View Full Version : Need help/advice. CompTIA Certifications?
I've recently been looking into CompTIA's certification programs and was wondering what they're all about. I've come to understand that their certificates give you a basic background of any particular field within computer technology.
I was initially interested in becoming a computer engineer and specializing in hardware architecture going through a traditional 4 year based college. But some of my friends and relatives are telling me about these certification programs.
Can anybody shed some light about these certificates? Are they a good alternative to a 4 year college based degree? Similarly, would they really give me the qualifications I would need to branch off into the tech world?
-AJ
AJ,
You probably won't be able to become a computer engineer specializing in hardware architecture without going through a traditional 4 year based college very easily.
Some have have a 4 year degree plus cerifications, or certs as they are known in the trade.
Some certifications are vendor specific such as the ones from Microsoft or Cisco. They show the employer that you have a certain level of expertise in a particular subject matter. The basic M$ cert is MCP; Microsoft Certified Professional. That can be attained by testing on one of the many many M$ products or even something as simple as Internetworking with Microsoft TCP/IP on Microsoft Windows yadayadyada. A more advanced M$ cert would be MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) or MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer).
M$ doesn't have a time limit on their certs. Some do. Cisco had a 3 year limit on my CCNA and after I got my cert I didn't touch a router for years. The corporate weenies where I worked asked me to reboot the rack of routers once and that was it.
There are also what are known as vendor neutral certifications. Comp-TIA's are like that. They teach the basics without regard for vendors (though they do tend to lean towards Microsoft). A+ and Network+ are two certs that many employers desire, but usually for entry level.
A+ demonstrates your proficiency as a computer tech. It's now a two part test. The is the "A+ Essentials" exam plus an elective. Basically, what they want to know is if you know your way around the hardware used in a PC.
I have an MCP, an MCP+ Internet, an MCSE on multiple WIndows platforms , and a Network+ certification, but no A+. Even though I've been building PC's for over 15 years now, I've been gigged on jobs because I do not have an A+ certification. They would not hire me for a job simply because I did not have A+. It didn't matter that I have an MCSE and that it was a Microsoft Windows rollout, I had no A+ so they had no use for me. Recruiters can be very myoptic that way. If the requisition calls for A+, they want A+.
The other thing that has hurt me in my computer career has been my lack of a degree in one of the required field. Employers usually want some kind of Bachelor of Science degree. The one exception that I found has been the programming guru. If you can proram what they want, they don't care much about anything else. Sometimes though, experience can substitute for the lack of a degree. That's where I make my bread and butter.
But if I were to start all over again and had the means, I would go to college and get the degree. But if I did not have the means but still had the desire, I would go the certification route. It's still an education and there is value in learning.
AJ,
You probably won't be able to become a computer engineer specializing in hardware architecture without going through a traditional 4 year based college very easily.
Some have have a 4 year degree plus cerifications, or certs as they are known in the trade.
Some certifications are vendor specific such as the ones from Microsoft or Cisco. They show the employer that you have a certain level of expertise in a particular subject matter. The basic M$ cert is MCP; Microsoft Certified Professional. That can be attained by testing on one of the many many M$ products or even something as simple as Internetworking with Microsoft TCP/IP on Microsoft Windows yadayadyada. A more advanced M$ cert would be MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) or MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer).
M$ doesn't have a time limit on their certs. Some do. Cisco had a 3 year limit on my CCNA and after I got my cert I didn't touch a router for years. The corporate weenies where I worked asked me to reboot the rack of routers once and that was it.
There are also what are known as vendor neutral certifications. Comp-TIA's are like that. They teach the basics without regard for vendors (though they do tend to lean towards Microsoft). A+ and Network+ are two certs that many employers desire, but usually for entry level.
A+ demonstrates your proficiency as a computer tech. It's now a two part test. The is the "A+ Essentials" exam plus an elective. Basically, what they want to know is if you know your way around the hardware used in a PC.
I have an MCP, an MCP+ Internet, an MCSE on multiple WIndows platforms , and a Network+ certification, but no A+. Even though I've been building PC's for over 15 years now, I've been gigged on jobs because I do not have an A+ certification. They would not hire me for a job simply because I did not have A+. It didn't matter that I have an MCSE and that it was a Microsoft Windows rollout, I had no A+ so they had no use for me. Recruiters can be very myoptic that way. If the requisition calls for A+, they want A+.
The other thing that has hurt me in my computer career has been my lack of a degree in one of the required field. Employers usually want some kind of Bachelor of Science degree. The one exception that I found has been the programming guru. If you can proram what they want, they don't care much about anything else. Sometimes though, experience can substitute for the lack of a degree. That's where I make my bread and butter.
But if I were to start all over again and had the means, I would go to college and get the degree. But if I did not have the means but still had the desire, I would go the certification route. It's still an education and there is value in learning.
Thanks for the all the info Null.
If I were to take the certification route I'd probably take the networking certificate. I've always had interest in computer networking and it seems that that's where all the money is at.
So my question to you is, are there any means of getting a deep knowledge in networking through CompTIA? In other words, are there advanced courses that CompTIA offer that give me a higher level of education, that will ultimately get me a high paying position? An education equivalent to a network engineer or even a network administrator?
My main concern with taking this route is the lack of decent or high paying jobs. Would you consider this as a viable option for a student like me that isn't exactly too thrilled about going to school for another 4 or so years, but doesn't want to lose the benefits (salary and education) of going to a 4 year college?
In all honesty, I'd be wasting 2 years of my life studying materials in college I'd never apply in my profession. I really feel that I'm ready to go out into the work force prior to some training. I have the passion for technology but I don't have the patience to go through a 4 year traditional school.
Another question that came across my mind is, on average, how long would it take to complete any given certificate?
Well, a strong combination for networking would include certifications from both CompTIA and Cisco. I would not discount the value of getting an A+ certification.
Three additional certifications that would strengthen their value by combination would be the CompTia Network+, CompTIA Security+, and Cisco CCNA. Cisco has higher levels that can be acheived with experience and multiple testing. Cisco has Network Professional, Design Professional, Internetwork Professional, Security Professional, & Voice Professional certifications as well as the holy grail of all their certifications, the CCIE or Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert.
The real money in networking is in network planning/design and in network security. You can do one or the other or both. But do plan on lots of studying and testing for additional certifications. Some guys do lots of field work while others sit behind a desk at the Network Operations Center or NOC.
How long any certification takes to acheive depends on you and your talents as well as your desire and tenacity. Remember that some certifications are single test while others take two or more.
All of my certifications were done by the home study method with the exception of my CCNA. For that I took a course called the Cisco Networking Academy at a local continuing adult education center. It's a combination of school & home self-study. The cost was minimal. The material is online and you can access the material from either location but the school has teachers and routers available. Unless you have the money for a Cisco router at home, you use a router simulation program when not in class.
Other than that Cisco class, I took a six month Unix/C C++ course under similar circumstances. Though I did not get a certification in that, I did get a nice diploma from the Florida Institute of Technology.
My modis operandi when studying for exams is to get study material from different publishers (two to three) on the same exam/subject. I read each book from front to cover but it's not really what I call studying just yet. Only after I have read each book do I really start to study. I start studying by breaking down the individual chapters and comparing similar charpters of one book to another. It's amazing to learn just how much extra material one book may have or how much another may lack. Two books might say the same thing in two different ways but you may understand what one book (publisher) is trying to say better than the other one. It never hurts to read two points, or multiple points, of view.
This process has worked for me and it's a heck of a lot cheaper than spending thouands upon thousands of dollars to take a course. Certification exams aren't free and they certainly aren't cheap either. My advice to you would be for you to take your current knowledge and experience and test the waters by working on your A+ certification. See if you have what it takes. At the very least, A+ certification might lead you to a helpdesk or desktop support position and there's no better teacher than workin' the job. It's all pretty much just theory until then.
Note: As you might imagine, it helps to have multiple computers in the house for your netorking lab.
I've been doing independent study for almost all of my life so I should have no problems studying without guidance from a professor.
Again, I'm just more concerned with job opportunities than anything else. Now for example, if I were to get an A+ certification, CompTIA Network+ certification, and a Cisco CCNA certification, what kind of job would I realistically be able to hold?
I've been doing independent study for almost all of my life so I should have no problems studying without guidance from a professor.
Again, I'm just more concerned with job opportunities than anything else. Now for example, if I were to get an A+ certification, CompTIA Network+ certification, and a Cisco CCNA certification, what kind of job would I realistically be able to hold?
It's the old what came first? the chicken or the egg?
You can't get a job until you get experience, but you can't get experience until you get a job.
Get A+ certified, then take any job that gets you into the job market - PC repair, helpdesk, desktop support.
Then start looking for another job; a better job; a job that will give you more experience in field that you desire. Employers/recruiters always want to know where you're working now. They want to know if you're employable.
Start looking on job web sites now - Monster, Careerbuilder, Dice - try to find out what employers are looking for.
Use key words on those search sites like: net, netwoking, routers, CCNA
Be prepared to see a lot of jobs where a Bachelor Degree's required (and some that will take experience in leiu of).
A wealth of experience can be found sometimes with employers that support small to medium businesses.
Ok, so I just have one more question. What would you recommend me to do; a 4 year college or the certification process? This may sound weird, but I want you to answer it like I'm your son.
And thanks again for all your help.
Ok, so I just have one more question. What would you recommend me to do; a 4 year college or the certification process? This may sound weird, but I want you to answer it like I'm your son.
And thanks again for all your help.
The best advice that I could give you would be the following:
Four year college degree in science (computer science or the like)
Degree from a Technical Institute such as DeVry or ITT
Certification route
I went the certification route because the IT Industry was my third career and I needed to make good money fast considering what I was making in my second career. It hasn't been easy without a degree. I've weathered the .com bubble burst, 9/11, & outsourcing. I have less than thirty days on my current contract as a consultant and my job hunt has begun anew. I hate looking for work and I hate the time in-between work cause I'm always worried that I won't have enough money even though I do okay when I do work. Right now I'm saving my money and living cheap and I won't be making any major purchases until I find another job. And it sure doesn't help that gas is almost $4.50/gal. and the price of everything else keeps going up, up, up. And to top it all off, I live in a college town that has lots and lots of eager young college graduates in the computer sciences that will work for peanuts. Hanky anyone?
MtDew
07-03-2008, 02:17 PM
AJ, the computer field is very competive. Since the dot com bust a few years ago, there has been a lay off of several people in the IT field. I have been doing IT since the late 80's and let me tell you. You will need a degree (EE or CS) plus certifications to get into the market place. You will also need to have verifiable experience. I would suggest that you work with the school that you plan to go to in getting an internship in IT at some local company. A lot of times these internships can turn in to future jobs. I have also learned that in the IT field, you need to plan on constiently updating your certifications as technology moves forward.
On a side note, have you looked into going into the IT security side of the house? Some jobs that I have seen posted in the St. Louis region require the ComTia Security + as a min. You may also want to get a CCNA, then advance to a CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional).
I have been out of the technical side of IT for the past 3 1/2 years, but I am working as a IT project manager. This is the next step after working the technical side. It is not as glamorus, but the pay is better and the job market is more stable.
I hope this helps you.
Thanks for all the advice guys. This really helps me out allot. :smile:
I'm still unsure of what to do. I'll more than likely get a degree of some sort either from a UC or a Technical Institute and then get several certifications afterward. I know I want to do network security even though my passion is more hardware. It's kind of hard to resist the $$ involved. lol
I would suggest that you work with the school that you plan to go to in getting an internship in IT at some local company. A lot of times these internships can turn in to future jobs. I have also learned that in the IT field, you need to plan on constiently updating your certifications as technology moves forward.
That's what I was originally planning and as a matter of fact I almost got an internship this summer at Intel. I would have worked on their marketing team with benchmark advertising. The position was open to sophomores in college but since my credentials are so high the hiring manager was open to me (senior in high school at the time). Of course, it helps to know somebody that knows the hiring manager lol. The last minute I changed my mind and didn't apply for it.
Again, thanks for all the help guys. :)
Well guys, I've made up my mind. I'll be getting a BA in computer engineering as well as several certifications while I'm still in school. I already have plans for getting my A+ certification by this fall. My college offers a preparatory course for the A+ certification exam that I will be taking. Directly afterward, I'll be taking another course that prepares me for my network+ certification and I will take the exam right after the semester ends.
So all in all, I want to have 4-5 certifications by the time I graduate and possibly some work experience under my belt. :)
MtDew
07-07-2008, 10:30 PM
Well guys, I've made up my mind. I'll be getting a BA in computer engineering as well as several certifications while I'm still in school. I already have plans for getting my A+ certification by this fall. My college offers a preparatory course for the A+ certification exam that I will be taking. Directly afterward, I'll be taking another course that prepares me for my network+ certification and I will take the exam right after the semester ends.
So all in all, I want to have 4-5 certifications by the time I graduate and possibly some work experience under my belt. :)
Here's to you :fing10:
AJ,
I appears as though you've got a plan. And a very good one at that.
Thanks for all the encouragement guys. And once again, thanks for all the advice. ;-)
vBulletin® v3.7.0 Release Candidate 3, Copyright ©2000-2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.