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  • #2182528

    A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

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    by the admiral ·

    Not so long ago (5 years) employers took strides to hire top quality talent that had an A+ certification, and was willing to train people in their processes and procedures. It did not matter that they had no experience or any other quality. Now the faces of business has changed to the point where you have to have more than the A+ certification, but the business sense as well, and now more than ever, companies want a liberal arts degree with a minor in technology in order to be hired, and the A+ no longer matters.

    Why? Well, the A+ tells the employer that you have 6 months experience in performing services on PC?s, networking, and other aspects of software. However, many in the industry state that it does not make you a master of any of them. Many technicians believe that the A+ certifications are needed because they show proficiency in being able to repair systems and technology.

    The tide is turning however, in that companies want a degree in computer science or moreover, a liberal arts degree with some technology rather than certifications due to problems with certified employees not knowing how to fix problems. One issue last year here of a MSCE who was also A+ certified complaining about the system being sluggish and crashing often until running the CD with the Motherboard drivers, is one example why companies have suspicions of certifications. Have employers properly and adequately gone through the process to justify their concerns or have they allowed their concerns to run wild?

    CompTIA says that the A+ Certification is an internationally recognized validation of technical knowledge required of an entry level computer service technician. While CompTIA has done an outstanding job in keeping the A+ certification recent, corporate requirements are now demanding more in that they want someone who can do more than entry level work for the pay. While the intent of CompTIA?s examination process is to certify a body of knowledge, the corporate requirements have gone beyond entry-level to a new standard of hit the ground running with business process. Has the A+ Certification by its own design become obsolete?

    Let me tell you what is happening in our particular area. We have come to a decision that while A+ certification is great for a person who is changing careers to attempt, that it would not be worth the in some cases up to $2,500 to send someone who has 10 years experience to in order to become certified in. Since A+ Certification is the entry-level, which in today?s corporate society is sub $10 per hour work, it is believed that the seasoned professional would be taking a step back rather than taking a step forward. So because of that, we encourage our professionals to take Cisco or Red Hat Linux certifications instead that will help the company later. We figured that there is $2,500 that is well spent, and $2,500 that is not, and the investment into furthering the employee rather than the liability in setting them back. Granted, we have databases of processes to fix the common problems, so we felt that sending the employees to A+ Certification would be re-inventing the wheel.

    So with our company process, and that of the other companies that are following suit, how long will it be before the A+ certification becomes part of the wonderful world of obsolescence where the old IBM Micro channel and OS/2 went, as well as DOS and Windows 3.1? It seems that while companies like the idea of the employee having it, it is overshadowed by the need of an employee to have a stable education and experienced background. Your thoughts?

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    • #3179887

      Depends on application of cert

      by gralfus ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      The A+ has value in other venues, such as computer forensics. When testifying in court, any certification related to the testimony helps build credibility. If I am speaking to a judge or jury about the guts of the computer and how it works, it does add a perceived level of expertise to have the certification (as well as others).

      As far as companies, there are lots of out of work techs available, some of whom are competent and others who are not. A+ can still provide some evidence that the applicant is trying to show at least a baseline of competence and initiative, and is thus valuable. I have many years of experience building, repairing, and modifying PCs, so the A+ was simple for me. It did make a difference to my current employer, who used the cert as a hiring baseline. Without the cert, I probably wouldn’t have made it past HR.

      So, A+ and the other certs are not at all dead. They serve a purpose. Perhaps the industry is looking for an A++ cert or something that demonstrates hands on experience.

      • #3182850

        not nowa days

        by sakuhara ·

        In reply to Depends on application of cert

        A+ has lost its luster. Most days contracts dont want us on the inside of boxes. many companies lease plans and purchased warrenties cover those repairs and see it a waste for me to spend an hour ($65) tearing into one when they are already covered. Most only see it that far and fail to realize the trouble shooting skills usually associated with an A+ cert than can save lost down time that often equals more than $65 an hour.

      • #3182848

        maybe another few years

        by rasgriz ·

        In reply to Depends on application of cert

        I believe the A+ Cert. to be an integral part of any technitian or IT job, even sales. The knowledge gainedby understanding the basic inner workings of a system in invaluable. However, and its a big HOWEVER, from my experience in South Africa the A+ counts for about as much as a umbrella is a hurricane. I completed my A+ while in my last year at school, intending to start working straight a way and do a part time MCSE course while working to finance it. After many a sent out CV and interview I was politely told that even though I had 2 years part time experience and my A+ the chances of me getting a job as even a junior technitian was negligible, and that the A+ certificate meant nothing. This was from the owner of one the biggest IT retailer chain in South Africa. The CompTIA course was a complete waste of my time and money, which could have been put to better use putting down a deposit on a “real certification”. Then again I do live in South Afica:-)

        • #3183339

          you actually took the course ?

          by avid ·

          In reply to maybe another few years

          i agree that if you must pay for the course it becomes a waste of time and money. however, if you just go and take the exams and get the certification and it does not cost you any money, then by all means, get the cert. we could all use another feather in our hat.

    • #3182817

      Still good to have

      by crazijoe ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      Since it is part of an elective for an MCSA cert, it’s still good to have.
      Something I did notice. I walked into a computer store, that I frequent alot, that also did repair work and field service work. They have about 8 employees. On the door to the store it had a sticker that said “Comptia Certified Center”. I asked the owner about this and he said that all his employees had a Comptia cert of some sort or another. They had to be for him to keep his store Comptia Certified. He said it’s kinda like going to an auto repair shop and they employ ASE certified mechanics.
      So it must be still a good standing cert.

      • #3184409

        Radio

        by wildcatsystems ·

        In reply to Still good to have

        The problem with the certs, at least to me, is that now, just about anybody that wants to dole out the money to one of these 5 day bootcamp joints can get one. Every day I hear commercials from Foss Training, etc. about getting your MCSE in 6 months, and how much they pay. I attended a local Tech College, obtained an Associates Degree, and 4 certs along the way, but I’ve been working with computers since the mid 80s. It’s amazing how many people go through these places that simply should not be there. From not having the aptitude for it, to just simply not showing up for class. I’ve talked with the instructors and mentioned the fact that they should have some sort of aptitude test, which they agree with, but it’s all about the money, ($30,000 dollars for an associates degree).

        My boss recently told me though that certs mean nothing to him. (This even though we are an authorized IBM, HP, Dell, Gateway Service Center) which requires A+ certs, and we are also a CompTIA Certified Service Center.

        I have A+, Net+, Server+ and MCP, and plan on getting more. (MCSA, Linux+, Security+, etc.)

        They mean something to me, as they still do to alot of people.

    • #3184357

      Demand should never influence educational decisions

      by the savant ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      On this subject:

      1. There will always be a need for people of quality with a quality education from college.

      2. Certifications are not to be considered a replacement for college. This isn’t just limited to the A+. For a consultant I like to see a technical degree with a history of capstones that hae been presented to a group or a MBA since I know that the person had to defend a thesis. He can present well. Sales aren’t made with technical savvy.

      IT folks have gotten into a bad paradigm over the last decade due to the sheer demand of jobs. That paradigm simply put was to take the fast path to a job by stocking up on certifications, there were so many jobs that people would hire you if you could breathe and speak english back in the 90s.

      Now that we’re in a more mature industry the time-honored college education now becomes very, very important. I wasn’t a hiring manager in the 90s so I can’t say that I have first hand experience with hiring non-college grads, but I can say that I got jobs I wasn’t qualified to have due to the demand. Seeing this and knowing the market would eventually mature, I went back to school.

      Good choice on my part. I wouldn’t be employed otherwise.

      As far as the A+ goes, it’s important in some specific niches of the industry. More and more though it’s being seen as something you can get after being employed or something to shore up your skill set to become polished while in a job.

      As for the polished pro who has already done break/fix repair and is proven safe by experience it’s not necessary. Save the cash. For the new helpdesk or field guy, spend the money because you can’t count on someone bringing the tech skills to the table based on an interview.

      • #3182738

        the opposite is also true

        by avid ·

        In reply to Demand should never influence educational decisions

        i agree that certs are not a guarantee that an employee will do well in IT. But neither is a degree. I know many people with college degrees that that are dumb as a stump. same for the certs. As far as sales are considered, I did not attend college and my only certs are MCP and A+, but I have no problem convincing my clients during sales pitches. In fact, I find it to be so easy that I can’t even call it a sales pitch. I make a suggestion, they ask ” Do we really need this ? ” I simply give them the pros and cons. Without exception, they follow my advice. These clients are board directors and IT managers for huge companies and banks. All of these people have a degree and know that I have never set foot in a college unless it was for consulting purposes. There are MANY quality people with quality education that have not gone to college. I personally chose the military. There other forms of quality education. As for A+, I agree, for the most part it is redundant and a waste of time and money. I did not spend a dime on my A+. My employer insisted on me getting the cert. He also wanted me to take the class. I told him ” If I failed the cert, I will pay for it and take the class. ” The test was simple and took me less time to pass than to drive to the location. I have used the cert, so it was not a complete waste of time. Did you know that you can’t make IT calls to a Senate office if you do not have A+ even if you have a computer science degree?

        • #3169300

          Certs are a dime a dozen

          by stooobeee ·

          In reply to the opposite is also true

          I also have the A+ and MCP. I took classes and did well. The professor told our class that with these kinds of certifications, employers would be knocking down doors to find us. But resume after resume, and interview after interview has proved him wrong. Certifications are the candy-coating on the cake. They prove you know how to take a test; they are not indicative of your ability in the trenches. Microsoft no longer just gives question-answer tests, but real live production scenerios. They want to know if you can solve problems, something you might find in a degreed environment.

          The Computer Science degree says to an employer that someone was tenacious enough to go through the trials and tribulations of starting something difficult and finishing it to the end. An employer seeks out those who can be given a project and not give up until it is completed. He needs assurance that the employee is a finisher.

          Obviously, some IT workers have no formal training. I am glad to see they have found experience in the workplace. But most employers are not as trusting today as they were years ago in a mom and pop environment. With larger, consolidated organizations that have urgent network and security needs, he cannot take the risk of hiring someone who simply explains that he knows the ropes. It must be proven before he arrives. Four years of hard work demands much more than a year holding an MCSE certification.

          I am inclined to believe that as Microsoft steps up its test-taking philosophy, it will see the need to offer four-year, intensive degree training. I believe it will fund its own colleges specifically geared to training students for the much greater knowledge the IT work force demands.

        • #3183764

          agreed but

          by avid ·

          In reply to Certs are a dime a dozen

          i agree. i personally know many “certified idiots”. however, not to beat a dead horse, there are quality educations, besides college. any employer who hires only those with a degree and ignores others is not benifiting his company. i spent 8 years in the Navy and Marine Corps. while serving i developed excellent problem solving skill, deductive reasoning, dedication, and the ability to work under extreme pressure with limited resources in a hostile and isolated environment. while i agree with your statement ” The Computer Science degree says to an employer that someone was tenacious enough to go through the trials and tribulations of starting something difficult and finishing it to the end. An employer seeks out those who can be given a project and not give up until it is completed. He needs assurance that the employee is a finisher. ” i am simply saying there are other educations that are just as good as a college degree. employers should not discount those who chose to serve their country instead of going to college.

        • #3189470

          Degree

          by too old for it ·

          In reply to Certs are a dime a dozen

          A bachelors degree, but only from Olde Brick-n-Mortar is pretty much required in this putrid job market.

    • #3184209

      A+ Cetification

      by laraine_liverman ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      I am responding to an e-mail that I was sent in regards to the A+ Certification not being enough in the business world.
      I became A+ certified last year and wss offered only temp. assignments. I was very lucky to have gained employment with my current employer, but it is not IT related. I have my A+, but am not in the field that I trained for. I am being told that most companies are outsourcing this, so all beware before spending the money. I wish that I had spent my time and money on something more business related, ie, administration or management now.
      Just really research the job opportunities in your area before spending the time and money on the A+.

    • #3183425

      Only the Ignorant Need Apply

      by hutchtech ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      Back in the day, when an A+ and pulse would get you a tech job, the cert had value. Even now, if you don’t have experience it might be worth having. However, I’ve found that most often employers (READ: management, HR folks, non-technical employers, etc.) that have little or no tech savvy misunderstand what an A+ brings to the table: The knowledge level of someone with 500 hours of support experience. If you have more than that, then all an A+ proves is that you can pass a test. Or that the employer is too ignorant to do his homework.

      • #3169560

        I agree

        by rebel19642002 ·

        In reply to Only the Ignorant Need Apply

        Even though I am new to this field, and just rec. got my A+. I could not even get a job in a small computer shope. They wanted a cert. for the small ones and at least an assoc. degree for the bigger ones. I am back in school getting my degree in N.S.A, so I do agree that someone new to the field it helps, but for those who are more advanced then please dont send them backwards. I now work for a shop that looks at certs but also experince. And I might add that I have learned more from him then I did in school.

    • #3183375

      No problems in Austin

      by marvngardn ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      I just hired on with Unisys at their call center in Austin, TX. The only certification they required was CopmTIA’s A+. Starting pay is $13.85/hr with full benefits taking effect immediately. With shift differential, some techs are making $19.80/hr. I say not to bad for just an A+ cert!

    • #3183324

      Waste

      by jasons ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      A+ these days is a complete waste of money, the content is out of date and there are better courses out there. I did it only because my employer paid for it and it realy was the bigest waste of time.

      Need CompTia certification, do N+. At least it holds a little relevance in present day infrastructure, and that is stretching things.

      • #3182668

        A+ is still an awesome investment

        by ramabrooks ·

        In reply to Waste

        October 20, 2000 I became CompTIA A+ certified. By February of 2001 I got an internship working as a Desktop Tech for an enterprise IT agency with the State of Indiana. 3 months later I was hired at $27,027/year. I was lucky the cert did not cost me anything but time and effort since I earned it at the Atterbury Job Corps Center.

        Fall 2003 I enrolled in the AAS CIS Networking/MCSA option degree program at Ivy Tech State College. They had two 3 credit classes required for that prepares you for the A+. My cert saved me $460 in tuition and $200 in textbooks. It also gave me 6 credits towards the 60 required for an associates degree.

        I am currently a contractor through Robert Half International and I am making $15/hour and currently I am assigned to a help desk for Clarian Health. Their help desk is ran more like a desktop team that uses remote tools.

        I have also noticed people who write tech books or even articles for Tech Republic who still tack on A+ at the end of their names even though they may have MCSE or CCNA.

        When I had worked for the State of Indiana it was the techs who are older then me age wise that had issues with certs. They grew up in a time when a high school diploma could get you a high paying job easy. When I graduated high school in 1995 the diploma had lost a lot of value.

        This is where certs, college degree and experience come into play. Most colleges offer credit for CompTIA’s certs especially the A+. If you pursue an IT degree you may find it cheaper and quicker to take the certs and pay the fee to receive credit for the cert. I took the Network+ test back in April 2004 for the sole purpose of knocking out another class required for my degree.

        Bottom line, I tend not to take seriously the people who bash certs or say that CompTIA’s certs have lost value because they have not seen or bothered researching the other benefits of CompTIA’s certs.

        Rama K. Brooks, A+, Network+, AAS

        • #3182587

          Real Value?

          by beads ·

          In reply to A+ is still an awesome investment

          Heres my first beef with A+/MCSE. Over the course of many years as a hiring manager. I have seen for myself how useless they can be or have become. Lots of people are very good at taking tests and you don’t have to be a genius to figure out the A+ certs.

          Second, why do colleges try to pad themselves with teaching certifications in the first place. These certs were never designed to be training for the college level. They were started as post college training. After you had experience not as a replacement for college. Defeats the purpose. I have seen A+ AND MCSE comming out of high school. If thats the company you keep, I’ll keep looking for the degreed professional that put some real time into themselves.

          Second beef. How long do you plan to use the A+ credential? I past the test about 12 years ago when it was brand new. Its a bit old now but it doesn’t mean that I don’t look at a machine and say: Here’s the problem. Usually takes me about 10-30 seconds to diagnose a hardware failure. Does this mean I shouldn’t still use the A+? It should have a shelf life. Just what I need is someone 20 years from now telling me that they passed thier A+ exam 30 years ago. Whooopee!

          As long as I am on the same track and the alphabet soup. In the 80’s I passed one of the first CNE (3.1). Then CNE 4, Master CNE. The 90s brought on competion from M$ thus erroding the whole value of the process trying to squeeze out 1000s of MCSEs that weren’t worth the paper it was written on but I trudged through them obtaining MCSE 3.x, 4.x and 2000. Why? Because eventhough I have and had degrees in Computer Science, Psychology and an MBA. HR types wanted the certifications to be sure of what they were getting.

          Before the predicted, by yours truly, the dot-com bust I started tiring of the hampster wheel of M$ and focused, for a change, on Cisco. Here comes the CCNA, CCNP and CCSP. What did that get me? Well, when are you going to go get your CCIE? Then we’d hire you for this low level manager position. Can you say waste of time, energy and effort for a management position?

          Heres where things are really going to change. Americans will have to start (*gasp!*) competing for jobs based on academics instead of gimmicks. In the end no matter where you are it will cost about the same to hire you here or in India or Malaysia or South Africa. Certs will help but if your competing with someone in South Africa for the same work with a respectible degree and you only have a cert who do you think I as a hiring manager am going to hire?

          Certifications were never meant to be a replacement for the degree program and a degree program better have more to it than just a list of technical courses backed up with a slew of mathematics. IT people need to start realizing that the present and future requires a great deal of skills: Writing, speaking, computational, business as well as the ability to solve technical problems on the fly.

          The ability to simply add a hard drive or network card should be taken for granted. We need to rasie the bar if we are going to compete.

          – beads

        • #3194214

          Reply To: A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

          by ramabrooks ·

          In reply to Real Value?

          When I first went to Ivy Tech I already had some professional experience under my belt and have been working as an IT contractor through out my college years. At the community college level there are professors with real world experience. My academic advisor has a lot of Novell and Microsoft certs of his own.

          Why I maintain the A+ is a good value is that for the techs in the field who want to go for a college degree they can get college credits for it. Most of the classes I took was general ed since I could either test out of the CIS classes or use my certs to obtain credit for them. And yes I did learn a lot from the gen ed which allows me to understand the work enviroment better.

          As for how long I plan on holding on to that cert? I take pride in the hard work and determination I put into learning what I need to know to pass CompTIA’s A+ exam. If others wish to look down at it then that is their choice.

          I approach studying for certs the same way I approach a web class or correspondance course. A lot of hard work to study and make time to study and an independent 3rd party validating if I had learned what they want me to learn when I pay my money to take the test.

          Most of the folks who take the cert classes at Ivy Tech feel that they do not take the actual cert test but that is fine with me. We may have the same degree but I have the certs they choose not to obtain.

    • #3183305

      Spend your time learning something relevant

      by speeder-net ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      I would only recommend the A+ certification to people coming out of high school and have spent no time inside the case of a PC.

      Basically, if you can install a DVD burner and know that you press F8 or the like to interrupt the boot process and enter the BIOS then you can skip this class and focus on something more relevant.

      • #3182731

        F8 to enter the bios ???

        by avid ·

        In reply to Spend your time learning something relevant

        that is generally to enter safe mode or LKGC. Try the A+ course. It will teach the proper steps to enter the bios settings. ( just kidding !)

    • #3182657

      Businesses don’t know what they want

      by kromus ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      Now, granted I live in a relatively small city (pop: <60,000) and have not talked to any corporate-types, just the local small-business owners, but it's been my experience around here that these people really don't know what they want. For example, when I was trying to get a PC service/repair position at one such local business and announced that I'd just completed the A+ training course and was about to take the test, I was told that A+ was meaningless - "You can just go and memorize the answers, get your certification, and not really know anything." Not two months later, the same business began proudly advertising their "A+ certified service department" and now requires that applicants have A+, even for general sales. Their line when I went to talk to them another few months after that was that A+ was an essential measure of an applicant's knowledge of computer systems, and without it they are essentially useless.

      It's now been another 2 years, and A+ is again regarded as useless and they don't care if you have it or not. Incidentally, they still proudly declare that their service department is A+ certified.

      • #3182586

        Works for the customer

        by beads ·

        In reply to Businesses don’t know what they want

        If it works to bring in or satisfy the customer base thats fine. Its called… business.

        I’ll get certified in whatever course you want if you want to pay me enough to make it worthwhile.

        Besides, small businesses have that problem in smaller venues. They like everyone else needs something to set themselves apart.

        – beads

    • #3182656

      Full of yourself.

      by masternava ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      I really don’t understand where you are going with this idea you have of it going away. Take the average person with no computer experience. They could not go and take the A+ test and pass it. It is a certification and makes total sense to have when you are beginning that career path. I don’t believe it was ever made so that the 10 vet should take.
      Joel.

    • #3182544

      A+ History?

      by tech_x ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      I remember during an internship I had for Computer Networking I ran into this guy that was A+ certified looking for a job….at the time I was just getting my A+ and an associates degree to boot…..

      It was scary seeing talented people looking for work or getting pushed out of jobs due to higher qualified help….

      Cisco and Linux are good flavors to know on a network. I work with them constantly as does the networks running Fedora, Domino, ….and “old faithful” Windows 2000.

      Good Article….

    • #3182440

      A+ utility depends on the problem to be solved

      by markand ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      A+ utility depends on the problem to be solved. Employers can be funny, fickle beasts. How many people found that once hired, the job they do matches the job description they read?

      I work for a non-profit, mental health agency. When I started, I thought I was running a help desk and working on a database integration project. Five years on I am running a help desk, working on a database integration project – and am responsible for just about everything that runs on electricity and is not a household appliance. This includes a number of older machines of the P1, Celeron and Win 9x variety. So some knowledge of the old gear is helpful.

      As for being a tech-oriented liberal arts major, I have a B.A. in English, a minor in theology, and a master’s in libarianship. I worked 5 years as a librarian, 9 years in the library automation business and 5 more in behavioral health, I am pretty-well self-taught in all I do. That’s both good and bad. I am a living expert in obsolete technology in library automation, which cuts zero-ice in a world that still wants A+ certification for entry level jobs.

      I’ve decided to get an A+ ticket and work the CompTIA curriculum. Why? To satisify myself I can do it, to backfill any missing tidbits of knowledge I might need to do my job, and mostly to put the letters on my resume. After that its on to some type of medical informatics certification.

      In the end, a certificate doesn’t get you a job, YOU get you a job. The process of getting a cert can sharpen the say, as Covey says, and get you thinking critically, creatively and in a concentrated way, like all study does.

    • #3169485

      The IT market has changed…

      by dinotech ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      1. 5 years ago, companies had the money to send their tech to certification school. They also had a vertical organizational chart. They had line managers that had the time to train and mentor. It wasn’t just the A+ or any certification they were investing in, it was a quality technician that they wanted to keep because IT was dealt with in-house. Along with the training, the tech got some awesome benefits.

      2. Yes, the A+ certification says that the bearer of the certification can perform as a 6 month experienced technician. Does this mean you can turn over a couple hundred workstations and have him install Windows XP by the end of the week. Maybe, but if the tech doesn’t have any experience in doing installation, especially multiple installations with different variables and utilities(answer files, sysprep), then it will be a struggle. The certificate is important for several reasons, some of them non-technical. I will post that in a separate reply.

      3. I agree that today’s IT market is a degree based market; the degree says to the employeer that you are accomplished, and that you can follow through on your goals in a timely manner. Most of the C-level people in IT have degrees from Accounting to Sociology. While it is true that companies do want a more seasoned employee, it is not true to say that everyone who gets a certification doesn’t know what they are doing. Some people in the industry have never had a formal education and have only acheived the A+. Those are the exception to the rule, and they probably would not be hired by a mid or enterprise level company without recommendation from someone within the company. Yes, the “who you know” political game is played very well in IT. Which is why there are some of those with the MCSE and A+ that you had mentioned in your post. Another issue at play in today’s market is the distribution of the resumes: first, they go to HR where there are screening requirements that have to be met. Then they get to the nth level manager where some more screening is done before it arrives at the hiring manager or C-level executive. If A+ is required but not there, the resume is circular filed.

      4. A+ certification is an ENTRY LEVEL certification. By comparing it to the actual requirements of a particular job listing is irrelevant. A+ is a screening requirment; most people who take and pass the A+ probably have the skills of a six month tech, but some will require more hands on first before they become confident in their skill base. Therefore, companies that want to shrink the pool of applicants down will require the A+ in addition to the other requirements. This is due to the massive layoffs from 2003 and 2004 plus the satuation of the MCSE certification. As a personal rule, I don’t see my career without at least four certifications: A+ Net+ Security+ Project+; Cisco and Microsoft would be the next certification path, and if I am still living by the end of those certs, a Linux certification would be in order. Its true that an IT profession becomes a terminal student, but it is necessary in our field to differentiate ourselves from the script kiddies and high school techs.

      5. If someone pays 2500 for an A+ course, they are not paying attention to the market. We are in the age of custom builds, and the prices for the components are relatively inexpensive. Find a desk with a grounding mat and wrist strap, a Mike Meyers All-In-One A+ certification book, and a good PC tech tool kit. Schedule some time based on the number of hours for each objective – Mike Meyers has a chart in his book to help figure the amount of hours needed. After doing a thorough study session, schedule the test with a voucher from Mike Meyer’s website and take the test. Some vendors like Get Certified for Less and Go Certify have guarantees that if you fail the test twice, they will refund your money. So 2500 for an A+ test is an unwarranted argument.

      Also, the so-called sub $10 an hour is based on geography and market. Here in the Pacific Northwest, you can get $15 to $20 on an A+ certification alone.

      The seasoned professional is probably past the A+, however, it would be a good idea for that person to self-study and take the test. It is becoming a market requirement for most positions; some employers will look beyond that requirment if the candidate shows potential in other areas.

      6. A+ will never be obsolete. CompTIA will be offering fresh new content for the certification every year. What might change is the name of the certification and how the tests are delivered. They left the adaptive format from the previous versions of the test and returned to the traditional format. However, some of the questions and scenarios are base on real-world incidents with most of the questions coming from common knowlege.

      • #3169456

        A+ “going away” ??

        by cbalness ·

        In reply to The IT market has changed…

        One thing nobody has really touched on is the fact that some vendors suddenly required techs to be A+ certified, probably so any “screwdriver wielding chimp” wasn’t opening boxes, voiding warranties and doing more harm than good.

        Some vendors even came out with their own certs and arguably people without these certs weren’t to be servicing their PC’s.

        Again the A+ like the other CompTia certs are probably not meant to be standalone certs, but to compliment certs and define some sort of career logic tree.

        I have the A+ because the Shop I worked for started to require techs to have it. Unfortunatly they laid me off before I could get both parts. Now I have a “Network Support Diploma” and the A+ and I have been able to get a few entry level positions, but it’s time to evolve and get a new cert.

        I personally do not see the A+ going away as it’s a good complement to the stable of CompTia certs.

    • #3183717

      I disagree with The Admiral

      by richardmunoz ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      The A+ Certification is not the same that is was back in 90’s now it covers all the new hardware technologies, and the new and most popular operating systems in the market right now. And another thing believe or not there are a lot of users that still need A+ Techs because we know the basic, that others don’t. And I help out a lot of IT Pros because of that the basic, everybody what to be a MCSA, MCP, or MCSE, but first you have to start from the bottom of the ladder to climb up.

    • #3185114

      what happen to good old experience

      by support#netropole.com ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      A degree is good, certs are good, but experience is the best. mix them all and youve got a winner.

      neither degree nor certs actually teach you real world problems. they teach you the basics or baseline understanding of the products you wish to support. but without the basic understanding of those products i believe its difficult to properly understand the issue. the tech world changes on a hourly basis. experience is what will keep you in the now.

      if you have the time and money for a degree by all means get one. if you have the time and money for certs, get those too.

      A+ is still a good cert to have. i think everyone should have one. it would make my job alot easier 🙂

      • #3185101

        Industry

        by beads ·

        In reply to what happen to good old experience

        The industry took a hard bite at certifications with both the Novell CNE and Microsoft MCSE exams becoming the breeding ground for every misfit with $100.00 in thier pocket. Brain dumps, over nite ‘computer schools’, etc all took thier toll on the industry as a whole.

        Combine that with a huge number of lay-offs, some 300,000 IT jobs leaving the US every year and its easy to see why its easier to demand a four year degree first and certifications second.

        Sorry, I hired a good number of non-college grads in my time. Many of them without (gasp!) certifications. Would I do it again? No, probably not when I can get the four year person who should but not always, be able to write and communicate at a business level. At least thats what they were supposed to do getting a college degree.

        IT isn’t just about the technology anymore. Its about applying the technology in the (generally) business world. Thats why you are going to need a degree and less in the way of certs.

        – beads

      • #3190168

        amen

        by avid ·

        In reply to what happen to good old experience

        a voice of wisdom, finally! i could not agree more. i have certs and some college. niether is an acceptable replacement for experience.

    • #3188363

      A+ should be “self study” for the professional!

      by kiloco ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      Any professional that has been around for any period of time should be able to sit down with an A+ book and within 30 days PASS the A+ exam – you may be a bit surprised!. This cert tells me you sat down long enough to walk through the basic architecture of a PC at least once. Many professionals can not tell you (and don’t care) about “how a hard drive works” or the layers of abstraction to get from the Application to the platter. These same professional also need an education when discusing SCSI, iSCSI, NAS and SAN storage. A+ is grade school to most of us.

    • #3189479

      Expensive One-Liner

      by too old for it ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      After 17+ years in IT, I find I have to get my A+ certification to get past the resume sorters in HR.

      It will be an expensive one-lilne addition to the resume.

    • #3189294

      Certification is important

      by wally_z ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      Most companies are using a primary vendor for PC?s (Dell, IBM, etc?) and any certification on their equipment will help to lower departmental costs. For example IBM will allow someone who is A+ certified to take a short class and then become IBM certified on a specific line (for example laptops) of equipment. The technician can then have access to a knowledge base or get quicker access to 2nd level support. Doesn?t it really suck to sit on the phone for 3 hours doing diagnostics when you knew the hard drive was trashed before you called support? If you are vendor certified you could cut that time dramatically. Improved efficiency equates to lower support costs not to mention reduced stress for the team.

      Training is what the individual puts into the class. You can send a seasoned professional to an A+ class and if his attitude is right he can learn something new for his occupation. Much of the information they cover could be considered a refresher; however, many come away with a few new insights or at least a new approach they can try when dealing with hardware/software issues.

      As a manager I was skeptical about forcing my technicians to get certified; however, it has been a positive experience for everyone involved. Several of my techs fought fiercely against the idea; after some ?off the record? dialogue I realized they were anxious about failure more then ?stepping back?. It was only after creating a detailed training path for each technician that they understood the importance of laying the groundwork with the A+. After each technician completed their track I would make a copy of their certificate, frame it and hang it in a prominent place. You wouldn?t believe how many positive remarks we started hearing from end users. Our image improved within the organization because everyone knew we were well trained and certified.

      Certification is an important part of any technical support field. Twenty years ago ASE certified mechanics were rare. Today you would be hard pressed to find a garage without at least one in the shop. Most shops wouldn?t hire you unless you had ASE certifications. In IT we deal with equipment that is equally complex as an automobile; we must start raising the standard to improve our people, create baseline competency as well as improve our department?s image.

      My 2 cents.

    • #3050452

      I will be taking the A+ certification soon

      by pcgirl79 ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      I have been a help desk tech for almost 6 years and received an associate’s degree in computer information systems in May 2000. I recently applied for an IT management position (internally) and did not get it. The reason? No certifications. I know that I could have done the job well, but I needed to show it on paper. (By the way, the job was given to someone who was A+ and Network+ certified).

      I’ve decided that I’m going to start with the easier certifications first and work my way up to MCSA or MCSE. In my opinion, A+ is still good to have because many employers want that piece of paper.

    • #3050450

      It is just another validation of skills…

      by slapp1 ·

      In reply to A+ Certification an Endangered Species?

      I think that many companies now, do want entry level candidates to have quite a bit more experience than most have. Even with degrees in CS, they want someone else to spend the time training you and reap the benefits once you have a couple of years under your belt. The problem is when everyone wants experience, but no one wants to take the time to train. This is nothing new…it’s just frustrating. I think as an entry level cert it would be an easy one to get and isn’t too expsensive for someone new to the field to pay for. I would not have pursued the A+ if it were not for my boss asking me to. I have been building to troubleshooting PCs for ten years, but the boss wants to be able to say they have “certified” techs providing the support. I guess they want to be able to “quantify” your skill set…ya know, the whole purpose of a cert. The office spent nowhere near $2500 for my cert. The office bought a copy of the transcender test prep for around $150 and I spent about an hour a day for a month taking the test prep for both tests. It wasn’t much of an investment in time or money, so it was kind of a no brainer. The boss is happy, I didn’t pay for any of it, so I’m happy.

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