Any advice for getting into a networking or IT career quickly through self teaching?

[Lexluethar]

A+ is comprised (or when i got it) of two exams, both exams are 180 bucks (give or take).

Job boards:
Dice.com
roberthalftechnology.com
monster.com
careerbuilder.com

There are some other tech specific sites, i just can't think of any off the top of my head.

With those two certifications you can get an entry level job such as help desk, desktop support, noc, service desk, etc.

Most certifications are just that - a certification. You can study dozens of ways, but when it comes down to it you sign up through a certified test partner like Prometric, you show up and take the exam. If you pass you get the certification in the mail a few weeks later. There are a few exceptions to this, like vmware. I'm going to get a vmware certification in January and in order to become vmware certified they not only require you to pass their exam (which is no walk in the park), you also have to take their class that is 3,500 bucks. So you can go and pass the exam, but until you register for their class and take the class you aren't certified.

As for what path, i suggest getting both A+ and Net+, try to get a job then see what you like. I suggest following a path that you enjoy.

 

[footsteps]

Hiya,

I stumbled across this post and I find myself in a similar position. I'm about to complete my 4-year business degree and I feel like HR and economics is not what I intend to do for the rest of my life. Recently I landed a helpdesk position at my University's IT office, which made me realize how much I enjoy working with computers. However, I'm not yet sure of which particular "path" I should choose. People tell me go for what I like but I'm pretty sure I don't mind working in any specific position as long as it is IT related. I'm also aware that a popular route is the "Network" route, but I'm not sure what job prospects it can provide me (or any route for that matter).

In the summer, I'm probably gunna go for the comptia A+ and Network + certs, but people also mentioned the MSCE, Cisco certs, vmware, and a load of certs that I've never even heard of before. At this point I'm quite confused about the certs that actually "matter" in the networking route. Also do you recommend taking classes, or just read the books for a few months?

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.

 

[DistraughtSysop]

I'm mainly concerned about typical college costs which are in the thousands, which would not be affordable.

You won't need college, but a degree would certainly help. it's definitely possible to get a job without one, though. However, once you have a job you might want to think about working towards a Bachelor's - it'll help you advance.

My friend for example went to a tech school for 2 years to get a degree, and it costed him over $40K.

I almost went to one of those schools, and I feel like I dodged a bullet when I decided against it. 40k for 2 years is almost ivy league level tuition but without the big name behind it or the connections with future execs and politicians.

 

[DistraughtSysop]

Hiya,

I stumbled across this post and I find myself in a similar position. I'm about to complete my 4-year business degree and I feel like HR and economics is not what I intend to do for the rest of my life. Recently I landed a helpdesk position at my University's IT office, which made me realize how much I enjoy working with computers. However, I'm not yet sure of which particular "path" I should choose. People tell me go for what I like but I'm pretty sure I don't mind working in any specific position as long as it is IT related. I'm also aware that a popular route is the "Network" route, but I'm not sure what job prospects it can provide me (or any route for that matter).

In the summer, I'm probably gunna go for the comptia A+ and Network + certs, but people also mentioned the MSCE, Cisco certs, vmware, and a load of certs that I've never even heard of before. At this point I'm quite confused about the certs that actually "matter" in the networking route. Also do you recommend taking classes, or just read the books for a few months?

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.

Just FYI, it's usually better to start a new thread for posts like this. It helps prevent confusion.

If you want to go networking, then go Cisco. Get your CCNA or at least your CCENT. Despite what people on the internet say (yes, I realize the irony in being told this by someone on the internet), do not go for anything higher until you have real world networking experience in a production environment. Certs are supposed to show what you already know, not what you hope to be doing. Technically, a CCNA is supposed to already have networking experience, but at this point there are so many people getting it beforehand that it's no longer expected. Don't worry about any other certs for a networking path. Net+ and Microsoft networking certs are for server guys to show that they have some networking chops. They won't prepare you for working on routers and switches.

With that being said, it's still always good to be Microsoft certified. At the very least, it's something that HR likes to see.

You do need to decide what you want to do, though, because each path requires specific steps and you don't want to waste your time and energy. It's always better to know more, of course, but there's a difference between wanting to increase your knowledge and thinking that something will directly help you advance in your career.