Are CompTIA certs worth the cost?

SirToaster

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I was looking into getting A+, Net+, and Security+ until I found that CompTIA certs (starting in 2011) are no longer lifetime and must be renewed every 3 years with an annual fee. Would acquiring these certs, at least once for a resume buffer, still be worth it?

I have no professional experience in the IT field, and don't really know how to go about getting it except for maybe a degree.
 
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The short answer is Yes, they are worth it. Especially for someone who doesn't really have that much experience.

They say the certs are worth about 3 years experience. I can say that having a cert vs not having a cert can help. If you have no degree and no experience, then a cert is probably the easiest or fastest way to get experience. Keep in mind too that if you're applying for a job and have taken (and passed) a few IT classes, you can mention some of that on your resume to show that you have some familiarity with that topic. Example would be the Security+ class I took. I haven't made it in to get that cert just yet but I took the class at school and it went over things like account management in Active Directory and end point...

mudpuppet

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The short answer is Yes, they are worth it. Especially for someone who doesn't really have that much experience.

They say the certs are worth about 3 years experience. I can say that having a cert vs not having a cert can help. If you have no degree and no experience, then a cert is probably the easiest or fastest way to get experience. Keep in mind too that if you're applying for a job and have taken (and passed) a few IT classes, you can mention some of that on your resume to show that you have some familiarity with that topic. Example would be the Security+ class I took. I haven't made it in to get that cert just yet but I took the class at school and it went over things like account management in Active Directory and end point security. I didn't have years experience, but if you asked me on day one to create a basic user account with certain privileges, I could have done it.

The certs are no longer good for a lifetime, but that isn't a bad thing either. The purpose of 3 year renewal is to make sure you're current on the information. If you had an A+ cert from 1999, you might not know a thing about tablets, cell phones or laser printers. As the IT world is changing, CompTIA is trying to add more information to include these technologies. The Cloud is growing in popularity but when I took my test 2 years ago, Cloud computing and mobile devices weren't on it. Now it's information you're expected to know.

Another nod to the certs is that you don't have to renew each one every 3 years, just the "top" one. I have my A+, and I'm working at getting my Security+ after I finish moving (Jan or Feb ish). When I get my Security+ cert, it will automatically renew my A+. In 3 years time, I will need to renew my Security+ which will again refresh the A+.

There are other ways as well with continuing education. I haven't done anything in this area yet so I'm not 100% on it, but you can catch classes or seminars which will yield so many credits. You'll need so many credits to renew your cert, but it means you won't have to go through the testing process again... and that can be annoying I'm sure.

I want to say my A+ cert was about 350$ but I could be wrong. Without much prior experience that a company might take seriously, the A+ I feel helped me get this job. I knew the basics and every company with have their own twists on stuff, but if you asked me to build a PC from the ground up, I could do it. I could troubleshoot most printer issues. I can deploy a new image to a conference room PC, set up the wireless phone system in the room, and hook it all up to the new projector. Could I have done that without the Cert? Oh course I could, but the cert let the company know that my resume wasn't just fluff. When it came time for an interview, I was able to show them my cert card and answer questions about how I would go about tackling issues that may arise.

I don't regret my cert and look forward to getting my Security+ soon.
 
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SirToaster

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Wow, thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to write that.

I had one more question I forgot to ask, but would working toward a degree help in any way (on top of the certs, of course)? If so, Associates vs Bachelor in the eyes of an employer? Is the bachelor's worth the time vs a short 1 to 1 1/2 year associates?
 

mudpuppet

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Would depend on a few things, like what the degree is and what are your plans for it. Don't go to school just because it would look good on a resume, go to school to be able to do something with your degree. I'm SLOWLY working on a bachelors online through a local school that would be information technology with an emphasis on IT security. That said, I want to get in to IT security eventually, but my "official title" now is Senior Support Specialist, and I started out just as a support specialist. College helps for sure, again just that basic experience touching on subjects like computer repair and trouble shooting, Active Directory, basic security policy, networking, coding. You'll end up using bits of all of it in the end. We do powershell codes and batch files, we deploy security software and install new servers. We run virtual environments and trouble shoot issues with office software. There's a lot out there to help get a feel for what you think is right for you, but looking for a desktop support role is a great first job to look for. For classes, look for any sort of intro to programming class (java or C# kind of stuff) and maybe find an A+ cert course you can take that will help you get ready for the exams.
 

SirToaster

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I'd want to go to school for the experience. To put myself in that world and learn every bit I can, but I'm debating whether my time there would be worth it in the long run. I've also seen that CompTIA has an 'IT Fundamentals' exam and was wondering if that would be better than the associates. On a resume, and in giving me an idea on what I truly enjoy in the IT field.

The biggest problem I currently face is not knowing what I want to do, specifically. I thought that an IT program could give me a taste of everything, then I could work my way towards what I want from there.
 

mudpuppet

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An IT program at school should make those tools available, as to getting a small taste of everything. The degree looks good because while some places will take certs and experience, some want the education and dedication that comes from the college degree. My former coworker was 20 when hired and 21 when released. He MAY have taken a class or two of college but I honestly don't know if he ever finished HS. This isn't to talk down to anyone, but his resume was full of fluff and the recruiter that hired him didn't do their job. Not only did he not really know what he was going on, but he wasn't self motivated to get up and get things done, and then when he was given a task, he would drag it out as long as he could because he didn't want to do it. If you compared his resume to a copy of it that HAD a college degree on it (he had no certs but put down "5 years IT experience"(total BS right there), you would expect the graduate to have the motivation to be a get up and go kind of person. It's not always the case, but government jobs may look for a degree over a certificate (long winded but round about way of saying it, sorry).