Seeking Advice on CompTIA A+ 902

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HI, I have been working in the warehouse environment for 5 years now and now I am interested in breaking into the IT field.

I have heard from many different sources and articles online that it is not easy to break into the IT field without more than 2 years experience under your belt and/or a bachelor's degree in Computer Science. I don't have that, but what I do have is some personal experience fixing computer hardware.

I just recently replaced a motherboard in a Dell Laptop and that was pretty difficult. I also replaced my friend's Laptop's LCD screen which was a bit easier than replacing a motherboard. I haven't built my own personal computer but I have taken apart one desktop tower several times. I am not interested in going to college and in my opinion wasting money.

I am interested in obtaining my IT Certifications like the CompTIA A+. I just passed the 220-901 exam and I am currently preparing for the 902. I do not like to learn through a text book so I am using The Professor Messer CompTIA A+ training videos to prepare for the 2nd exam.

Is it worth getting the CompTIA A+ to break into the IT Networking Field for somebody who only has warehouse experience and less than 1 year of personal computer repair?

What kind of job do I search for after getting the certification?

What is the Certification career path you would recommend to become a Network Administrator?

How do I get help desk experience when they require more than 2 years of help desk?

In your opinion what is the best way to prepare for the 220-902 exam?
: I already have certblaster Practice exams and practice exams on my phone.

Also I have no desire to go to college, but I have heard of people who can break into this field and be successful at it without a college degree. My main goal is become a Network Administrator.

 

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Hi mate,

I also used to work in a warehouse, although I moved to accounts for a couple of years before making the switch to IT. I don't have a degree.

I got my A+ a few years back, then did some voluntary work at a PC repair shop so I'd have some experience on my CV, then I got a job as a desktop support engineer.

Your bit of PC/laptop repair is really good and A+ is the right way to go, Network + goes hand in hand and you should go for that next. Get a few more laptops, fix them up, sell them. I did this when I was volunteering and made a decent bit of money, but more importantly it demonstrates genuine, real world experience of repairing computers. If you can, try and find a voluntary position somewhere, even if it's only a couple of hours a week. It helps get past that HR barrier but it's not completely necessary.

If you have customer service experience, or you can spin your CV to make it look like you have, you can get a helpdesk job no problem. Aim for desktop support, but take helpdesk if it's offered to you. Once you do that your foot's in the door and you're golden.

Where are you based by the way? UK? US? I know they emphasise the importance of a degree a tad more in the US, but it's certainly still possible to get your break.

 

HI, Thanks for replying! I am based in the USA and all of the job postings i've looked at so far (help desk or desktop support) want a bachelor's degree in Computer Science plus 2-3 years of experience. I would have expected that in a network or system administrator job or something high like it but not the lowest IT job it doesn't make any sense to me. The only customer service experience I have is being a Concession Stand Associate at the Movie Theatre when I was 17 and I worked there for 2 years. Is that even considered customer service?

 

Morning Christopher,

I think we have all been in the same boat mate. The hardest part is getting your foot in the door. Once you have that, you are good to go.

I was 32 when I started in IT with NO IT Experience at all. So I went and done the ComptiaA+ and then literally blitzed every job board I could find. I it wanted 4 Years of experience and a Degree, I still applied, despite not having any of the relevant requirements. I got a LOT of rejections, but then someone saw that I was enthusiastic, and eager with a massive willingness to learn...and they took me on.

I am 39 now and running an office on my own with about 150 users. You can do it mate, just get the A+, move onto the N+ and start plugging away.

 

Don't worry about the job requirements, just make your CV as marketable as possible. Use your job on the concession stand to embellish your customer service skills as much as possible. Once you have your A+ you're actually in a really good position. Just apply for every single helpdesk/desktop support job you find. Upload your CV to job sites.

Also, something very important to remember is that recruiters use keyword searches to find CVs and they don't strictly understand what they're reading most of the time.

Fill your CV with as many keywords as possible, things like this work:

'Sound conceptual knowledge of DHCP, DNS' - So you're not claiming to be an expert, but the recruiters will forward your CV on. Try and get active directory on there too, but just make sure you've actually used it. So get Windows server on a VM, install active directory, reset a few passwords and voila, you've reset passwords in active directory and it can go straight onto your CV.

Good luck.

 

Location and circumstances play a big part in getting an IT job.. I had no experience and very little knowledge I applied for one job only and got it.. I put it down to pure luck.