Certifications and IT jobs/Salaries

Author

Is self study OK

newdanny90

2003-05-05, 10:58 pm

hey guys how u all doin'. As People been helping me alot in these forums so I got couple of more questions to ask. First of all I have Network+ and A+ and trying to find a job or atleast a volunteer work and meanwhile I am also thinking to go for MCSA but guys I cant afford to go to training centers where they charge about 3k-4k for just MCSA. So I am thinking about self study do u think its a good idea?? Which one should I take first, I am planning to take 70-270 but then someone told me 70-210 is easier but isnt it about to retire as now we have 2003. And which one of these would help to land a job easier? (I know it wouldnt be easy but still...).
And yeah one thing more, I checked on microsoft Website that u have to do some survey before u take the exam where they ask u how u prepared for exam and how much experience u have. So what am I gonna tell them, that I self studied from guides on internet (wouldnt they doubt me of using cheat sheats or etc) and what about experience bcz their site says that u have to have 12 months experience. Thanx in advance, lookin forward for ur responses

Danny

DivxGuy

2003-05-06, 1:42 am

I passed all 10 of my MCP exams via self-study, all on the first attempt.

If I can do it, so can you.

darthw

2003-05-06, 7:51 am

I passed most all my certifications by self-study. In many cases I have on-the-job experience which helped some, but certainly the self-study was the bulk of it.

Like DivxGuy, if I, too, can do it, anyone can.

TW2001

2003-05-06, 5:22 pm

Self study is the way to go. No doubt. Invest in a good lab.Most important.There are so many walkthrough,practice labs,tutorials available on the net for free that you definately can/should go that route.Get the training kits..as well as the resource kits and Minasi`s Mastering series.

The recomended guidlines are used to provide a assertion of skill level for a MCP/MCSE candidate. This board (and many others)is full of many people who wouldnt know their XXX from the Windows platform who achieve MCP/MCSE...so dont sweat that part. Look to learn the material and master it. That should be the goal. The title is some recognition. Dont overdue your experience level with Certs either. This can actually hurt rather than help.

Good luck.

newdanny90

2003-05-06, 10:50 pm

thanx all of u for ur replies. And TW2001 can u explain urself a little further, I think i didnt quite understand u when u say that it can hurt me rather helping me so please tell me more about it considering my situation. I know when i earn a certificate I m responsible for whatever topics r covered in that certification course, ofcourse I dont wanna look like a jerk when going to apply for a job and knowing nothing about how to do things. I wanna avoid of becoming just a PAPER certified so any advice how should I proceed? As I cant afford to pay big buck$ to get training so I thought about taking those exams 1 by 1 and at the same time keep looking for a job. I decided to go for 70-270 bcz I have 2 Pc's at home both have XP pro so I can play around with it (I can almost get all of the operating systems from my friends so thats not a problem). So any help will be appreciated.
Is 70-210 about to expire

Danny
________________________
"In Order for things to Change You have to Change"

revcop

2003-05-07, 4:25 am

Self-study by all means but training can focus you in on what topics are really involved as well as lab time etc.

TW2001

2003-05-07, 8:32 pm

What i meant was that by adding a slew of certifications to your name while having no experience(production) it could be a hinderance.

Think about a degree.More important than certifications.

darthw

2003-05-09, 3:23 pm

Certainly, I agree with TW2001. A degree in the long run is going to do a lot for you in most cases. And having rows of certs and no experience will not help much. It's a balancing act.

ccaya

2003-05-10, 12:14 am

Competition out there is fierce. Try and get any experience that you can, while attaing certs to show that you know the field,and try getting a degree to show that you are well rounded and are a dedicated person. Thats what I'm doing. And the first two years were hell, but things are definately paying off now.

prezbedard

2003-05-10, 12:19 am

I also did self study for Network+ and passed first time. So if you're dedicated it is possible.

Kasor

2003-05-14, 4:42 pm

It take time and committment to study by yourself.

Sometime, it work for individual and sometime do not.

U can find out by taking your first step to a certification.

Study_tx

2003-05-14, 7:34 pm

I find Self Study good if u have all the material, and it is cheap, i was plannig to take some classes for Microsoft , the tuition was almost $700 for both exam , I decide to buy a good computer which meet requirement for Server 256MB and I bought Sybex book , and I did good.
I used that forum a lot when I need help , there are a lot of good people like to help .
Wish u goooooooooood luck

DivxGuy

2003-05-14, 10:37 pm

$700 was what I paid for the Transcender package deal for all the exams required for the MCSE. I also got enough for an MCDBA in the process.

RD

StevoC

2003-05-15, 8:55 am

quote:
Originally posted by Study_tx
I find Self Study good if u have all the material, and it is cheap, i was plannig to take some classes for Microsoft , the tuition was almost $700 for both exam , I decide to buy a good computer which meet requirement for Server 256MB and I bought Sybex book , and I did good.
I used that forum a lot when I need help , there are a lot of good people like to help .
Wish u goooooooooood luck

I did the same as Study: instead of paying for some classes, I bought a few cheap laptops and set up my own lab. Then I bought a few books and went to work. One twist for me, however, is that my job paid for a couple of the MS 2000 classes, so it only helped my learning by that much more, but for the majoriy of my certs, it was self study.

After going through the MS classes, I am not confident enough to say that taking the class alone will gaurantee you a pass on an exam. Hands on is definatley more beneficial, IMO.

newdanny90

2003-05-17, 9:14 pm

quote:
Sometime, it work for individual and sometime do not.

Self study did work for me, indeed thats the way I got my network+. But what I am worried about is the some exp. under my belt bcz if u go to some training centers u can atleast give their reference on resume but if u self study than u r ur own. I am really hungry for exp.
I think I should get some exp before persuing MCSA, I might go for MCP 70-270 in near future maybe it will help me a little more to find a job. What else u guys think will help me break into IT/attain some exp.?
Thanx for ur replies, I'm really getting some good ideas.

darthw

2003-05-17, 9:34 pm

For experience, get some jobs doing some volunteer work for organizations. Or, start a small business, but work it like a business, but get incorporated - it's not expensive, make it official. It's amazing how much work I get on the side from word of mouth. I only charge about $20 an hour, which is pretty cheap for repair in my area, but my purpose in the part-time work is to learn - even after five years in the biz.

bloodshotx

2003-05-19, 9:19 am

Set up a server at your house and play with it there for experience. It will be hard to find a job that will give you experience in AD,dns,rras when you don't have any. Once you get your certs and degree then you should be all set. Work part time while you do all these.

Remember, this industry is in high demand and requires highly motivated, experienced, knowledgeable individuals.

It won't be a 8 hour deal thing. You will eat, live , breathe, dream about computers.

Also, like the guy said above start your own small buisness. I did that. I charge 50-100/hr for business's and 30-50 hour for house calls. It's hard to juggle a company, full time college, work, and certs though.

bloodshotx

2003-05-19, 9:19 am

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