How much can you make being A+ certified?

[Torghn]

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: kami333

Originally posted by: Torghn

Originally posted by: kami333
You can work at Best Buy instead of McDonalds.

Look at it this way, if you are looking for a computer related job a lot of places WON'T hire you if you don't have it, regardless of what the salary is going to be.

When I was hiring for a small computer store I wouldn't hire you if you did have one. From my experience any one with an A+ cert was far inferior to any other random applicant.

So what did you base your hiring on?

From my experience, it was either tests or questions that were based on technical stuff... or a general aptitude test.

Pretty close, I'd just ask them general tech questions. IE how would you fix this, what would you do here, that sort of thing.

 

[cwdegood]

Originally posted by: Torghn

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: kami333

Originally posted by: Torghn

Originally posted by: kami333
You can work at Best Buy instead of McDonalds.

Look at it this way, if you are looking for a computer related job a lot of places WON'T hire you if you don't have it, regardless of what the salary is going to be.

When I was hiring for a small computer store I wouldn't hire you if you did have one. From my experience any one with an A+ cert was far inferior to any other random applicant.

So what did you base your hiring on?

From my experience, it was either tests or questions that were based on technical stuff... or a general aptitude test.

Pretty close, I'd just ask them general tech questions. IE how would you fix this, what would you do here, that sort of thing.

I do think the fact that you singled out applicants who took a step(Small or not) to further thier career by getting an A+ is Bs, but thats my view 😉

 

[bmacd]

I'm a firm believer that A+ is only as useful as you make it. I am 23 now, got certified when I was 16 and never took advantage of it. Do I think it's worthless? Yes, but I'm sure you can find some people like in this thread that took advantage of it.

-=bmacd=-

 

[Reckoner]

How about the Security+ Certification? Any better than A+ ?

 

[waggy]

IF you are under 20 a A+ is great! butif you really think it is going to get you a good job besides maybe a job with Bestbuy in teh tech help area you are mistaken. BUT it is a good start.

 

[Torghn]

Originally posted by: cwdegood

Originally posted by: Torghn

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: kami333

Originally posted by: Torghn

Originally posted by: kami333
You can work at Best Buy instead of McDonalds.

Look at it this way, if you are looking for a computer related job a lot of places WON'T hire you if you don't have it, regardless of what the salary is going to be.

When I was hiring for a small computer store I wouldn't hire you if you did have one. From my experience any one with an A+ cert was far inferior to any other random applicant.

So what did you base your hiring on?

From my experience, it was either tests or questions that were based on technical stuff... or a general aptitude test.

Pretty close, I'd just ask them general tech questions. IE how would you fix this, what would you do here, that sort of thing.

I do think the fact that you singled out applicants who took a step(Small or not) to further thier career by getting an A+ is Bs, but thats my view 😉

If someone with an A+ cert actually knew what they were doing I'd have hired them. I will admit havening so many clueless A+ people apply did give me a very bad impression and like anyone I'm not entirely unbiased.

 

[Captante]

It helped me in the beginning, but by itself its not worth much... all most cert's do is get your foot in the door.

 

[ultimatebob]

In Wisconsin? $12 an hour, tops. You might make $18 an hour if you lived in LA or NYC... but you don't.

 

[waggy]

heh i i was hireing people i would have about 1-3 guys a month who thought having a A+ was hot ******. though you would occionaly get the guy who had an A+ and really knew his stuff. they just did nto do well in school.

Just today i would not just get an A+. But its something worth having if still in highschool (the local highschools have A+classes. they go really in depth. far better then the college level course).

 

[Zolty]

I make 22/hr with no certifications or degree, in database support.

 

[Kelemvor]

Most places take experience over certifications any day.

 

[bmacd]

Originally posted by: Zolty
I make 22/hr with no certifications or degree, in database support.

holy cow. Company ?

-=bmacd=-

 

[Fritzo]

I got a B- on my A+ 🙁

 

[notfred]

You can make billions being A+ certified. If Bill Gates wanted to, I'm sure he could get A+ certified.

However, if you mean you have no skills, no experience, and nothing but an A+ certificate, you can't make much.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Zolty
I make 22/hr with no certifications or degree, in database support.

definitely possible. Hell you could be making twice as much. That said, unless you have many years of experience there or somewhere else, good luck finding a job elsewhere...

 

[JoeFahey]

Originally posted by: TheNinja
that's a pretty tough question. I would assume an A+ tech in California would make more than a A+ tech in Iowa. Also it's a tough question. It's like saying, "how much can you make graduating from high school". Well you can make $500,000 or you can make $5. I'm no help at all really and just wasted both my time and yours.

lol, I chuckled

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: JoeFahey1

Originally posted by: TheNinja
that's a pretty tough question. I would assume an A+ tech in California would make more than a A+ tech in Iowa. Also it's a tough question. It's like saying, "how much can you make graduating from high school". Well you can make $500,000 or you can make $5. I'm no help at all really and just wasted both my time and yours.

lol, I chuckled

ditto.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: kami333

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
The headhunter firm that supplies us with resumes submitted one where the guy prominently featured his Network+ and A+ certs on the top of the front page, and our management, believe it or not, actually called this guy in for an interview with us.

The guy was practically in tears when he left, and I never even had the chance to interview him. He was so unqualified it was pathetic, and he knew it.

Too bad he didn't know his stuff, but if he didn't have those certs would they have even interviewed him?

We don't care about certs. We care about your work experience (and to a much lesser degree your education), and we care about your personality, your knowledge, your intelligence, your communications skills...

When I first saw this guy's resume, I laughed because he (or whoever wrote his resume) used almost the entire top half of the first page to showcase his Network+ and A+ certs. I mean, come on...

 

[fitzov]

Some jobs require A+, but I wouldn't count on getting hired as a result of having the cert. (You need some experience).

 

[Reckoner]

Everyone talks about experience, which granted is important, but what is a out of college grad supposed to do with no experience?

 

[jaynonymous]

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
Everyone talks about experience, which granted is important, but what is a out of college grad supposed to do with no experience?

This is exactly what certifications like the A+ are good for...showing a potential employer that you do understand the technology. Good employers can take that information and determine whether the candidate can actually perform the work. A+ does not mean that someone is a hardware guru; it means that the person understands the terminology, has a broad understanding of the technology, and may very well have the aptitude to work on computers.

If you have no experience, then it's probably worthwhile to get A+ certified to show any potential employers that you at least understand the terminology and technologies involved in doing hardware repair. However, it's not likely to net you a lot of money because you'll be getting an entry-level position. If you think that getting certified will let you skip that part, then you're wrong. You've got to start somewhere. To me, if a potential candidate is A+ certified, but has no experience, then it shows me that the candidate cares about computers and is willing to spend their own time trying to get better, which is a lot better than a candidate that comes to me with no experience and no certification and is looking to make $25/hour fixing computers.

A friend has come up with what he calls his IT career table, which is built on the following legs: 1) education, 2) experience. 3) certification and 4) networking with people. It's possible that you'll do fine with only 3 of those things, but 4 will make for a much more stable career. If you've only got two, then you better start working on at least one of the other factors.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: FDF12389
Someone at my school says their are making $18 an hour, if thats true Im gonna take the test, but I thought they made 8-10.

A+ is now required at my job. Starting pay 38k a year + 10% bonus yearly. It is possible to make up to 55k a year with A+.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: kami333

Look at it this way, if you are looking for a computer related job a lot of places WON'T hire you if you don't have it, regardless of what the salary is going to be.

The only places that put this much value in A+ certification are offering positions where people with experience won't be applying... so they need some way to select people.

A+ is so useless a certification. It's cheap and easy to get. Most people can read one or two books and get the certification, even if they have very limited experience with computers, or even no experience. Or if you're good with google, you can even get all the answers.

a guy i worked with failed both parts 3 times . our work started requiring everyone get it to prove they had a basic understanding of wht they were supporting... lol

 

[BriGy86]

i have mine and i make 9.50 an hour at compusa

it did help me become a tech right away rather than just a service writer

 

[torpid]

It makes no difference at all. Whatever you were making before is what you will make after. It's a virtually worthless test. Its only use is so that you can apply for certain jobs you probably don't want where the manager thinks A+ is remotely meaningful.