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CompTIA A+ - Worth It?

A

Adam

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jan 9, 2003
Messages
1,592
I've been in IT all my life, have had the same job now for 7+ years... but no certifications (other then Panasonic Phones).

Is it worth my time/money to get CompTIA A+ certified? There are 2 tests about $179 each i'd have to take and pass to get it... what about MCTS cetficiation... wanst sure how that worked if i had to take a whole bunch of tests or what... those were $150 for each test, but again, not sure how many of those tests i need to take to be MCTS or was it just "MCTS Windows Server 2008 Certified" or "MCTS Windows Client Certified" meaning you are MCTS certified in a specific area..

Any feedback is appreciated. Just thinking for future purposes if i need to get a new job, it might help to have those listed (although I have 15+ years of full-time work in this field)
 
If you want to work at best buy as geek squad sure .... other than that waste of money.

If you like Microshit (soft) get MCSP or whatever you want ....

If you like networking get Cisco CCENT/NA/NP or Juniper JNCIS etc...
 
one can hope that they look at your experience first, but unfortunatly "HR" usually gets first look and since they usually dont know better they look for certs over experiences, A++ useless.. so look into more advance stuff that actually applies to what you can do
 
It's an entry level cert to get you in the door if you have little to no experience, or can't get a higher level MS/Cisco cert.
 
Yeah im not entry level... but dont wanna spend the bucks on cisco training, as i don't have equipment to train with, id need to take a class (we dont use cisco equipment where i work, just recently started using a few of their PoE switches).

Im thinking of taking college courses to get A.S in Computer Science, then getting a bachelors.. they ahve some A.A.S. programs for computer repairs/etc... but i think id rather work towards my bachelors... i'll be one of those "adults who went back to college" or in my case, college for first time.
 
CompTIA A+ is an entry level certificate for knowledge of desktop hardware, software, printing and basic networking. I wouldn't call it useless but it's not really applicable.. you don't really need it outside of a help desk technician role.

You should carefully look at the Microsoft Learning website and learn the difference between MCTS, MCITP and the new MCSA/MCSE. Link here

The route you choose is based on the work you do and the work you want to get into. Desktop/server versus networking. College is a good route, it's about more then just learning the specific technology but about learning the fundamentals and enriching yourself. However it's not one solution fits all.

What makes you want to pursue education/cert stuff? I enjoy always learning and training but I wonder if you're just not being fulfilled by your current job.. what would happen if you looked for a new career?
 
A+ can get you in the door to an entry level HD job. And honestly, experience and paying your dues on a Helpdesk are worth more than a degree. Nothing beats on the job training when it comes to IT. Looking at something like a Linux+ and MCTIP tracks are also worth doing while you are getting on the job training at a helpdesk. Also there are tons of labs you can 'download' to help you get your CCENT as well. It cant hurt to have any of them.
 
I want to go for some bigger, corporate/government jobs that seem to like certs/college. Im in the private industry now, where nobody cared about college, i have real world experience. Some places will take experience over college, but still, it'll look nice on my resume, afterall thats kinda what college is about these days, making that resume look nice :)
 
Adam said:
I want to go for some bigger, corporate/government jobs that seem to like certs/college. Im in the private industry now, where nobody cared about college, i have real world experience. Some places will take experience over college, but still, it'll look nice on my resume, afterall thats kinda what college is about these days, making that resume look nice :)
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I would go straight for Microsoft and/or some sort of network type certificate then depending on your exact line of work. You'll be applying for jobs that aren't asking for A+.
 
It really depends on who does the hiring. Best advice is ask the people who hire or hold a job that you want. When I hire, I prefer someone with no experience over someone with a know-it-all attitude or poor social skills. I've actually had job applicants quiz me on products I prefer and methods I use, then tell me I am doing it wrong. I toss their application right in the trash, don't care how many certs they have.
What I look for is someone willing to learn and try it my way. I figure if my name is on the door, you at least learn my way of doing things.
 
Adam said:
I've been in IT all my life, have had the same job now for 7+ years... but no certifications (other then Panasonic Phones).

Is it worth my time/money to get CompTIA A+ certified? There are 2 tests about $179 each i'd have to take and pass to get it... what about MCTS cetficiation... wanst sure how that worked if i had to take a whole bunch of tests or what... those were $150 for each test, but again, not sure how many of those tests i need to take to be MCTS or was it just "MCTS Windows Server 2008 Certified" or "MCTS Windows Client Certified" meaning you are MCTS certified in a specific area..

Any feedback is appreciated. Just thinking for future purposes if i need to get a new job, it might help to have those listed (although I have 15+ years of full-time work in this field)
Click to expand...

The problem is a lot of other certifications, such as PC Manufacturer Certifications, require A+ as a pre-requisite

Other than that, I don't see it as very useful. It's a profit source for CompTIA (or someone).

If it weren't so damned prehistoric in it's content, it wouldn't be so bad.

Being asked what the IRQ is for a sound card is just a waste of time considering there are far more current points of tech that a tech has to deal with daily, and no questions are ever asked about them.
 
TechLarry said:
The problem is a lot of other certifications, such as PC Manufacturer Certifications, require A+ as a pre-requisite

Other than that, I don't see it as very useful. It's a profit source for CompTIA (or someone).

If it weren't so damned prehistoric in it's content, it wouldn't be so bad.

Being asked what the IRQ is for a sound card is just a waste of time considering there are far more current points of tech that a tech has to deal with daily, and no questions are ever asked about them.
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I don't think that content is on the current exam. The only gripe I have with A+ is that it only takes you so far considering how much OS, server and network stuff even help desk techs need to know. Yet it's still two exams and expensive at that. I still want someone to be able to diagnose a bad power supply without taking forty five minutes Googling it.

EDIT: OP, what area of work are you in and what would you like to be in in the future? Have you had a look at the Microsoft Learning site?
 
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I took it just because the vouchers were very cheap through my school. I still might of paid full price though because there is actually a lot of positions I've seen that asked for CompTIA certs, even at the administration level.
 
Im currently in the security industry I guess... im the lead tech (used to run the department, then we moved me fulltime into a tech position since i know the most). I spend my day configuring access control systems, DVR systems, and fixing computer networks and messing with server racks. We used to be a lot of IT hands on, but now its more surveillance/access control related.

Id like to stay in the same field but for an organization where I have a pension, etc... being I work for a private company, no pension, no 401k, no ira, none of that.

I want to be able to put my time into a place and know i'll be able to get a promotion and move further.. where i am now, i cant realy go any higher then i am now, its not like we're a massive company.
 
You said you were in IT all your life but didn't explicitly say how long you've been in IT except to say your current job has been 7+ years.

If you're planning on doing help desk or desktop technician work then get A+ and Win7 cert.

It all depends on what you like to do. If you have a decent computer, maybe you could play with Virtual Box/Windows OS Evaluations/Linux to see if you like system administration or GNS3/Packet Tracer to see if you like networking engineering.

Also if you're considering government work as a GS or contractor, you're going to need 8570-related certs like A+, Net+, Sec+, CISSP, CISA/CISM, CEH or SAN certs.
 
I dunno if i wanna sit and fix john does outlook problem all my life, we do SOME Of that now, but its boring work. What I did recently was i was really the only tech (i had one guy who installed and hung tvs for me and ran wires) on this project where we have 28 monitors that monitor a town's camera systems. I setup the two racks with all the hardware, configured all the servers, etc... that was fun, and it came oiut good. I like doing big stuff like that, working with IP cameras and access control.

I spent 2000 - 2005 working fulltime as a network admin for a small company, then early 2007 till now where i currently am, so thats about 12 years actually, before that i did web development in HS for a local company. Im 31
 
I just completed my A+. I have an associates as well but why not. I'm entry level and many entry level positions say they prefer A+ certified individuals so I decided to get it.

I actually learned a good amount (mostly about the history of CPUs and the details of how CPUs operate, RAM, mobo buses and such). Things you wouldn't know about unless you read up on them. It was worth it for the knowledge and history itself. The Mike Meyers book was a wonderful read. I was very skeptical but glad I got it

It's also quite up to date. They got rid of the IRQ junk questions and such and is more relevant. The latest books talk about Win 2000 and XP as well as Vista but the exam itself doesn't go into ancient technologies.

I'd say get it, it surprised me how much new and interesting info was in the book, and the cert is only a plus when you apply for positions, it certainly can't hurt.

If you decide to take it, search on eBay for several weeks prior to when you plan on taking the exam for exam vouchers. I got one voucher for $100.
 
Adam said:
I dunno if i wanna sit and fix john does outlook problem all my life, we do SOME Of that now, but its boring work. What I did recently was i was really the only tech (i had one guy who installed and hung tvs for me and ran wires) on this project where we have 28 monitors that monitor a town's camera systems. I setup the two racks with all the hardware, configured all the servers, etc... that was fun, and it came oiut good. I like doing big stuff like that, working with IP cameras and access control.

I spent 2000 - 2005 working fulltime as a network admin for a small company, then early 2007 till now where i currently am, so thats about 12 years actually, before that i did web development in HS for a local company. Im 31
Click to expand...

I would look into expanding your networking experience through reading and maybe setting up a lab environment, even if it's just revamping your home network. Right now I would still recommend learning more about desktop and server operating systems as well. You seem to do enough work on the software side.. Windows Server 2008 has a 180 day activation-free period.

As for reading material, I would look at Network+ and CCENT training books. Even if you don't take the Network+ exam you'll still benefit from the books.
 
Some companies require you to have your A+! ( as a minimum certification )
 
Same but then again bigger corporations dont have time to research everything they like to see those certs
 
Dogs said:
I personally feel companies with such silly practices aren't exactly worth working for.
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Well Dell & Lexmark & Minolta & others require you to have the A+ certification, AND they now are all starting the requirement to have the PDI+ cert too.
 
dashpuppy said:
Well Dell & Lexmark & Minolta & others require you to have the A+ certification, AND they now are all starting the requirement to have the PDI+ cert too.
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For employees doing what?

Like I said before, though, the easy solution is to just not work for Dell, Lexmark or Minolta. There are plenty of employers who view A+ certification as the meaningless label that it is.
 
Dogs said:
For employees doing what?

Like I said before, though, the easy solution is to just not work for Dell, Lexmark or Minolta. There are plenty of employers who view A+ certification as the meaningless label that it is.
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Oh ok, so just don't have a good paying job then ? Really ?
 
dashpuppy said:
Oh ok, so just don't have a good paying job then ? Really ?
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If that's the conclusion you draw from my statement, that would logically require that Dell, Lexmark and Minolta are the only companies in the world who pay their employees well.

So which is it? Are you going to try and argue that Dell, Lexmark and Minolta are the only 'good paying' companies in the world, or are we going to accept that your conclusion is irrational?
 
I don't see the A+ as being beneficial for you, given the direction it appears you'd like to go.

You've hinted you like the network side of it with IP cameras & servers associated with them. I'd recommend giving the CCNA another thought. $295 for the exam and it requires zero lab equipment (though equipment would be beneficial). Get a hold of the Cisco press books or Lammle's CCNA guide & packet tracer, you could be certified for less than $400 if you were willing to put the effort in.

I have my A+, no employer ever took notice to it & I usually left it off my resume. The only place it was beneficial was when my entry level position at best buy required it many many years ago.

Take a look at Monster or other employment sites, do a search on positions that require A+ and see if they describe what you are interested in.
 
Dogs said:
If that's the conclusion you draw from my statement, that would logically require that Dell, Lexmark and Minolta are the only companies in the world who pay their employees well.

So which is it? Are you going to try and argue that Dell, Lexmark and Minolta are the only 'good paying' companies in the world, or are we going to accept that your conclusion is irrational?
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I'm saying companies are making certain certifications LIKE A+ a standard before they will even hire you..

The printer companies, will not look at even hiring you unless you have the PDI+ certification.

The little certifications like A+ etc etc just weed out the people that haven't gone to school or haven't even taken a course, just think they can fix stuff and hope they get hired.

Sure the A+ isn't really that much of a big deal, but it also teaches you some basics, YOU KNOW some times basics help out on those large or tough jobs..
 
dashpuppy said:
I'm saying companies are making certain certifications LIKE A+ a standard before they will even hire you..
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Some companies do this, yes. But do you really want to work for a company that doesn't bother to select candidates thoroughly? I personally would rather be surrounded by colleagues who were selected for their positions because of their actual skillset, and not because they paid the $300 to get a certificate that says they have passed two tests which poorly examine skills relevant almost exclusively to help desk techs.

dashpuppy said:
The printer companies, will not look at even hiring you unless you have the PDI+ certification.
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....And as a consequence, I will not even look at working for them.

dashpuppy said:
The little certifications like A+ etc etc just weed out the people that haven't gone to school or haven't even taken a course, just think they can fix stuff and hope they get hired.
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What does that sort of practice demonstrate, though? Certainly not that they care about selecting the best employees, because no worthwhile employer would ever turn down an otherwise excellent candidate because they can't tick a check-box.

dashpuppy said:
Sure the A+ isn't really that much of a big deal, but it also teaches you some basics, YOU KNOW some times basics help out on those large or tough jobs..
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A+ doesn't teach you anything; A+ is a certification, not instruction. Getting those 'basics' is definitely worthwhile, but getting a piece of paper that says you have these basics is a bit pointless, and requiring that piece of paper as an employer is even more pointless. If someone has prior experience and perhaps even an education, why does it make sense to turn them down because they don't have a basic, entry-level certification?
 
I dont think A+ is beneficial other then i can list it as a cert on my resume. Is it a joke, yeah pretty much it is. I honeslty took the practice test and FAILED, and i failed because they asked questions on things 8+ years old. They were asking about stuff nobodys used in years, its not updated the practice ones. They had 2 questions on VIsta, everything else was windows 2000 and xp. It was a joke.

BUT a lot of companies don't realize that. I think bigger companies want to see that you at least have that cert showing you took the time to prove you know basic stuff... rather then list it on a resume.

If i see A+ on a resume for a job im hiring for, i'll look at him over someone else who might just ramble things, but i'll take the time to interview each person and ask questions.

I just want to make it to that interview part, a lot of places look over a resume real fast, and just look for education/certs and dont take the time to read details.

Its easy to say "just dont work for a place like that" but in my industry, there are not a lot of jobs for people... i dont want a standard tech job making low pay, i want a higher paying tech job in the security field as that deals with hands-on hardware more then software.

I guess i should really look into security courses. Maybe get an associates in security and then a masters in business or computer sciences... who knows.
 
Dogs said:
If that's the conclusion you draw from my statement, that would logically require that Dell, Lexmark and Minolta are the only companies in the world who pay their employees well.

So which is it? Are you going to try and argue that Dell, Lexmark and Minolta are the only 'good paying' companies in the world, or are we going to accept that your conclusion is irrational?
Click to expand...

many companies, especially publicly traded companies have external requirements to show that their staffs are receiving ongoing education. Having certified employees, as useless as you may think it is, is part of fulfilling that requirement.
 
Dogs said:
Some companies do this, yes. But do you really want to work for a company that doesn't bother to select candidates thoroughly? I personally would rather be surrounded by colleagues who were selected for their positions because of their actual skillset, and not because they paid the $300 to get a certificate that says they have passed two tests which poorly examine skills relevant almost exclusively to help desk techs.
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I agree, i wouldn't want to work with a bunch of low end techs, however when you are starting out the A+ also teaches you how to solve problems and what steps you need to take, having experience also helps too..

i've been doing this crap since 1998, the test is a joke, BUT like i said many companies use it to weed out the know it alls and ones that have no experience. OR the back yard guys that fixed mom and dads computer and now think they are a genius..
 
Jumping on the band wagon, I personally feel A+ is a useless certification. You'll gain and be forced to learn what they teach you by years of experience. As all IT professionals its safe to assume that we all had our fair share of help desk duties. As I started to move away from help desk/ hardware duties and started to work on Server Administration ( about 2 years) I then proceeded to work towards my MCSE. I went forward with it because it shows/proves (in a way) you have the core competencies on paper and can help give you a sharper edge during an interview process.
 
GET IT MAN ... what will it hurt plus its cheap.

Then when your done you can do what everyone else on here does and put in your signature to be seen in this very forum on all your posts. Freaking sweet huh.

Heres a secret don't tell anyone. Put the certification in your signature even though you don't got it yet. Infact put a bunch of em in there.

So to be serious ...

People going to crappy colleges like CDI and or other institutions are paying like 10 000 bucks tor more to get A+ and or other certs. Employers will recognize your effort if anything.

If you want a public sector job get the certs.

Treat certifications like Nintendos Pokemon games and go collect em all.
 
lsikstrom said:
GET IT MAN ... what will it hurt plus its cheap.

Then when your done you can do what everyone else on here does and put in your signature to be seen in this very forum on all your posts. Freaking sweet huh.

Heres a secret don't tell anyone. Put the certification in your signature even though you don't got it yet. Infact put a bunch of em in there.

So to be serious ...

People going to crappy colleges like CDI and or other institutions are paying like 10 000 bucks tor more to get A+ and or other certs. Employers will recognize your effort if anything.

If you want a public sector job get the certs.

Treat certifications like Nintendos Pokemon games and go collect em all.
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250 per test X 2 is cheap? what about study materials?
 
The test is a joke, but many employers require it and like to see it. I would personally go for a Windows 7 one to get your MCITP. I have my A+ because my old employer paid for me to get it.
 
Bleh... Your experience outweighs an A+ immensely. I don't even list my A+ on my resume anymore. The positions I've held over the last 10 years tell them I know a thing or two about computers. ;)

Go get something more substantial. CCNA perhaps?
 
Protoform-X said:
Bleh... Your experience outweighs an A+ immensely. I don't even list my A+ on my resume anymore. The positions I've held over the last 10 years tell them I know a thing or two about computers. ;)

Go get something more substantial. CCNA perhaps?
Click to expand...

CCNA would be a tough one to start out with... let the OP build some confidence first and have him take his N+ and Security + (I really like these two exams)
 
CCNA is not that difficult, especially if you are even remotely familiar with networking concepts.

It can also be a two step process to ease the financial pain. He can take the ICND1 for the CCENT certification & follow up with the ICND2 when he's ready for CCNA. $150 per exam makes it pretty cheap.

Personally, I feel the CCENT holds far more weight than the Network+ (just barely) and the CCNA has no comparison.

In the end, they are just certs. I wouldn't take anything unless it directly relates to the field you are interested in. A+ is entry level tech bench all day long, Net+/Sec+ might raise an eyebrow but Cisco is highly sought after (at least in my market).
 
I just wanted to ring in here with people mentioning that A+ is a requirement for some jobs.

I will say from personal experience that if you have enough work/professional experience (I'd say 4+ years is a good start), impress the interviewer(s) and you are a good candidate for the position, you will make that A+ requirement totally irrelevant. Even when I was doing straight-up Desktop Support, which two positions I've held in that role had A+ listed as a requirement, I almost walked through those interviews as if they were just formalities and I was still very successful at the job. As someone pointed out, it's mostly to weed out those unqualified, but don't think by any stretch of the imagination that it IS a hardline requirement.

If you wanted to go into being a Field Tech for PC or Printer support, A+ may not be such a bad thing to have under your belt.

Just my opinion: Work experience > many certifications.
 
Adam said:
I want to go for some bigger, corporate/government jobs that seem to like certs/college. Im in the private industry now, where nobody cared about college, i have real world experience. Some places will take experience over college, but still, it'll look nice on my resume, afterall thats kinda what college is about these days, making that resume look nice :)
Click to expand...

If you're interested in gov't jobs, you want infosec. Checkout the DoD 8570.1 Directive as it will steer you down a certification path. If you were to get a gov't job before you certified, the gov't would pay you to get certified while employed. If you get certified before applying for a gov't job you can see your level (IAM / IAT) based on the certification you already achieved.

The DoD directive is being pushed hard and there's lots of opportunity for all levels in infosec right now.
 
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