Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question

A+ cert worth it?

Last response: in Work & Education
Share
June 24, 2013 3:49:31 PM

I'm thinking of going to my locate school for 2 semesters and than getting a A+ cert. Is it worth it? What would my job prospect be like? I work full time, but need to make more money..I have a family. I always wanted to work with computers, but for some reason people have always advised me against it. I want to do something I like, but I need to make enough to support a family.

More about : cert worth

July 3, 2013 1:56:52 AM

An A+ cert and a high school diploma (or sometimes an Associate's degree) will generally get you past the credentials requirements of basic IT jobs, like a sales associate or tech support at your local computer store.

Examples:
Micro Center Level 1 Tech:
Best Buy Geek Squad Tech: (*shudders*)

I would generally advise against going to school for an A+ certification. You can easily self-study and pass both exams if you've got a bit of experience tinkering with both hardware and software, saving both time and money. There are plenty of prep textbooks and (free) video lecture series online to help as well.

What other education do you have?
July 3, 2013 10:47:42 AM

xomm said:
An A+ cert and a high school diploma (or sometimes an Associate's degree) will generally get you past the credentials requirements of basic IT jobs, like a sales associate or tech support at your local computer store.

Examples:
Micro Center Level 1 Tech:
Best Buy Geek Squad Tech: (*shudders*)

I would generally advise against going to school for an A+ certification. You can easily self-study and pass both exams if you've got a bit of experience tinkering with both hardware and software, saving both time and money. There are plenty of prep textbooks and (free) video lecture series online to help as well.

What other education do you have?


I work in the medical field. So I have no education or experience in the tech field. I know desktop computers. I have built and fixed a few. So I'm familiar with that. I don't know printers and laptops. Software I know windows, but am not an expert. I would love to save money by not taking these classes, but I feel that I would need the hands on. Any books out there that you would recommend? Thanks for your reply.
Related resources
February 14, 2014 3:21:38 PM

A lot of companies require certs, but I've never met someone with these certs who knew what they were doing. It was only through experience that they gained any knowledge.
February 14, 2014 5:08:36 PM

alpierce said:
A lot of companies require certs, but I've never met someone with these certs who knew what they were doing. It was only through experience that they gained any knowledge.


so initial knowledge vs time tested experience? The latter is always better and will stick with you forever.

Anyways, happy Valentines and SAD, lol.
February 16, 2014 8:12:06 PM

Buy a reputable book (I think I have an extra A+ book around here somewhere actually) and study. If you really want that hands on lab experience, just buy broken or old laptops & desktops from goodwill stores or from Craigslist free sections.

Also... ProfessorMesser has some incredible videos going over the entire subject matter to earn your A+ & Network+. I'd even say that his video clips are better than most classrooms that cost thousands of dollars. You really have to take the initiative to research & work with tech stuff to have that know-how while earning your cert though. Even after that, you're probably going to be forced to take a "tech support" job that feels more like customer service (if not outright sales by pushing services & software on people. ie. antivirus programs). Best Buy or TigerDirect jobs don't pay well but they do give you experience for your skill-level & resume. Even I'm looking for a new job outside my city right now and it's not as easy with the flood of people going for these certs after hearing about how much an IT job pays (the data is very inaccurate).

Anyway, you can seriously study for the A+ in like 3-4 weeks watching Professor Messer's videos, going over your book, and taking some practice tests offered online. With no experience & computer-related degree, certs are basically the only thing that will even get someone to consider you for a 1st interview.
!