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I read some posts on this forum a few months ago when I was considering enrolling on a course with NITLC to study (and pass, I hoped) A+, Network+, CCNA and MCSE. I decided not to spend such a huge amount of money on something so intangible as an online course. I'm presently working for Avis car rentals as a delivery driver. Avis pays me minimum wage so there's no way I can afford to spend nearly £4000 on a course where there's no guarantees of success. I bought the Michael Meyers A+ Certification Exam Guide book in November and have been working through it since then. I hope to be ready for the A+ exams by mid-march. I hope someone here might be able to give me some advice on the best way to progress from here. I'm desperate to get out of Avis, out of minimum wage and into something more relevant to what I'm studying. I need a job in a computer department . Any advice appreciated.
Thanks
Patrick

 

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Hi there and welcome to CF.

I don't know which path to take, I'm sure someone will be along shortly to help you.

 

Greetings, Patrick. Welcome to CertForums.

First off, do you have any experience at all in repairing and maintaining computers. You'll need to start building your CV so you can get a foot in the door of an IT department somewhere and at least get an interview.

One way I built my CV when first getting started is to post it on various web-based IT job sites. Contractors looking for a tech in my part of the country would call or email and offer me temp work. Jobs would last anywhere from a few hours to several weeks. I did these sorts of jobs while going to school full-time and working at my slave job full-time.

Eventually, I got enough experience and a few more certs (and a bachelor's degree in the process) to where I was offered longer term jobs and finally scored a full-time permanent position. It's doable but it does require hard work and sacrifice.

As far as what certs to pursue after the A+, that really depends on your areas of interest. There's no one right combination that will guarentee you a job. It's best to tailor your certification and career path on where your interests and talents lie. Too many people took certs based on what they thought would make them more marketable or get them the highest pay. That's not necessarily wrong but if those certs are in areas that you hate to work in or aren't very talented at, it could end up being a mistake.

Hope some of my ramblings have helps.

 

Hi Patrick, Welcome to CF!

I'm glad that we've helped you make your decisions in the past, now to the future though.

The only advice that I can give to you really is to be persistant, don't give up.

You may find that you have to take a job in IT on almost the same wages as you are currently on, but the key thing is that you will have that valuable foot on the ladder.

How have you been looking for positions at present? I'd reccommend the local press as your best option, as many local companies will advertise their opennings there, rather than online with the big agencies. If you'd like to work in the public sector try the NHS or local government websites, or www.sector1.net.

Good luck in your career path, and with your A+.

 

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

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