Little Help? =p

Discussion in 'Training & Development' started by jamell18, Dec 2, 2008.

  1. jamell18

    jamell18 New Member

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    Hey guys, I've been browsing the forums for a short while and decided to sign up. I could use a bit of advice to be honest..

    My current situation is that I have an office job, mostly admin/clerical work, although I am junior management for the company too, but I'm looking to get out of here, I was just wondering what a good course to take is. I've seen all these MCSE courses and adverts like £30k+ a year woohoo! But having done some research and read a few articles (a few on here) it seems like it's not a clever thing to go for straight away.

    So basically, I think I should take a course just to get a basic qualification that will get me in with an I.T. Firm/Company or a job in I.T. just so I can get my foot on the ladder, gain some experience and then start to branch out on other courses, or areas of speciality.

    I'm a little confused whether to do Cisco..Microsoft..Comptia, it's all a little daunting, but it's something I've got to get over.

    As for my 'background' with computing it's more of a hobby, I've built my own PC from scratch which runs fine, I've helped numerous friends and family with Virus problems, upgrading systems, technical issues and such. I also have a very basic knowledge of HTML. I'm a very quick learner, so I'm able to grasp concepts pretty quickly.

    So, if you could give me some advice that would be great.
     
  2. greenbrucelee
    Highly Decorated Member Award

    greenbrucelee Zettabyte Poster

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    You could start going for compTIA A+ certification and try and get a job whilst studying.

    The 30k a year garb is a load crap and yes a beginner shouldn't be going for the MCSE as it's for people who already work in the business and are working as system engineers or the like.

    Welcome to CF

    EDIT: the CCNA is also for people who already work in IT maintain cisco switches etc.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCDST, Security+, 70-270
    WIP: 70-620 or 70-680?
  3. Daniel

    Daniel Byte Poster

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    Welcome to the CF!

    The way I see it if I was in your shoes is this:

    1. If you want to get into IT soon, then do something like 70-271 and 70-272, these are..

    http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-271.mspx - 70-271

    http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-272.mspx - 70-272

    You'll sort of be starting at the bottom of the ladder (Desktop Support), but we all have to start somewhere!

    OR

    2. You should become fully MCSA/MCSE qualified and go for the big job, but obviously, the downside is that you would have to spend a lot of time obviously learning and becoming qualified.

    I do agree with you greenbrucelee, but the reason why I said that is because I've been chucked in at the deepend, I've had to learn 70-270 in 3 months without 6 months MINIMUM Administration in a networking enviroment, which is what Microsoft tell you to do.

    And remember, if I was in YOUR shoes, this is what I would do :biggrin

    This is all on the principle that the more you learn, the more you earn!

    Anyone is welcome to flame me :dry
     
    Certifications: 70-270, 70-290, 70-291
    WIP: None, but learning SEO/SEM
  4. Arroryn

    Arroryn we're all dooooooomed Moderator

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    I'm not gonna flame you - just put in my (IMO) advice.

    The MCSA and MCSE are certs for server configs and administration - which someone is highly unlikely to do at the start of their first IT job. (ah, I see you've edited your post to reflect your own experience - well done for coping!)

    It may be unhealthy for any job applicants for entry level helpdesk to have these certs on their CV, as it raises questions as to why they are applying for entry level jobs.

    The 271 and 272 as already mentioned (making Microsoft's MCDST cert) are much the better recommendation.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCDST, 70-410, 70-411
    WIP: Modern Languages BA
  5. greenbrucelee
    Highly Decorated Member Award

    greenbrucelee Zettabyte Poster

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    what she said ^

    Although I would say A+, N+ and MCDST although it doesn't have to be in that order unless you are a total beginner.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCDST, Security+, 70-270
    WIP: 70-620 or 70-680?
  6. Daniel

    Daniel Byte Poster

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    Great answer, because I totally agree! :D

    I think that I've been given the wrong path by doing 70-270 straight away, but I dont mind because it's made me work hard for it!

    I do wish however that doing 70-271 and 70-272 then possibly 70-270 would of been a more comfortable ride for me, and less stress.

    EDIT: Arroryn, thank you for noticing my coping abilities with 70-270 :P
     
    Certifications: 70-270, 70-290, 70-291
    WIP: None, but learning SEO/SEM
  7. grim

    grim Gigabyte Poster

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    it's true you can earn £30k+ with an MCSE what's not true is that it's all you need. Without experience you'll still have trouble getting even the most junior of roles. What you should aim for is to have your certs and experience at the same sort of level.

    GRim
     
    Certifications: Bsc, 70-270, 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294, 70-298, 70-299, 70-620, 70-649, 70-680
    WIP: 70-646, 70-640
  8. jamell18

    jamell18 New Member

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    Thanks for the fast responses guys. You've been really helpful.

    I'm going to do a bit more research on the MCP qualification. I take it you can study at home for these, and also get a place in a college perhaps? What's the average salary for a desktop support technician?

    Like you said, getting your foot on the ladder is what helps. =)

    I forgot to mention by GCSE's and A Levels if it helps. 9 GCSE's A-C, 2 A Levels A-C.

    If you work as a MCDST, what sort of career options do you have? Is that just to get familiar with the systems and such, or at least have a qualification for what you already know in some cases, then go on from there? What can you 'go onto' in a sense?
     
  9. BosonMichael
    Honorary Member Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Without experience, you won't be able to "go for the big job", because employers won't hire you for the big job without experience. Certifications do not automagically qualify you for a job. In truth, more advanced certifications such as the MCSA and MCSE can be more of a hindrance than a help when looking for your first IT job, because those certifications have nothing to do with entry-level tech work. Go for entry-level certifications, such as the A+, Network+, and MCDST, and your CV will look attractive to entry-level employers.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!

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