salary expectations

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i noticed a lot of the guys have said to get your a plus, network plus and mcdst as starting certifications. have currently got a plus and working on mcdst and then going onto network plus. could you justify earning more by getting your network plus after the other two or is it a case that these certs are good grounding and by adding network plus to the other two it looks good on your c. v but not enough to justify a higher salary ?

 

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It's entirely dependant upon whom you're working for I suppose. The A+, N+ and MCDST are all pretty much base level qualifications in the world of I.T and they show that you're competant with 'basic' Desktop Support techniques (I'm assuming you're in a 1st Line Support role).

The salary for 1st Line Support can vary a lot. You'd think that the higher level qualifications you get then the more salary you'd receive.

As an example - I was on a very poor wage prior to getting my HND in I.T (& CCNA) but after getting these qualifications my employer gave me a nice pay rise.

If I take on more managerial duties then I get more money. For me... I'm just adding strings to my bow if (or when) I leave to try and get a different job at some point in the future.

Hope this helps.

Qs

 

Great advice from Qs as per usual..

Just to expand I just want to confirm that the A+ / N+ & MCDST are indeed entry level certificates to show that you have the knowledge to be competent in a 1st line support role. acquiring the N+ won't directly justify increasing your pay, but it will make you more competent on network issues (assuming you are in a 1st line support role) therefore enhancing your chances of getting promoted to 2nd line due to the prior 3 qualifications giving you the confidence required to tackle most issues in 1st line support. But understand that it's not directly the certificate that will get you a payrise or prmotion, it's how you apply the knowledge you learned 'from' the certificate which will be a factor on your performance and position in getting a payrise/promotion

Hope that makes sense lol, I struggled to understand my post myself first read

 

Heh. I seemed to totally bypass the whole experience thing. Anyway, Naive is pretty much on the ball here. Employers look for both experience and qualifications (plus if you're a nice guy/girl ) when they employ.

Generally experience is seen as better due to the extended knowledge that potential employees would have which would mean that they could resolve problems in the workplace far quicker than those with little or no experience.

It may be that your employer wants you to have more experience before offering you a pay-rise, regardless of your certs.

Ask them, that's usually the best way to do it. Ask what is required for you to obtain an increased wage.

 

All three are good, foundation-level certifications that will serve any entry-level tech well. Plus, certifications can give your CV an edge over your competition, provided experience levels are somewhat equal.

Could you earn more? Hard to say, considering every certification you get makes you more likely that you're hired for a job (provided you've gained the recommended experience to go with each certification).

Will a new employer give you more simply because you're certified? In my experience, not likely. While a certification can make it more likely that you're hired, the employer has a salary range that they want to pay for a position, and you'll fall somewhere in that salary range, typically based on experience, not on certification. That said, each employer is different; perhaps there ARE some out there who will give a few extra bucks for having a certification.

Will a current employer give you more for getting a certification? In my experience, some do, and some don't. There is much debate on how much better you can do an IT job by studying for a certification, and I can see both sides. Studying for a certification certainly gives you the knowledge about how things work theoretically, but unless that knowledge is put to practical application, of how much benefit is it? Personally, I think there is *some* benefit... for example, I could help troubleshoot an Oracle database - but how quickly or how well would I be able to do it on my own, considering I've never administered one in a production environment? So, it all depends on whether your employer believes that certification improves your ability to do your job, because ultimately, to an employer, that's what matters.

 

The above-mentioned advice already covers it but I'll add my 2-cents...
It's not the certification itself that earns you more money, but what the cert does for you. Does gettting the cert mean you'll get more responsibility / duties at the office? Or does it mean your resume (CV) is updated and allows you to get a job with more duties = more pay?

 

Certifications really dont justify a higher wage, they do however demonstrate to your employer you have the practical ability to achieve certain tasks that are whithin the scope of that certification, which may help you expand the scope of your job role.

The things that get payrises are hardwork, good attitude, good productivity and willingness to expand your role.

The best way to get a payrise is to keep a list of all extra responsibilities you take on that are outside your job role, that way you have leveredge to negotiate a higher wage as you are providing more service to your employer.

 

BM's advice is spot on I would say. As for me, thus far gaining certs hasn't gotten me a pay rise at my last or current employers. I gained my MCSA with my current employer, but it's made no difference to salary. Then again, it's on a fairly tightly controlled pay scale system where I work.

All depends on the employer at the end of the day.

 

Our pay is linked to performance, experience and qualifications.

The qualifications is used as a bench mark as it is easy to measure, either you passed it or not.

Most people in the departments I have been in (and it appears to be IT people generally), do the minimum expected of them, do not bother to even try and pass an exam. Then wonder why they did't get a pay rise!

So back to your original question, I personally would achieve what you feel you can achieve (don't limit yourself). Don't forget that if amongst 5,10, 20, 40 people, you have put the time and effort in to apply yourself for the company and also personally by gaining qualifications, who do you think will get the pay rise and promotion?