NEW TO IT, is this for me?

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i am changing career in my early forties, and have been recommended to consider the COMPTIA A+ pathway, do i need any special skills ie maths, electronics knowledge to do this sort of training? it looks quite technical but iv'e got a good brain i think i could handle it
what are the job prospects like?

 

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I shouldn't think so. As long as you've got a computer you can open up and mess about with you should be fine ;)
As for the job prospects, it's hard to find a job atm in any profession. I would think entry level IT is especially hard, but there are jobs out there!

 

well, the only person who knows if it's right for you is you.

Technically people aren't allowed to discriminate against age, but in entry level IT jobs you'll probably be interviewed by someone the same age as your kids - as long as you haven't got a problem with that.

I'm a big believer in hiring more 'mature' people (well. as long as they aren't completely useless) so there is nothing to say that you won't find something.

You really don't need to know maths or physics or anything like that to start out, just a willingness to learn and an open mind. If you've coped with your gramophone becoming a turntable and then a CD player then you have all the technological mindset that you need.

- actually you're probably only a few years older than me, so I'm talking rubbish really...

 

thanks everyone, most encouraging!
well i will probalby give it a bash, see how it goes, buy one of the recommended books from amazon first and go from there!

someone did say i could learn most of what i need from self study from a recommended book and then go for the exams, is that right? or is it better to pay for course materials from a course provider?

 

I recently repaired a couple of flat screens by replacing the capacitors though...

Absolutely right, grab a copy of the Mike Meyers AIO, James Pyles PC Technician Street Smarts and an old PC and get to studying.

When your ready you can book the exams through Prometric or Pearson Vue, look around for some international vouchers first though, you shouldn't need to pay full whack for any certification exam

 

wow...just like that!
i'm getting quite excited about this now..
so you think the mike meyers book is better than the jean andrews?
i'm totally new to this so i want to be sure i'm buying the right one
thanks re hot tips, glad i joined this forum!

 

I've not actually read the Jean Andrews book, all I know is the Mike Meyers got me through my exams and I've never heard a negative word about it. And Street Smarts is recommended all over this forum because we like to help ouot our members bank balances where we can (and its really good obviously)

Truthfully though, you should never do all your studying from one source, the Mike Meyers got me through on its own but I think thats largely because I'm working with the tech everyday and have been for a number of years (3 of which I've actually been being paid for!).

EDIT: oh and if posts are helpful, a little rep goes a long way :P

 

rep duly added, thanks! i've ordered the mike meyers book!
looked closer at it on amazon, seems fairly digestible and appears to be highly recommended
i'll give that a go but i've found the street smarts one there too and have put it on my wish list!