Is CompTIA A+ cert worth it?

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370 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1884429 16-Oct-2017 15:22

timbee:

Depends on where you purchase the exam from, some of your online resources such as Linux Academy can point you to the right place, but you can shop around and find cheaper prices (just make sure its reputable). Proctored exam is having the proctor install remote software on your computer to watch you via your webcam & microphone(use a laptop) to ensure you're not cheating and you sit it online anywhere in the world really, so its pretty convenient.

I see, that is convenient. What exactly should I be googling to find places that offer this Proctered exam? My google results seem to indicate it can be done through Microsoft itself and another one being Pearson VUE. Are they among the more reputable ones?

Kol12

370 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1886253 19-Oct-2017 13:35

Thanks for the resources timbee. I found another online learning resource called itpro.tv that looks quite good: https://itpro.tv/

Microsoft also have ebook study guides and I was wondering what do you think would be more useful in terms of having for a reference to go back to for swotting up? itpro.tv have video transcripts which could be similar to the ebook but the ebook may be better lay'd out in terms of a reference. I suppose both have their advantages. What do you think?

This is Microsoft's ebook: https://www.microsoftpressstore.com/store/exam-ref-70-698-installing-and-configuring-windows-9781509302956

1101

3122 posts

Uber Geek

#1886777 20-Oct-2017 09:56

deepred:

I've had one for a couple of years, if only to formalise the skills & experience I've built up over a decade & a bit. Other than that, I've had no real career progress, given the long-term decline of the desktop PC sector and the limited advancement oppotunities. I've written an essay about my experiences and what might lie ahead.

I'd agree

Lower level IT support is a dying industry. PC's are now just another disposable appliance.
The generic IT company I work for used to have 5 staff & literally more work than we could cope with. Now , 15 years later
barely enough work to support 2 staff . Similar stories from other IT techs I know. The trend is obvious .
You'll eventually be competing with more skilled & more certed Techs for the same jobs.

I wouldnt recommend it as a career choice, even if to only get a foot in the door. The experience you'll get is only
entry level and chances are thats where you'll be stuck unless you retrain yourself and pay for courses to learn new in demand skills.
It can be an extremely high stress job, Ive seen stress levels get to seriously unheathy levels.

You wont know unless you try, but have a backup plan to do something else .
Have a look at what entry level IT jobs are out there, and what they require as far as experience & certification goes .
Buy yourself a couple of PC's start playing around with them, loading up demo versions of OS's , installing demo versions of Server OS's , teach
yourself some network , install & hardware skills.

Kol12

370 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1887098 20-Oct-2017 19:18

Can you guys elaborate a little further into why low level IT is dying? Is it something to do with the move to cloud? What alternative career paths might you recommend? After having a work accident a few years ago it is almost certain I will not return to physical work i.e. trades etc so am needing to explore alternative career paths and IT fitted in more with my interests...

vulcannz

436 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1887725 22-Oct-2017 12:25

Kol12:

Can you guys elaborate a little further into why low level IT is dying? Is it something to do with the move to cloud? What alternative career paths might you recommend? After having a work accident a few years ago it is almost certain I will not return to physical work i.e. trades etc so am needing to explore alternative career paths and IT fitted in more with my interests...

Because systems become more self maintaining easier to use. Low level IT = low skilled IT = all those people who get into IT for easy money. There is still heaps of money and work in SKILLED IT - e.g. we are short 1 million cybersecurity people in global IT this year. Being able to install windows is no longer considered a skill.

You want a career in IT look at networking/security/SANs/Virtualisation and so forth. Fixing mum and dads PC is not a career path.

jhsol

102 posts

Master Geek

#1891003 26-Oct-2017 20:39

Customer Service is the #1 attribute for an entry level (level 1) IT job. Any IT qualification might get you higher up the ladder but for that first level line of support customer service is the best attribute to have. As a Team leader for the IT Customer Services team (i have 9 direct reports), my best hires have been the service orientated staff over the technical ones.

Once you get into a role on the helpdesk, you then use that time to ply yourself with qualifications that line up with the career path you want (ie SQL, MCSE/MCSA Desktop or Server, Automation, Scripting, Networking etc). Use the job to gain experience in chosen field.

Kol12

370 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1891018 26-Oct-2017 20:54

@jhsol

Are you suggesting that I can get into a level 1 helpdesk role without the any qualifications at all? What if I don't have any customer service background?

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tehgerbil

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#1891019 26-Oct-2017 20:57

Look at IT SD as a means toward an end - Look at the 'biggies':

Change Control.

Engineering.

Project Management.

Testing.

Transitions.

ITIL training would not go amiss either, it's the backbone of every major IT study and also very practical as well. Will serve you very well in your career and looks good on the CV.

If you are looking at starting IT SD, I would suggest studying up on O365 deployments, Win7 - 10 upgrades, Microsoft Lync deployments and SCCM software.

Kol12

370 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1891022 26-Oct-2017 21:07

@tehgerbil

Sorry but I don't know what IT SD is...

I appreciate the comments coming back on this thread, I was getting a little discouraged with the comments surrounding IT support is on the way out, find something else etc. The truth is I've never worked in IT so it is all very new and can be quite confusing, even though I understand computers well their role in business is another story...

The purpose of the thread was to see what certification would be worth pursuing first and I get the impression Microsoft and ITIL would be more useful the CompTIA, but also as per the comments coming through it would appear that I need to have a clearer understanding of where in IT I'd like to go and where IT is heading in terms of the future and this is where I probably lack the understanding. I would appreciate any further suggestions...

jhsol

102 posts

Master Geek

#1891036 26-Oct-2017 21:57

Kol12:

@jhsol

Are you suggesting that I can get into a level 1 helpdesk role without the any qualifications at all? What if I don't have any customer service background?

Yes. Level 1 IT support is answering a phone, resetting their password if they require, or logging a ticket so that a level 2 engineer (desktop support) can go an actually fix the fault. If you are applying for a level 1 helpdesk role Customer Services is all you need at a minimum. If comparing someone with zero experience in an IT job, I would take someone with Customer Service experience over a Comp TIA qualification hands down. From all my interviews (50+) when interviewing for a level 1 SD (service desk) role I would always take the Customer Service experienced people, even if they have 0 technical experience. The only time you need technical is if the SD role is a Level 1/2 role (ie someone covering both phones and doing desktop support). This is because the service desk is a front facing role and one that interacts with the customer directly. I need to ensure that the customer/end user walks away feeling satisfied with the service. We have processes and procedures in place to ensure that the level 1 non technical can do technical things.

as Tehgerbil says, an ITIL qualification would be more beneficial than the TIA one.

IIts not that the Comp TIA is useless. Its that its useless with zero experience in the Desktop Support (or higher) role. It would take an extremely brave IT Manager to hire someone with no demonstratable experience (even with technical qualifications). You are essentially a trainee until otherwise proven. You would have to hope that all the other applicants being interviewed have zero experience as well.

Kol12

370 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1894270 2-Nov-2017 14:30

jhsol:

Kol12:

@jhsol

Are you suggesting that I can get into a level 1 helpdesk role without the any qualifications at all? What if I don't have any customer service background?

Yes. Level 1 IT support is answering a phone, resetting their password if they require, or logging a ticket so that a level 2 engineer (desktop support) can go an actually fix the fault. If you are applying for a level 1 helpdesk role Customer Services is all you need at a minimum. If comparing someone with zero experience in an IT job, I would take someone with Customer Service experience over a Comp TIA qualification hands down. From all my interviews (50+) when interviewing for a level 1 SD (service desk) role I would always take the Customer Service experienced people, even if they have 0 technical experience. The only time you need technical is if the SD role is a Level 1/2 role (ie someone covering both phones and doing desktop support). This is because the service desk is a front facing role and one that interacts with the customer directly. I need to ensure that the customer/end user walks away feeling satisfied with the service. We have processes and procedures in place to ensure that the level 1 non technical can do technical things.

as Tehgerbil says, an ITIL qualification would be more beneficial than the TIA one.

IIts not that the Comp TIA is useless. Its that its useless with zero experience in the Desktop Support (or higher) role. It would take an extremely brave IT Manager to hire someone with no demonstratable experience (even with technical qualifications). You are essentially a trainee until otherwise proven. You would have to hope that all the other applicants being interviewed have zero experience as well.

Is it possible to go straight into level 2 desktop support with a couple of qualifications but no experience or probably not? I would not say that I have no customer service experience either, there are definitely forms of customer experience I have applied in my previous field of work.

I am most interested to know what the best approach is for someone who has no IT experience in just getting a start, at this stage I just need a job... It doesn't seem fair that employers aren't interested in anyone that doesn't have Desktop Support experience. How is one meant to gain experience if no one is willing to offer that experience?

xpd

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#1894289 2-Nov-2017 14:46

Most decent employers who are living in the real world will take experience over qualifications these days.

Starting out at a Lvl 1 helpdesk (ISP is the norm) position is a good launchpad, gets you the customer service experience, along with basic network troubleshooting etc. Prove yourself there and may find opportunities arise within the same company, or you find a position with another company more in line with where you're comfortable (a generic service desk that deals with all sorts of IT issues vs an ISP).

I went into IHUG helpdesk with no PC qualifications or real experience at all. Learnt on the fly and went from there.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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vulcannz

436 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1894295 2-Nov-2017 15:00

xpd:

Most decent employers who are living in the real world will take experience over qualifications these days.

That is very subjective depending on the role. I guess it depends where you want your career to go. Does the OP want to do helpdesk / desktop break fix - or do they want to go down a specialisation such as networking/security/storage/virtualisation (these are where the good money is at). If you want those roles then qualifications make all the difference. Best idea is have a plan, ie get into a SD level 1 role, then certify up and move sideways into the career of your choice.

Fixing peoples PCs has limited opportunities to grow, whereas fixing their servers/networks/security/SANs/virtual systems/cloud systems can take you somewhere.

Kol12

370 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1894316 2-Nov-2017 15:56

vulcannz:

xpd:

Most decent employers who are living in the real world will take experience over qualifications these days.

That is very subjective depending on the role. I guess it depends where you want your career to go. Does the OP want to do helpdesk / desktop break fix - or do they want to go down a specialisation such as networking/security/storage/virtualisation (these are where the good money is at). If you want those roles then qualifications make all the difference. Best idea is have a plan, ie get into a SD level 1 role, then certify up and move sideways into the career of your choice.

Fixing peoples PCs has limited opportunities to grow, whereas fixing their servers/networks/security/SANs/virtual systems/cloud systems can take you somewhere.

I am interested in the higher specializations, exactly what I haven't decided but at this stage I just need to get into a (underline) job to earn money. This would likely be the lower level 1-2 roles and the purpose of the thread was seeking advice and recommended certifications to get into those entry level jobs...

deepred

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#1894413 2-Nov-2017 19:40

1101:

deepred:

I've had one for a couple of years, if only to formalise the skills & experience I've built up over a decade & a bit. Other than that, I've had no real career progress, given the long-term decline of the desktop PC sector and the limited advancement oppotunities. I've written an essay about my experiences and what might lie ahead.

I'd agree

Lower level IT support is a dying industry. PC's are now just another disposable appliance.
The generic IT company I work for used to have 5 staff & literally more work than we could cope with. Now , 15 years later
barely enough work to support 2 staff . Similar stories from other IT techs I know. The trend is obvious .
You'll eventually be competing with more skilled & more certed Techs for the same jobs.

I wouldnt recommend it as a career choice, even if to only get a foot in the door. The experience you'll get is only
entry level and chances are thats where you'll be stuck unless you retrain yourself and pay for courses to learn new in demand skills.
It can be an extremely high stress job, Ive seen stress levels get to seriously unheathy levels.

You wont know unless you try, but have a backup plan to do something else .
Have a look at what entry level IT jobs are out there, and what they require as far as experience & certification goes .
Buy yourself a couple of PC's start playing around with them, loading up demo versions of OS's , installing demo versions of Server OS's , teach
yourself some network , install & hardware skills.

It's part of a wider issue globally where many entry-level jobs have been automated into obsolescence, and the new jobs often have a higher skills bar. And it's very easy to say, "just retrain". I've attempted to retrain at my own expense in the past, and it was just like going to a casino - much expense with little payoff at the end of it. Unless you're a silver-spooner or have the luxury of being out of the workforce for an extended period, one or more bad experiences with a post-secondary course can mean the difference between Sydney or the bush. Political establishments have buried their heads in the sand, and loudmouth populists who want to bring back last century's industries and empires have filled the void as a result.

Once again, it reinforces my view that we need to look at how the Germans and Scandinavians do skills and training, which the Future of Work study takes after. The way my Aspergian brain is wired, my attention span is goldfish-grade, and I'm overwhelmingly suited to an immersive approach that's found in an apprenticeship. With any luck, a vocational policy like this is still on the table. And the people behind Summer of Tech are actively in favour of ICT vocational training, once the rules around funding can be sorted out.

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