always those type of managers that do not hire anyone without a college degree, because they have one, but if you have the right skills, I do not think not having a college degree hurts your career all that much in the IT field.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eastcoastguyz
Look at the actual jobs advertised you want to do now and see what the qualifications are. If they all want an CS degree, when you know what you need to do. If they want certs of some kind then you can pursue which kind.
Most of the time what you see jobs that require College degrees, you see the clause "or equivalent experience", often you do not need a degree if you have the right kind of experience and/or certifications. Where I work the glass ceiling is somewhere around 130k if you don't possess a degree.
Last edited by TechGromit; 09-01-2016 at 08:01 PM..
It really depends on the job. IT has become so common and competitive that it's hard to get jobs we desire. I've always wanted to be a computer engineer or analyst where I deal with computers and do hands on work. But I always get stuck in Tech Support.
My advice is to work at smaller companies and try to move up from there. If you work in as Tech Support for a major company like HP or IBM, you will be stuck in Tech Support no matter how much they promise. But, don't expect to work your dream job without starting somewhere.
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