Ready to move up

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Hi everyone, been browsing for about a day now. I have no certifications, but I'm passively (as in without notes or testing things myself yet) studying guides for A+ and CCENT. I'm looking to move up, but I really don't know what direction I want to go.

I'm currently working entry level tech support in a call center (I'm not on the phones, I'm supporting the people on the phones). Almost nothing I do goes into any depth at all, but I have supported and/or been exposed to: Exchange 2010, Avaya Agent Desktop, IIS 7.0, SQL server 2008, Citrix-deployed apps (for the remote-hosted SQL server and related programs), intermediate use of MS Excel, Active directory, general Windows desktop support, and the most important of all: Google Search

I've been in this position for almost a year, and I've recently found myself coasting and wanting a raise/promotion, which don't really go well together, so I decided it's time to learn. My obstacles are: another job that cuts into the time I could be studying, I previously dropped out of studying engineering because of my abysmal study habits, and the conflict between my personal desire to stay broad and the professional expeciency to go deep.

I am looking forward to the challenge and rewards, and I hope that by posting here regularly I can get tips and maybe some peer pressure to keep me studying.

 

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Welcome to the forums!

I'm new here too and also relatively new to certifications, so my advice on your particular situation is very limited (very very limited), but I'm sure one of the more experienced guys will be able to step in and help.

The main positive is that you've got experience; this fact alone puts you in a far better position than people like me lol. There's no problem with starting off broad. I think that it's advantageous to have a broad fundamental knowledge in all aspects of I.T. In fact I think keeping it broad initially helps you to gauge and decide what IT track you want to ultimately pursue.

I totally understand how you feel regarding study habits. I sometimes have trouble with the initial phase of sitting down and opening a book, but once I've started, the momentum keeps me going. From a personal standpoint, I think what's also helped me is the fact that I have a friend who's studying MTA certs too, so it's created a little bit of competition (healthy competition). Life is a long learning process that never stops. I would say do whatever you think is personally right. Also, maybe have a little chat with your boss and tell them what your intentions (in terms of studying for certifications and career progression) are.