N+ or MCDST?

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Hey, Ive just passed my A+ and have re-started my job hunt (after 3 months of 0 success). My goal is to get a 1st Line helpdesk job in the city as soon as possible. I am on limited time/funds and need to pick my next cert to beef up my CV. I know the usual recommended path is A+ -> N+ -> Microsoft but I just completed a degree in Computer Science where I had strong grades in Networking modules all 3 years - so I feel my limited time/money would be better spent on the MCDST.

Also Ive yet to see any mention of N+ in a job advert whereas I see MCDST quite often so Im edging towards doing the MCDST now and then N+ later.

What do you guys think?

 

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

If you do the Network+ first then you should have time to finish that by the end of year deadline for lifetime certification and still have time to do the MCDST before it is retired next year. If you try do the MCDST first you probably wouldn't have time to finish that and the Net+ by the end of the year.

 

If you're UK I wouldn't bother mate. Go for the MCDST. Never once seen N+ in a job ad. More of an American qualification. Might be useful to get the materials for personal knowledge gain though.

 

In that case you should be able to finish it quickly then. As mentioned above, if doneby the end of the year then it's a lifetime cert otherwise it has to be renewed every 3 years.

Then you can do the MCDST.

 

The MCDST retires next year and if you can't squeeze both of them in then I would still do the Network+ for filling in gaps in your knowledge. The A+ and Network+ aren't going to get you a job as they are not sought after certs in the UK but still worth doing.

 

So why are the A+ and N+ pushed so hard as an entry level cert for people looking to get into IT?

I don't understand why so many managers either don't know about the A+ or N+, or they just look down their nose at them.

 

^ To be fair, I got a job spec through today and it said A+ and N+ on it.

Thanks guys for the advice, Ive decided Im going to bash out the Network+ quickly and then work on the MCDST.

Ive already started studying for it and alot of it is just brushing up on things I covered at Uni so should have that done within a couple weeks.

 

I havent seen one job spec ask for A+ or N+, and only a few MCDST...

Most say MCSA or MCSE....some even for helpdesk! Crazy!

 

Yeh I think even though they may not ask for it, if its on your CV it can only do good.

 

Exactly this, the A+, N+ and MCDST are all useful on a CV. You won't see a lot of people asking for them but you can bet it'll make a difference to hiring managers if they see them there and have even the vaguest idea of what they are.

 

In the UK at least is that they are not widely sought after by employers but I'm not sure if this is either a case of them not knowing about CompTIA or not interested in the certs. In my 7+ years in IT I may of seen about 3-4 jobs advertised that asked for it and even then it wasn't essential to the job applicants to have and only listed as a desirable.

They are great certs to start with as simply they are good for getting up to speed and filling in knowledge if your just starting out. After they go to a 3 year renewal I think that will be the death knell for the certs in the UK at least.

 

I think you would be better off spending your time and money earning qualifications employers seem to want.