subject: Insights On Career Certification For Comptia Technical Support [print this page] There are four A+ exams and areas of study, but you only have to get your exams in 2 of them for qualification purposes. This is why many educational establishments only offer 2 paths. However, training you in all four will equip you with a far deeper level of understanding of your subject, which you'll come to realise is a Godsend in the working environment.
When you embark on the A+ training program you'll be taught how to build computers and fix them, and work in antistatic conditions. Fault finding and diagnostic techniques through hands on and remote access are also covered.
If you're considering being the person who is a member of a large organisation - in network support, you'll need to add CompTIA Network+, or alternatively look at doing an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft as you'll need a wider knowledge of how networks work.
Get rid of the typical salesman who recommends a training program without a thorough investigation so as to understand your abilities plus your experience level. Ensure that they have a generous range of products so they can provide you with what's right for you.
If you've got a strong background, or sometimes a little commercial experience (possibly even some previous certification?) then obviously your starting level will be very different from someone who is just starting out.
For students beginning IT exams and training anew, it can be helpful to break yourself in gently, kicking off with some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first. This is often offered with most accreditation programs.
A fatal Faux-Pas that potential students often succumb to is to concentrate on the course itself, and not focus on the desired end-result. Schools have thousands of students who took a course because it seemed fun - instead of the program that would surely get them the job they want.
It's an awful thing, but a large percentage of students start out on programs that sound great from the sales literature, but which gets us a career that is of no interest. Speak to a selection of university graduates for examples.
Spend some time thinking about what you want to earn and how ambitious you are. This can often control what particular qualifications you'll need to attain and how much effort you'll have to give in return.
Have a conversation with an experienced advisor who knows about the sector you're looking at, and is able to give you detailed descriptions of the kind of things you'll be doing on a daily basis. Establishing this well before you start on any retraining course will prevent a lot of wasted time and effort.
Any program that you're going to undertake should always lead to a properly recognised exam as an end-goal - and not some unimportant 'in-house' plaque for your wall.
From an employer's perspective, only the top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe (for example) really carry any commercial clout. Nothing else will cut the mustard.
Looking around, we find a plethora of jobs and positions available in IT. Finding the particular one in this uncertainty can be very difficult.
Perusing a list of odd-sounding and meaningless job titles is a complete waste of time. Surely, most of us have no idea what our own family members do for a living - so we have no hope of understanding the subtleties of a particular IT career.
Getting to a well-informed resolution really only appears through a meticulous investigation covering many different areas:
* Your personality type and what you're interested in - what kind of work-related things you love or hate.
* Why you want to consider moving into Information Technology - is it to overcome a life-long goal like working for yourself for instance.
* What priority do you place on job satisfaction vs salary?
* Getting to grips with what typical Information technology areas and sectors are - including what sets them apart.
* You need to understand what differentiates all the training areas.
To be honest, you'll find the only real way to research these issues is via a conversation with an advisor or professional who understands computing (and more importantly it's commercial requirements.)
