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Degree vs Certs for computer technician

Tags:
  • Support
  • Desktops
  • College
  • Job Market
  • Computers
Last response: in Business Computing
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June 2, 2014 8:42:03 PM

Hey everyone, I have a few questions for anyone with experience working in IT. I've built/repaired PC's for people all through high school, but now that it's time to get serious about my career I'm not sure what my next move should be.

Is a college degree necessary to be a desktop support technician or will certifications be enough?

If a degree is necessary, should I go for a 2 or 4-year degree? And what major would be best?

What certs besides the A+ would be helpful for an entry-level tech?


Thank you!


More about : degree certs computer technician

June 2, 2014 11:16:06 PM

College is all about learnign to become the person OVER what your seeking. The people in charge dont' fix the computers they deal with business. I fyou want to fix computers, sorry you missed the boat, the rate is now down to "Minimum wage" for all the Best Buy people becausde so many 'come out of High school' now understanding all the tech.

All you need is be A+ certified, Add Network+ and Security + and your set to do the job at a reasonable pay rate.

{Edit} Additional Note: NO in college they don't' teach you how to built NOR repair PCs. First 2 years are crap classes on basics to make sure your articulate, able to think logically, and do 'high functioning skills', such as advanced mathematics, professional writing, etc. Also basic concepts are gone over, like what IS a CPU, what does a network mean, etc. All these can be (if you wish the theory) gained by attending (out of pocket) a few basic Community College classes. Just FYI, if you attend one school (Community College) another school (University of XYZ) may NOT take those credits and apply them to their curriculum, but instead force you to take the classes all over again in their 'accredited' classrooms. So don't just take "a few courses here and there" then expect to apply to a full Bachelors program and be shocked when they tell you you need to start 'all over again'. The only way to get around it, is to CLEP (take a test cold) on the course work THEY want you to know, and if you pass you can gain credit for classes you don't need to actually take (this is how Bill Cosby, Bill Gates, etc. finish college because professionally they know all this stuff, they just never 'sat down in a classroom' to be formally taught).
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June 4, 2014 12:35:35 PM

Check through local want ads, and then talk to a temp agency. See what employers are asking them for techs in your area.

Also, you need to realize that a lot of hiring for larger companies is filtered through the HR Dept first. They look for buzzwords & often a checklist of requirements.

So start with A+ and Network+, and then start adding more specialties as you progress. If you're getting close to graduating, check out whatever additional schooling is available to you, especially if you can get scholarships/grants. You may get an employer who will take certain education levels over experience; conversely, some employers will take years of experience as substitute for certain levels of education.

Above all else, figure out if you really want to be in the tech field. I've been in the business too long to realize that some of the ones in it now should never have pursued it as a career; their lackluster approach & lack of real logical thinking in regards to problems reveal that fairly quickly.
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June 17, 2014 3:14:42 AM

My advice would be.... do Certs, they will open more doors and quicker for you.

once you have a few years in industry and some experience, apply to do a masters degree as a mature student (this should bypass the need for an undergrad degree)(i think). it works out cheaper and is more valuable. Having a degree in the long term will help chase bigger salaries in big companies.


My background:
Did a worthless degree, ended up in call centre tech support for a large IT company,
did a masters in comp networks which followed CCNP sylabus, got promoted v quickly while still studying CCNA cert.

All in all both together seem to work best and experience is most important. I felt i got more out of the degree aproaching it as an adult with a job, than a student looking to have fun.
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June 19, 2014 5:54:36 AM

A college degree is not always necessary, but it does get you through 'gating requirements'. By that I mean some employers will not even bother with your resume unless you have it. Other employees will let you include a mix of school/experience/certs to offset short comings in other areas.

I myself went for my bachelors in Computer Science and its certainly helped out, but I think I could have done just fine going for certifications and saved money in the process.

If you're interested in starting out, a lot of times the lower sets such as A+ N+ Security+ can help out. A+ is a decent cert to get you started but if you've already got professional experience under your belt then an A+ is worthless.

Keep in mind if you go to college, you're going to be stuck for 2+ years learning things that really might not apply to what you want to do..only the upper level courses start to get into specifics whereas the rest of the courses are broad overviews of IT aspects as a whole.

Keep in mind building/repairing machines for high school buddies is pale in comparison to the type of setting you'll be dealing with for a business. You'll have deadlines, people bitching at you constantly to fix stuff, and you can't just say ''oh I don't know" when having to deal with a problem. Starting out at the bottom of the totem pole in I.T. is a real pain in the ass but once you work your way up past help desk /phone support related positions and get into either networking or high level systems administration..you're good to go.
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