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Home > Archive > Certifications and IT jobs/Salaries > September 2002 > Is A+ a plus?
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| I'm currently aiming for my MCSA (halfway there), but how well known, and how highly regarded is the MCSA? I realise its a cut-down MCSE, and therefore has less prestige. But does it count for that much. Would it be better to gain A+ and CNA and show a more varied skill base?
Any advice please.  | |
| exar07 2002-08-08, 11:32 am |
| The M$ certs are good. All the certs are getting watered down but they are good to have on your resume. The A+ is really recognized as a basic tech cert.
I dont want to tell you that one is more
valuable than the other because I wouldnt want you discourage you. But if you check the Market for jobs and certifications that
Companies want us to have, you will see that
certian certs are not as recognized. | |
| thecomeons 2002-08-09, 7:36 am |
| when i was made redundant, i looked at as many vacancy adverts as possible in the computer/networking industry. most of the jobs required mcse and degree as well experience and sql.
i think the thing is to find out what qualifications seem to be required in your area.
i do not have a degree. my experience is in desktop printing. i am a+ qualified and hope to be network+ qualified by the end of the year. i will evaluate if i want mcsa/mcse around that time.
at the end of the day, it all depends on what kind of job you want. the closest i got to a dream i.t. job was when i applied for the post of the-guy-who-delivers-the-systems-from-your-local-pc-shop-and-assembles-them-in-your-home, but the shop claimed to have lost my application form (even though they had told me that they would hold my resume on record three months previous!). | |
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| At the moment the job market is not good,with my mcse,mcp,cna,a+,i am still looking for IT job,but i will keep on adding to my certs for future gain when the economy picks up.
so i will say go for mcsa, then after that full mcse. | |
| CoffeeFreak 2002-08-09, 11:31 am |
| i totally agree,,,
number 1,, A+ is not as big as it used to be, BUT it's kinda like the must have for the intro level jobs, Helpdesk, level1 support, even some helpdesk position's want a freakin MCSE now...
MCSE is the most marketable cert right now,, do a search on monster.com for the whole USA, you will find like 20 pages of jobs asking for a MCSE, and only about 6 pages asking for a CCNA, most are wanting CCNP just for intro,,, alot of A+ too but they want A+ people with experience and you are still not going to get jack for $$,,even if you get a job,,,
best thing to do now it seems with the economy is get a degree, and work up to the bigger certs,, MCSE, MCSA, CCNP,
it seems if they offered a job of running fiber through a ditch in 100 degree heat for 6 bucks an hour most people would take it these days,,, | |
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| Thanx all
I'd been wondering if my certs (or lack of) had been stopping me from finding a better job, but I guess I should be happy I've got one at all. I know jobs are scarce, but didn't realise it was that bad. | |
| thecomeons 2002-08-11, 2:12 pm |
| u might want to check out a+ and network+. they work together as an elective for mcsa. costly though compared to what m$ exams u have to do instead.
best of luck, a5h. | |
| xonkers 2002-08-17, 3:37 pm |
| Im going through the exact same dilemna right now,
The good news is that my A+ did get me an interview with a big tech company and the skills I learned through A+ did help me easily pass their exams.
(a good point here is that some companies, like that one are not interested in tech-wizards who know all the latest outrageous sound cards or Linux buzzwords)
In fact - this companies exam was basically an A+ exam!
It didnt pay much but combining the level one helpdesk experience with the awesome training they offered would be a huge step forward into IT.
Anyway, based on anything I have researched You almost cant find a better next step than to do the Net+ then 3 MS core exams and Voila - You are an MCSA. As someone said earlier - you can get the MCSE later on after hopefully securing a invaluable starting position.
Im new to the cert game, but I have been hiring people for the last 7 years and I really have to say that while certs are the way to get 'In' to the interview - personality and drive and honesty are so HUge when it comes to hiring.
My company in particular will always go for a great guy with a keen attitude yet only a few basic certs.
Truthfully - I have had guys come in with 'elite' certs and lots of 'insider' buzzwords and they are simply not going to get hired because we dont like them.
As to training.. I think its worth noting that many companies WANT to train a basic A+/MCSA guy who is an clean slate rather than a cert-wizard who already has his routine and prejudices.
Im going MCSE because that just happens to be the only course available to me right now. Otherwise Im sure I would do MCSA.
Just a last thing to note here - I added something to my A+ but almost no one thinks about this aspect.... Business Management diploma.
Nothing to do with tech - everything to do with resumes/CV's and broadening the range of potential jobs.
We've had two people get hired without even writing the A+ yet because the company wanted supervisors and managers with some computer skills. Now those two A+/Business students are the higher paid supervisors of guys with MCSE/CNA/BLA BLA.
Crazy world  | |
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| After all MCSA is better than A+ and CNA.
Also is personal goal, don't let those certification value to ajust your knowledge.
Aim high, sky is the limit
Good luck | |
| evo_spook 2002-08-20, 10:16 am |
| quote:
Just a last thing to note here - I added something to my A+ but almost no one thinks about this aspect.... Business Management diploma.
I'm thinking of doing something similar, just half way through A+ at the moment, hopefully, then N+ and MCSA or something, but I'm thinking of adding to it all, something in Britain called City & guilds 730-7 cert, which is a certification for teaching adults. | |
| xonkers 2002-08-22, 12:13 am |
| Good call Evospook
I know this is a forum about tech certs but I wish we had a bit more talk about the other aspects that relate to the certs or at least support them.
Where I live for example every tech place is cryin out for Sales people!
Because most us techs are introverted nerds  I have known some, otherwise tech-illiterate, salesmen who simply did A+ and walked past the MCSE's and the like and right into jobs immediately.
Just some thoughts
Cheers | |
| Leroi 2002-09-01, 10:02 am |
| You need the following credentials to get ahead in the market.
1.) A degree from a recognized university (4-year is a must an MBA is better).
2.) Experience (takes time but it counts)
3.) Certifications (every one adds to your market value)
Good luck,
Leroi | |
| Gundyman 2002-09-01, 12:36 pm |
| A+ mean nothing! Think for real and look at the job.
It is only good to fill up the space of resume for all newbie. | |
| xonkers 2002-09-01, 2:23 pm |
| A+ is something. The space it filled on my resume was enough to get me a entry level offer from a huge tech Co. (in a tech slump)
At least it demonstrates a broad all-around knowledge or PC's from upgrading the insides to DOS through to Win2k
Unlike sayyy.. just having MCP
Cheers | |
| Luchnia 2002-09-03, 11:40 am |
| You know reading these post really makes me wonder sometimes. Although, I am not overly experienced, I am not a dummy either. It just seems like some of these jobs are nuts with their requirements. They want you to be an Oracle expert and a top notch sys admin, along with running the NASA space shuttle. Actuall, even if you could, you would not have the time to do all they want as a job requirement. They want a 100 years experience and certifications out the kazoo! I wonder just who writes these adds these days.
I sent out a slew of resumes for the past 5/6 months applying for anything from help desk to astronaut, and only got one phone interview. It boggles the mind. I am committed, dedicated, an excellent people person, and above all more than conscience about business. Once I am acclimated to an environment, I can handle myself pretty well.
After all, I have been self-employed for about 30 years now. I have set up small corporations, directed a small nonprofit agency for at-risk youth, run a family, dilligently studied for certs, among a ton of other things that would take about five pages to jot down now.
It takes a lot to be able to handle your own businesses for that length of time. I handled business for around a half-million $$ back in the days when that was a ton of cash! I have learned just how many sorry employees and how many extended coffee breaks it takes to make you go flat broke. I could run most businesses that I have been applying for IT positions with.
I can only wonder how easy it is to get discouraged. I have found so many jobs, but I just don't qualify for their stringent requirements. I think they throw my resume in the folder called "trash."
Two jobs not too long ago that I applied for I felt very confident that I was a shoe-in, or at least would get a call. It was almost secretive the way they hired one of the positions. I even drove to the company to follow up and make sure my resume was well recieved. The people at the office just loved me. I think this was nothing more than an inside hire and they just had to go through the red tape and post the job. The other job just kept getting postponed.
I applied for one position and kept emailing them, and re-applying and after four months the job is still posted. They would not even answer an email, and this is a prominent firm. Wouldn't that mean that is a "dummy" position to make the recruiter look like they are hiring? This is the kind of stuff that should not be allowed to happen. It cost time and money to send resumes and emails to prospective agencies. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what I have had to deal with. I can go on and on about this stuff, but that really won't accomplish anything.
By the way, am I the only one that doesn't like deceptive practices? Well, it is interesting at any rate. Just more food for thought, I guess.
Peace up | |
| xonkers 2002-09-03, 1:04 pm |
| Luchnia,
You are bang-on about this.
Wierder yet - I will apply and apply at a certain cable company and like you - Ive run my own business for years, put a year of study into IT at my own expense, done every proper resume and interview technique you can think of...only to be rudely discouraged from even phoning then about the positions opening - then found out they hired someone with absolutley NO experience at all! (often because someones Dad knew someone elses Dad wink wink)
I dont think you are being bitter and Im not either, its just amazing sometimes to see how these companies HR people work.
This will probably amaze you, but, you actually have it good in the US! Canada is just horrible compared to you guys as it now seems that I cant even find an actual "help wanted' ad. The new thing is these
'opportunities with blabla firm - please send fax ONLY.
'Opportunity' seems to mean they may or may not be hiring, may or may not be part-time on-call, may or may not tell you what it pays etc.
Like you say - its some strange 'hidden' world going on and you are just baffled daily by whatever is going on.
Sad really. Gone are the days of seeing a help wanted - apply within ad that really meant what it said
For what its worth, I once had a company take the time to phone be back and actually tell me they had hired someone else. I told the lady that I was so thankful she did, (because that really saved me time and wondering) that I planned to patronise her company more than ever. | |
| Luchnia 2002-09-03, 2:23 pm |
| Wow...I sure am disapointed that things are bad where you are. Tthat reminds me of yet another thing that happened to me. I saw an ad in the newspaper for a position at a high school. It was a Technical Support position and was about an hour and 15 minute drive one way for me, but I was willing to do anything. I called them and asked if I could email a resume to them as a MS Word attachment, they said that would be fine.
I sent them my resume and about a week went by and I called to do a follow-up as I always do, to see that they got my resume. Well, the lady said she did not get it. I told her that I sent it via email while I was on the phone with her and then she remembered me. She then told me that she must have not opened the email! Sheeesh, go figure. Well, I said that I would send her another and I would then call to make sure she would open this one, so I did.
She said that she got it fine and would immediately send me out an application. I waited and waited and waited. After about 10 days and then decided to follow-up again. Now the job was not to be filled for about a month. I had a strange hunch that something was going on with this job, so I sort of disguised my voice and inquired about the position when I called them, as if I had not talked to them before. Guess what! Lo, and behold the lady said that job had been taken a while back!
For the life of me, why do people have to lie? Why couldn't the lady just admit it to me the second time I sent her the resume? She would have saved me much time and I could have been productive elsewhere instead of chasing wild geese around.
This is the sort of stuff that I could do without. I appreciate honesty and integrity. Maybe honesty and integrity is a lost art these days.
Peace | |
| xonkers 2002-09-03, 4:16 pm |
| Yup, that is exactly a scenario Ive seen to!
I cant imagine what they think they are doing and ive seem and heard this many times over. What really frustrates me is the 'WHat' as in - what are they doing? What is so hard about just saying that i didnt get the job or am not qualified. why are all these wierd secretive games being played.
It really is getting sad nowadays. Lately Ive been getting tones from receptionists when I make that follow up call (which used to be a very good thing) - now they treat me like Im interupting their business. So I dont know what is proper procedure anymore.
Crazy world! | |
| namrak 2002-09-05, 12:25 am |
| I think most everyone here has experienced that frustration with HR/receptionists/anybody else at one point or another. Pretty much everyone is inquiring about job opportunities everywhere and these folks are might getting a bit tired of it. Does it excuse the unprofessionalism, absolutely not! Don't get discouraged by it xonkers. Keep doing your normal follow-up routine because its a sensible practice every serious job hunter does.
And yes, the A+ does count for something. It establishes your basic knowledge of the inner workings of pc hardware and familiarity of OSes. Normally, its the beginning of a long road in acquiring more knowledge and experience recognized by other certifications. |
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