IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

[Uptown WaYo87]

Alright so ive been meaning to get my a+ and security+ (ive read to skip the network, correct me if im wrong)..then going towards all the bigger certs. Im 26 with a GED.

What legit schools are there in nyc? Can i take evening or online classes? I want to dive into this and do a ton of studying

 

[RubioTheCruel]

Alright so ive been meaning to get my a+ and security+ (ive read to skip the network, correct me if im wrong)..then going towards all the bigger certs. Im 26 with a GED.

What legit schools are there in nyc? Can i take evening or online classes? I want to dive into this and do a ton of studying

Don't bother going to school for it, if you're the motivated type you can self study for those in a short period of time.

 

[Uptown WaYo87]

Don't bother going to school for it, if you're the motivated type you can self study for those in a short period of time.

Ok cool, so then where in nyc do i go to take the test only? Im just real skeptical about googling a spot then getting scammed or some bullshyt

Ive read that mike myers book is a good start, any otherbooks or sites i should hop on?

 

[RubioTheCruel]

Ok cool, so then where in nyc do i go to take the test only? Im just real skeptical about googling a spot then getting scammed or some bullshyt

Ive read that mike myers book is a good start, any otherbooks or sites i should hop on?

http://www.vue.com/comptia/

There's a spot in Midtown that you can go test at.

Go to www.techexams.net, lot of knowledgeable folk there. I can't tell you much about the tests I took them shyts back in 2006 I'm sure they've been updated 2 if not 3 times since then. Good luck

 

[ahomeplateslugger]

Ok cool, so then where in nyc do i go to take the test only? Im just real skeptical about googling a spot then getting scammed or some bullshyt

Ive read that mike myers book is a good start, any otherbooks or sites i should hop on?

for the A+ check out professor messer and as far as testing centers go, you can google comptia A+ test centers then type your zip code and it'll pull up test centers nearest to you. if i were you, i would knock out the A+ then dive into the bigger certs like microsoft and cisco. to be honest, you can probably skip a+ entirely and go for microsoft straight out the gate...unless you don't know much about computers then studying the a+ would be a good idea.

 

[SwagmundFreud]

I'll be obtaining a data administrator cert next year anybody have any knowledge on this?

 

[RubioTheCruel]

to be honest, you can probably skip a+ entirely and go for microsoft straight out the gate...unless you don't know much about computers then studying the a+ would be a good idea.

Yeah, I downloaded some A+ practice test questions just now and I doubt I could even pass that shyt today. Asking me shyt about printers? That's what vendors are for

 

[Panther]

I want to take my A+ by the end of january... Really gonna lock in and make sure im prepared

 

[Tunez]

Check this job position out http://www.linkedin.com/jobs2/view/10133608 Ive been doing research on their Manhattan location but I cant find it

 

[acri1]

Yeah, I downloaded some A+ practice test questions just now and I doubt I could even pass that shyt today. Asking me shyt about printers? That's what vendors are for

Yeah, I've been working IT support for a while now (make over 20/hr these days) and I couldn't tell you a thing about fixing printers.

We have a contract with Ricoh to repair printers. Anything more serious than a paper jam and we just call them out to fix it.

 

[Silkk]

Just did some virus removal on something called aarmetis that was messing up the internet. Think i might venture into more networking and security

 

[Ineedmoney504]

need to bookmark this thread, need the knowledge for help

 

[mannyrs13]

I'm interested in learning IT this year to improve my situation. I want to study for some certs but need a starting point. is A+ the standard beginning cert? I see something called strata it fundamentals on the comptia site that says it's basic series for beginners. should a no experience newbie like me look into that as a refresher course?

 

[606onit]

I'm interested in learning IT this year to improve my situation. I want to study for some certs but need a starting point. is A+ the standard beginning cert? I see something called strata it fundamentals on the comptia site that says it's basic series for beginners. should a no experience newbie like me look into that as a refresher course?

Good question. I'd like to study and come into a Help Desk job or something like that. What's a good STARTING POINT and what's a good expectation in terms of completing certain BENCHMARKS? Just what are some different PATHS in the field (ex. Security, Hardware, etc)?? I'd like to GUAP LIKE A DOG while still working independently and on my own schedule?

 

[acri1]

Good question. I'd like to study and come into a Help Desk job or something like that. What's a good STARTING POINT and what's a good expectation in terms of completing certain BENCHMARKS? Just what are some different PATHS in the field (ex. Security, Hardware, etc)?? I'd like to GUAP LIKE A DOG while still working independently and on my own schedule?

You're probably not gonna start out making bread like that. Like any other industry, you have to start at the bottom and pay your dues. If you don't have any experience/degrees, I'd say study for your A+ and take the test when you feel like your ready. If you need help, there are guides on the Internet as well as A+ prep classes you can take at many community classes.

Once you have your A+, start applying for Help Desk jobs. I probably wouldn't worry about other certs until you have some sort of experience. Depending on where you live and the job market in your area, you'll probably be able to apply for jobs paying anywhere from $12-$16/hr. Once you get your foot in the door, start looking into other certs and thinking about specializing. I'm still trying to find my own path in the field but there are lots of different areas you can specialize in...networking, servers, security, virtualization, infrastructure, Linux, etc.

If you're serious about going into IT, it may also be worth checking your local community college to see if they have any two-year IT programs...it's easier to get your foot in the door (with no experience) if you have a degree or at least have passed some IT classes. Last few IT support jobs I've gotten have required at least a 2-year degree just to avoid having your resume thrown out.