# IT certificate courses/paths you suggest?



## Thlorian (Dec 15, 2007)

I'm getting ready for a pre-mid-life career change from Business to Programming and will return to college part-time (still work a 40 hour work week) over the next 5 years to obtain a degree in Computer Information Systems. In the meantime, I would like to start slowly picking up a certificate or two each year (perhaps during the summer). Which certificates do you recommend and in what order? I've been told that a good first certification to work on is A++. Is this still available and do you recommend a particular book and/or course to study with?

Thanks for all advice and tips!

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## Cellus (Aug 31, 2006)

The certification you are looking at is the CompTIA A+ certification (not A++, but I can understand the mix up).

The A+ certification is a vendor-neutral certification (and recognized industry standard) for desktop repair and support.

As for a book, I highly recommend Sybex's CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide. It is CompTIA Authorized Quality Curriculum, and it is loaded with almost everything you need to know for the exams.

As for courses, it is a good idea if you can to obtain education from a reputable source such as a college, university, polytechnic institute, or somewhere which is a part of the CompTIA Learning Alliance.

In the end, make sure you write your exams and obtain your certification from a legitimate and authorized testing center, such as one provided by Prometric.


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## Thlorian (Dec 15, 2007)

Thanks for the good advice and tips. I'll try picking up the book in the next week or so.

Thanks again!

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## 98abaile (Apr 4, 2008)

What is the advantage of this over, say, the MCDST certification?


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## Cellus (Aug 31, 2006)

The CompTIA A+ certification, unlike the MCDST, is _vendor-neutral_, meaning it does not cater to just one vendor/provider. The MCDST, which is _vendor-centric_, is specifically geared towards Microsoft products and - while Microsoft is certainly the most prevalent - has much more leaning towards Microsoft products only. *EDIT:* I should note the A+ certification also has more in it in regards to hardware, and not just the OS than the MCDST.

The "new" Microsoft certifications have yet to be weathered and thoroughly "tested", and as such do not have a lot of weight behind them at the moment. The CompTIA A+ certification on the otherhand has been recognized by everyone in the industry for years and, especially with its recent facelift in 2007, does count somewhat.

Of course it is important to note that no one certification stands tall above all others and it is only with a composition of several certifications does your knowledge as well as your value count for a lot more.


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## jive_john (Nov 14, 2007)

i am also interested in obtaining a degree in information systems the problem is i dont know what college or a tech school such as devry or itt tech to go to? any suggestions


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## Cellus (Aug 31, 2006)

Take a look and see what each prospective location offers. See what courses and programs they offer, how much recognition/respect they have (ignore commercials) in the local area, and so forth.


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