Officially A+ Certified

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: narzy
So I finally got certified, go me! If anyone is looking for an A+ Certified Technician I am currently looking for a job, I'll move but perfer the Oregon, Washington area if possible. I'm just stoked I actually got a cert in the field. 850 on the core exam and 895 on the Technician exam.

lol.. i took and passed the ccna exam because i lost a bet w/one of my engineers.

did it help improve my 6figure salary? nope
did it help improve my understanding of what the network engineers were saying? nope
did i learn my lesson about making bets w/my engineers? yep

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

I can personally tell you that an A+ Certification can be quite useful. At my last job, I gave myself a dollar an hour raise just by getting the A+ certification. The same went with getting any other additional certifications, without any limits. I was doing telephone tech support for Systemax/Midwest Micro, and their policy was a $1 an hour raise for any certification.

That means a dedicated person could go from $10 an hour to $15 an hour by getting 5 certifications. 50% more money is nothing to laugh at, and it also would put anyone on the fast track to a Senior Tech or supervisory position.

Anyway, the certification paid for itself pretty quickly.

 

[Old Hippie]

I appreciate anybody working toward a better future. Congrats! :beer::thumbsup:

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: QueBert
A+ is far from worthless a lot of companies require it when you apply for a technical job, I use to work @ Sony repairing laptops, wasn't a high level job but started like $17 an hour. If they didn't see A+ on your resume they wouldn't even consider you. A+ isn't the end all cert or even close, but getting your foot in the door at a new company might require it. The person at Sony who interviewed me said my 15 years technical working experience was great but without A+ I wouldn't have gotten an interview.

Funny, I was offered a job at Sony repairing Laptops and I didn't have an A+ cert, just a year of experience repairing Laptops for Toshiba. I didn't take the job though, I didn't like atmosphere in the shop, it reminded me of what a Prison Workshop would be like.

 

[911paramedic]

Looks like somebody had to be the CTO...

Employer Size: 1 - 4 Employees

Text

 

[Scarpozzi]

What's A+ Certified mean? I mean, really....what does it mean anymore?

 

[BurnItDwn]

Grats on the A+, as others have mentioned, you really should redo your resume, and perhaps change that job title to "systems analyst" or something like that ....

The company I work for is almost always hiring, but they are in Illinois, also I have no clout, I am just a peon programmer.

 

[Jimmah]

Gratz on getting your A+

I've been looking at getting mine recently, I've done the practice tests and got about 85% on them.

One thing, do you have to do the entire course or can you just take a test and be done with it? Sorry to highjack

 

[TruePaige]

I remember my A+. Was very easy for me. Most complicated part (if you can even call it that) was memorizing IRQ's and I/O Addresses.

Network+ was the one that made me think some...but I still did okay on that, passed both in a 6 week span in High School.

Now..I'm working for a major University...right out of HS is pretty good IMHO. =)

Though when I can finish a degree I'll be making a lot more money hopefully...

 

[DougK62]

Nice job with the cert.

I don't know why everyone always says MCSE and CCNA are harder certs to get. MCSE ok, but CCNA is just one test and it's really not very long or difficult. It's an entry-level cert just like A+.

 

[TruePaige]

Originally posted by: DougK62
Nice job with the cert.

I don't know why everyone always says MCSE and CCNA are harder certs to get. MCSE ok, but CCNA is just one test and it's really not very long or difficult. It's an entry-level cert just like A+.

MCSE isn't hard, it's just annoying, it's a flurry of tests, so I could have one if I just wanted to sign over a months pay to Microsoft.

(Okay not a month's pay...but still I don't like their testing model)

 

[narzy]

Originally posted by: Jimmah
Gratz on getting your A+

I've been looking at getting mine recently, I've done the practice tests and got about 85% on them.

One thing, do you have to do the entire course or can you just take a test and be done with it? Sorry to highjack

you can just take the test and be done with it, the tests are close to $170 each and their are two of them with three different paths, most people just get the Technician designation because it is the most broad but they have designations for call center techs as well as bench technician. if you can pass the practice tests consistantly with 95% or higher then you should be ready for it. 85% is pushing it just because the test will throw you a few questions that aren't on the practice exams and drop your score just below the cut-off.


(Updating this post as I catch up with the thread, sorry I've been offline for about 24 hours )

Today I started studying for my CCNA so that is my next goal, I am giving myself about 6 months total study time to get through all of the Network Acadamy curriculum I have to say the new version 4 of the CCNA discovery and exploration is extremely dumbed down since I last did it (V 3.0 and 3.1) but the interface is MUCH nicer. I think my next official cert is going to be the CCENT so this should be fun .

Thanks to everyone for the gratz, means a lot to me. on the resume thing, I have updated it so I am no longer a CTO but Technology Manager as that is more fitting with my job description.

 

[StinkyPinky]

Originally posted by: TruePaige

Originally posted by: DougK62
Nice job with the cert.

I don't know why everyone always says MCSE and CCNA are harder certs to get. MCSE ok, but CCNA is just one test and it's really not very long or difficult. It's an entry-level cert just like A+.

MCSE isn't hard, it's just annoying, it's a flurry of tests, so I could have one if I just wanted to sign over a months pay to Microsoft.

(Okay not a month's pay...but still I don't like their testing model)

Try taking the 70-292 (upgrade exam from MCSE 2000 to 2003). Man that exam was a bitch to pass.

 

[Synomenon]

Originally posted by: narzy
So I finally got certified, go me! If anyone is looking for an A+ Certified Technician I am currently looking for a job, I'll move but perfer the Oregon, Washington area if possible. I'm just stoked I actually got a cert in the field. 850 on the core exam and 895 on the Technician exam.

:thumbsup:
Good job. Doesn't it feel good to finally have one? Even after working in the IT field for so many years.

I became certified yesterday as well. I'm taking the Network+ this coming Tuesday and in January the Security+. Still studying for the MCSE and CCNA certs. though.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

I still don't have any certs.
If you are like me and don't have any certs, put in your resume somewhere "Working on obtaining A+, Network+, MSCE, ect" somewhere in it so that filters will pick up the words when someone does a search.
Or if you can submit a word resume, make the text white like the background because the HR person will never figure it out. I had a guy call me for a job using this trick. He said I didn't show any of those certs in my resume that he searched for. I told him it was a sign that he should hire me. To bad they paid half of what I'm making now. lol

 

[LikeLinus]

CTO is great...but this takes the cake

"DailyTech LLC Chicago, IL
Contributing Writer January, 2006 to Febuary, 2007

Additionally, were you employed by DailyTech? You're essentially saying you were employed by DailyTech and Ktec at the same time for over a year.


Good Job on getting your A+. You'll never get a job with a good company with that resume though.

 

[narzy]

Originally posted by: LikeLinus
CTO is great...but this takes the cake

"DailyTech LLC Chicago, IL
Contributing Writer January, 2006 to Febuary, 2007

Additionally, were you employed by DailyTech? You're essentially saying you were employed by DailyTech and Ktec at the same time for over a year.


Good Job on getting your A+. You'll never get a job with a good company with that resume though.

yes, I worked for both companies at the same time...and I'm always looking for suggestions to make myself employable, resume writing was never a skill I possessed.

 

[narzy]

Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi

Originally posted by: narzy
So I finally got certified, go me! If anyone is looking for an A+ Certified Technician I am currently looking for a job, I'll move but perfer the Oregon, Washington area if possible. I'm just stoked I actually got a cert in the field. 850 on the core exam and 895 on the Technician exam.

:thumbsup:
Good job. Doesn't it feel good to finally have one? Even after working in the IT field for so many years.

I became certified yesterday as well. I'm taking the Network+ this coming Tuesday and in January the Security+. Still studying for the MCSE and CCNA certs. though.

yes, it really does feel fantastic even though it is a bottom of the barrel certification, at least it is a glimmer of my accomplishments. There is no way in hell I am stopping here, I am going to work on my CCENT/CCNA.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: StinkyPinky

Originally posted by: TruePaige

Originally posted by: DougK62
Nice job with the cert.

I don't know why everyone always says MCSE and CCNA are harder certs to get. MCSE ok, but CCNA is just one test and it's really not very long or difficult. It's an entry-level cert just like A+.

MCSE isn't hard, it's just annoying, it's a flurry of tests, so I could have one if I just wanted to sign over a months pay to Microsoft.

(Okay not a month's pay...but still I don't like their testing model)

Try taking the 70-292 (upgrade exam from MCSE 2000 to 2003). Man that exam was a bitch to pass.

yea i concur. I'm an MCSE 2000, and most of the exams were fairly easy. I have experience, so it took a week or so of cramming to go and pass most of exams. One in particular though, 70-216, was a beast and it took some serious understanding of things to pass. I did pass it after a few tries.

I've attempted 70-292 twice to no avail. Attempting again sometime after the first of next year.

 

[BarneyFife]

Wow, you tech guys are harsh.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: narzy

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: narzy
So I finally got certified, go me! If anyone is looking for an A+ Certified Technician I am currently looking for a job, I'll move but perfer the Oregon, Washington area if possible. I'm just stoked I actually got a cert in the field. 850 on the core exam and 895 on the Technician exam.

/crickets...

OUCH!

I mean sure, its not the cadallac of certs but it is an accomplishment...right?

Not really much of one. Employers most likely won't care much about it. They'll care more about real world experience, or some sort of higher level certifications like MCSE or CCNA.

CCNA? lolz but I can agree they want that.

Anyway most will argue why don't you have an A+ cert down here. Even with proven background...they also want MSCE, CCNA, all the CompTIA crap.

CCNA is a month of reading. CCXP is quite a bit harder.


CCIE/CISSP are holy grails.

My brother is a multi CCIE/CISSP holder...people comp him daily more than many make in a week.

However when he comes in, things are back online and stay that way.

My biggest problem with the above is I am a programmer / hardware guy...none of the above really apply to me.

 

[StinkyPinky]

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: StinkyPinky

Originally posted by: TruePaige

Originally posted by: DougK62
Nice job with the cert.

I don't know why everyone always says MCSE and CCNA are harder certs to get. MCSE ok, but CCNA is just one test and it's really not very long or difficult. It's an entry-level cert just like A+.

MCSE isn't hard, it's just annoying, it's a flurry of tests, so I could have one if I just wanted to sign over a months pay to Microsoft.

(Okay not a month's pay...but still I don't like their testing model)

Try taking the 70-292 (upgrade exam from MCSE 2000 to 2003). Man that exam was a bitch to pass.

yea i concur. I'm an MCSE 2000, and most of the exams were fairly easy. I have experience, so it took a week or so of cramming to go and pass most of exams. One in particular though, 70-216, was a beast and it took some serious understanding of things to pass. I did pass it after a few tries.

I've attempted 70-292 twice to no avail. Attempting again sometime after the first of next year.

I passed it on my third attempt with exactly 700. Honestly the hardest cert exam I've done, and I've done a lot.

 

[Fritzo]

Sorry...gotta do my standard joke here:


I got a B- on my A+

 

[Thetech]

My goodness a battlefield, I think it's good you are trying to get certs Narzy. I feel regardless of what we think as techs certificates do matter, in a world where most of the non-tech people may not fully understand our work backgrounds certificates simplify things for them.