Which is better?

[RolloofTheNorm]

I'm wrting this because I want to get a through answer(s) as well as give a little update. I managed to land a job at a grocery store as a stocker (I know it's a miracle) and while the job is decent I still want something better out of life. I'm debating on whether or not to pursue IT certifications of get an associate degree in IT. I want to know which one has the better investment? What are some good beginner IT certifications to get?

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Technically, you'll need both to get an IT job. It totally depends on what you are going for. Support? Networking?

 

About your most important asset into any field is the ComTIA A+ certification.

[adrynalyne]

5 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

Technically, you'll need both to get an IT job. It totally depends on what you are going for. Support? Networking?

 

About your most important asset into any field is the A+ certification.

Not sure who told you that, but you do not need both. You do need to know what you are doing and experience helps. Whether it’s certs or school, you have to know what you are doing. 
 

As for A+…absolutely not. 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

3 minutes ago, adrynalyne said:

Not sure who told you that, but you do not need both. You do need to know what you are doing and experience helps. 
 

As for A+…absolutely not. 

Actually, it looks good on your resume to have both, and businesses read your resume, not your experience. I have ton of experience, and I never got an IT job.

 

ComTIA A+ is the number one certification you want. But yes, there are many many more.

[Fleet Command]

53 minutes ago, RolloofTheNorm said:

I'm wrting this because I want to get a through answer(s) as well as give a little update. I managed to land a job at a grocery store as a stocker (I know it's a miracle) and while the job is decent I still want something better out of life. I'm debating on whether or not to pursue IT certifications of get an associate degree in IT. I want to know which one has the better investment? What are some good beginner IT certifications to get?

I really depends on where you live. Should I rewrite that sentence in interrogative voice?

 

I myself started on the path of getting an MCSE. I dropped out. There were seven exams, and each exam's cost at the time (2004) was $250. For me, it was a large sum to spare. Now, all I got is a couple of MCP certifications on Windows Server 2003, but since I have actual work experience, they are unnecessary.

[adrynalyne]

1 minute ago, Mindovermaster said:

Actually, it looks good on your resume to have both, and businesses read your resume, not your experience. I have ton of experience, and I never got an IT job.

 

ComTIA A+ is the number one certification you want. But yes, there are many many more.

Now we know why you aren’t getting an IT job. A+ is worthless. 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

5 minutes ago, adrynalyne said:

Now we know why you aren’t getting an IT job. A+ is worthless. 

Do you? Do you own a multi-billion dollar company to say that? A+ is just one of many.

 

Here's a pic I found. This is 2021 edition:

 

[adrynalyne]

1 minute ago, Mindovermaster said:

Do you? Do you own a multi-billion dollar company to say that? A+ is just one of many.

I’ve worked alongside enterprise IT for the better part of a decade and not one co-worker  has had an A+. 
 

Anecdotal sure, but far more credible than saying it’s a must to get. 
 

When I was younger and working in a call center, A+ was the bees knees. 
 

Call center. Let that sink in. 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Just now, adrynalyne said:

I’ve worked alongside enterprise IT for the better part of a decade and not one co-worker  has had an A+. 
 

Anecdotal sure, but far more credible than saying it’s a must to get. 

What about the other ComTIA certs?

[adrynalyne]

Just now, Mindovermaster said:

What about the other ComTIA certs?

I would spend the time for Network + if someone needed a starting point. 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Just now, adrynalyne said:

I would spend the time for Network + if someone needed a starting point. 

According to the list above, Network+ is #8, where A+ is #5. You saying that isn't important?

[adrynalyne]

4 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

According to the list above, Network+ is #8, where A+ is #5. You saying that isn't important?

Network + can help gain you low level security clearance. So…yes. 
 

If your aspirations aren’t any higher than replacing hard drives and video cards, go for A+. 

[spaceelf]

 

Just now, adrynalyne said:

Network plus can help gain you low level security clearance. So…yes. 
 

If your aspirations aren’t any higher than replacing hard drives and video cards, go for A+. 

By itself it might not be worth much, but with other certs (many of which aren't hard to get) they do show you'll put forth the effort.

[adrynalyne]

Just now, Randomevent said:

 

By itself it might not be worth much, but with other certs (many of which aren't hard to get) they do show you'll put forth the effort.

If you have other certs, it doesn’t matter anyway. 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Just now, adrynalyne said:

Network plus can help gain you low level security clearance. So…yes. 
 

If your aspirations aren’t any higher than replacing hard drives and video cards, go for A+. 

A+ touches all the areas, though. Hardware, Software, Networking, Printers, etc. It's a broad cert, not specific to one area.

[adrynalyne]

1 minute ago, Mindovermaster said:

A+ touches all the areas, though. Hardware, Software, Networking, Printers, etc. It's a broad cert, not specific to one area.

I did the A+ in my youth. It’s a computer repairman cert. which, if that’s the goal, go for it. 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Just now, adrynalyne said:

I did the A+ in my youth. It’s a computer repairman cert. 

Not the first half. Second half was easy for me. First half I had to retake.

[Fleet Command]

13 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

Do you? Do you own a multi-billion dollar company to say that? A+ is just one of many.

 

Here's a pic I found. This is 2021 edition:

 

This is quite a significant list. It shows that so many people have CCNA that a recruiter or interviewer can easily pass over them. One who seeks to fill the shortages of the IT world needs to avoid these certificates, although the worth of that shortage is another topic.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

1 minute ago, Fleet Command said:

This is quite a significant list. It shows that so many people have CCNA that a recruiter or interviewer can easily pass over them. One who seeks to fill the shortages of the IT world needs to avoid these certificates, although the worth of that shortage is another topic.

Well, 2/3 of that is Networking stuff. I never did much with the networking side.

[Fleet Command]

Just now, Mindovermaster said:

Well, 2/3 of that is Networking stuff. I never did much with the networking side.

I needed a Network+ certificate to get started on my Microsoft certificates.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

2 minutes ago, Fleet Command said:

I needed a Network+ certificate to get started on my Microsoft certificates.

Really? huh..

[Fleet Command]

4 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

Really? huh..

Well, yeah. I'd be hard to tell someone to manage and maintain a multi-site Active Directory implementation if that person doesn't know what Ethernet means. How is he supposed to fix the replication problems?

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

3 minutes ago, Fleet Command said:

Well, yeah. I'd be hard to tell someone to manage and maintain a multi-site Active Directory implementation if that person doesn't know what Ethernet means. How is he supposed to fix the replication problems?

I was just curious. I found this in UrbanDictionary:

 

Quote

ethernet

What you wish was there to catch you when you pass out
at your computer desk and fall out of your chair!

ROFL

[RolloofTheNorm]

8 hours ago, adrynalyne said:

I did the A+ in my youth. It’s a computer repairman cert. which, if that’s the goal, go for it. 

What I mainly want to do is dev ops and cloud services. Are those certifications open to beginners or do I need to start off with something else first? 

[adrynalyne]

1 hour ago, RolloofTheNorm said:

What I mainly want to do is dev ops and cloud services. Are those certifications open to beginners or do I need to start off with something else first? 

Start with Network +. Then look at cloud certs. 
 

I’m not big on certs, honestly. I have several and if my employer didn’t want/need them for MS competencies, I wouldn’t have them.