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Career Help - Getting into an entry-level position in IT

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Hi Peeps

I need advice on how much weight the CompTIA A+ cert holds when applying to entry level IT jobs such as helpdesk techies etc.

For some background
I'm currently studying BSc Comp Science through UNISA and I still have another 2 and a half years to go till it's finished.
I've had two previous jobs mainly focused in customer care and support.

So my question is will the A+ cert help me land those entry-level jobs or should I buckle down and get some more certs like the Networking+ and Security+
 
I don't think a+ is worthwhile, it's so basic but I could be wrong.
 
My personal opinion, your 1.5 years at uni is worth more than a+

If you're already studying bsc, a+ is pointless.

Depending on your flavour,or what you wanna be doing after studying, i would much rather recommend doing something like the LPIC-1 course.

It'll give you a very good base to start on if you're gonna go down the Linux route, again, personal opinion.

There are of course others like the RHCSA but I have never done that so I have no opinion on whether it's better or not vs LPIC, but, I'm giving options.

Any of these (or similar, like the MSCA if Windows is more your jam, would be worth 50x more than an a+.

If you really want, go through Prof Messers vids (Professor Messer's 220-1001 Core 1 CompTIA A+ Training Course) to get an understanding of the things that are discussed / learned, but there's no real point in actually writing the exam.

Full disclaimer, ima say this again, this is my personal opinion, please don't flame.
 
If A+, Net+, or Sec+ is a listed requirement for the jobs you wish to apply for, then get it. If not, then there is no need to waste your hard earned cash. Advice:
  1. Use knowledge from cert courses for theory and also to gauge interest in specific topics.
  2. Use acquired certs to land interview with HR because that is a requirement for the given job.
  3. Use soft skills that you picked up in Customer care jobs to charm and impress HR.
  4. Gain actual experience with tech whether it be in home labs or probono work or whatever so you know your shit when on the job.
 
If A+, Net+, or Sec+ is a listed requirement for the jobs you wish to apply for, then get it. If not, then there is no need to waste your hard earned cash. Advice:
  1. Use knowledge from cert courses for theory and also to gauge interest in specific topics.
  2. Use acquired certs to land interview with HR because that is a requirement for the given job.
  3. Use soft skills that you picked up in Customer care jobs to charm and impress HR.
  4. Gain actual experience with tech whether it be in home labs or probono work or whatever so you know your shit when on the job.
The thing is for right now, yes, if the job requires it, get it, but, one his BSc is finished, that'll outway pretty much any entry level Comptia course, to the point where even if it's a requirement, they'll accept the degree in its place
 
one his BSc is finished, that'll outway pretty much any entry level Comptia course
True. In 2.5 years. They are working at the moment and, from what I understood, are looking to land an entry level job ASAP (possibly to gain experience in the field?).
 
Look at something in cloud such as AWS solutions architect associate or Azure AZ103/203. On prem infrastructure is rapidly dying and user support is a shit show
 
Look at something in cloud such as AWS solutions architect associate or Azure AZ103/203. On prem infrastructure is rapidly dying and user support is a shit show
"in the cloud" still runs on bare metal bud.

And even then, with vm's and such, it's always good to have a basic understanding of Linux.

Also, Linux is also the most used OS on the Azure platform.

Linux is literally everywhere, you just don't always see it 😉
 
"in the cloud" still runs on bare metal bud.

And even then, with vm's and such, it's always good to have a basic understanding of Linux.

Also, Linux is also the most used OS on the Azure platform.

Linux is literally everywhere, you just don't always see it 😉
yup , the saying goes cloud is 'just someone else's data Centre'

Linux is always a valuable skill ... linux+cloud=win
 
Been in IT for 15 Years now, worked my way up from "Techie" (currently do enterprise-level server support. Which includes virtualization and cloud as everything goes hand in hand). You still obviously need the fundamentals, but not just know them, you need to understand how everything fits and works together. It takes time to fully grasp and you need real-world working experience, but once you do it is quite easy to keep up with technology (you are always going to have to study and take exams, welcome to IT -_- ). By the time you are done studying there will most likely be something new that is the "go-to". You need to be able to adapt quickly. You are expected to be a Jack of all trades. This might change but that's where we are atm.
 
one his BSc is finished, that'll outway pretty much any entry level Comptia course, to the point where even if it's a requirement, they'll accept the degree in its place
No offense to the OP, but have you seen the calibre of folks stepping away and starting off with a BSc in Computer Sciences?
We have an internship program filled with these folks and they have zero clue about much outside of basic theory and rote learning.

The way I see it, ANY course that could complement already gained knowledge in the field you want to further yourself in can only ever be a good thing. None of it amounts to anything if there isn't a passion for the subject matter though.
 
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No offense to the OP, but have you seen the calibre of folks stepping away and starting off with a BSc in Computer Sciences?
We have an internship program filled with these folks and they have zero clue about much outside of basic theory and rote learning.

The way I see it, ANY course that could complement already gained skills in the field you want to further yourself in can only ever be a good thing. None of it amounts to anything if there isn't a passion for the subject matter though.
Agree, experience is basically everything. Once you actually start working you will feel like you have learned almost nothing. You do need the paperwork though, unfortunately, as this gets your foot in the door (they need to make sure that you are intellectually capable to learn and grow ;)).
 
+1 for linux and some AWS certs (SA associate is a good starting point). Get good and apply at AWS. Although cloud servers run on bare metal from a techie standpoint you most often deal with troubleshooting the applied service - with the hardware being handled by a different team, up to you which direction in you want to go in terms of supporting underlying infrastructure vs. services sitting on top of infrastructure.
 

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