# IT Support As A Career - Comptia A+ ?



## Dan_UK (Aug 2, 2008)

Hi guys,

So, I've always been interested in IT since I was young. Helping Grandad build his own computers and configure them etc and troubleshoot problems both at home and at work. When I left school, there was nothing IT related in my surrounding area. Only 1 or 2 apprenticeships and that was it. 

Now, at the age of 24, I've decided to try once again and be more equipped. I've been applying for IT Support jobs (which I what I'd like to get in to), but finding that my lack of qualifications a stumbling point. After doing some research, it seems for an entry level certification for IT Support, the CompTIA A+ seems the best route? Or is there something better out there?

If so, has anyone else followed the A+ before and been successful and can lend any tips? How long did it take you etc?

Cheers,
Dan


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## SpywareDr (Jun 15, 2013)

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## VividProfessional (Apr 29, 2009)

I have quite a few qualifications, and I do love studying (sad I know) but I have found that nothing more than experience gets you the knowledge, but to be able to get the experience you need to study....


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## Dan_UK (Aug 2, 2008)

VividProfessional said:


> I have quite a few qualifications, and I do love studying (sad I know) but I have found that nothing more than experience gets you the knowledge, but to be able to get the experience you need to study....


Have you done the A+ qualification?


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

I did it a few years ago and it took around 14 weeks, you may find folks looking for some other qualifications along with the A+ it might be a idea to look into some of the jobs being advertised and what is being asked for, it might be some linux based or network based or even security based qualification and quite a few may be looking for server qulifications.


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## Dan_UK (Aug 2, 2008)

joeten said:


> I did it a few years ago and it took around 14 weeks, you may find folks looking for some other qualifications along with the A+ it might be a idea to look into some of the jobs being advertised and what is being asked for, it might be some linux based or network based or even security based qualification and quite a few may be looking for server qulifications.


Cheers for the reply.

Was the 14 weeks for both exams or just the 901?


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

Both done on the same day and your on camera to ensure you don't have help from anywhere the minimum pass was 700 or slightly more as far as I recall.


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## Dan_UK (Aug 2, 2008)

joeten said:


> Both done on the same day and your on camera to ensure you don't have help from anywhere the minimum pass was 700 or slightly more as far as I recall.


Sorry, I mean did it take you 14 weeks to study for just the 901 or was the 14 weeks for both the 901 & 902?


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## VividProfessional (Apr 29, 2009)

nope I haven't done it. Just a BTEC GNVQ advanced in IT


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

Again both.


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## Dan_UK (Aug 2, 2008)

joeten said:


> Again both.


Okay cheers


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## scriptbox (Dec 7, 2018)

Since you are young and motivated to take courses in IT, makes more sense to focus in learning programming or systems administration where the salary for the career is much higher than a technical support position. Although certification in tech support will certainly get you a job in that sector, it is not required & then you are locked into that specialization without other options. With a programming or systems administration certification, you have a much wider range of applicable jobs, more interesting work, & the maximum salary for the career is much higher, i.e. 2x greater ceiling for salary work.


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## -WOLF- (Jan 17, 2009)

I agree with the above post. Tech support or helpdesk as a _career_ is an awful idea - unless you are able to build your own business that gets at least dozens of customers a week or a storefront with decent traffic (a few hundred visitors a week minimum) you aren't looking at a stellar career without becoming an ultraspecialist i.e.: that one guy that knows some 30 year old system no one else does. 
I've done professional helpdesk, non-profit computer technician work, self-employed tech work, and other similar jobs, and it's absolutely not something you want to do for more than a few years. It is, however, an excellent entry level job and a way to get some easy experience.

I highly recommend going to school to get a good body of knowledge; versatility is essential in the professional IT community. If possible, try to get a Bachelor's degree in IT, computer science, or a similar discipline. If that's not possible then at least get a diploma or something where you can put your knowledge to paper. You'd be surprised what you can learn from these programs and also be surprised how many employers want education to get into the door. 

As for certifications: you should first determine what field of IT do you wish to excel in for IT. A+ is a great place to start regardless of what field, although you can also take the A+ Foundations certification first (it's one step behind the full A+). Microsoft has its Certified Technology Associate (MTA) which proves basic-to-intermediate understanding of an element of Windows (such as administration, security, networking, cloud setups,. or whatever version of MTA you wish), and there's also the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician or CCENT to get your foot in the door for professional networking capabilities. 

Again - this is all predicated upon you looking for a lucrative career - that means good growth prospects, good portability, and good salary within 5 years. 10 years, and 15 years. If you truly don't mind not having that, and potentially being 'stuck' should you decide that being at an entry-level job is not enough for you (or you get bored of it.

I hope I didn't sound too negative. I'm speaking from experience and from my understanding of the IT industry at large, but that's just anecdotal evidence. Talk to some professionals in various fields, talk to some academic advisors at your local colleges or universities. Just remember that getting into IT as a career isn't very straightforward, particularly compared to 25 years ago and even to 15 years ago. 

In college, you'd be shocked at how many of the professors would have to know far more than just their field of expertise in order to remain competitive, not only for the school but even for industry. Yes, perhaps that's more than what an IT support technician needs, but picture the plausibility that your colleagues might have say, security or cloud computing skills that you don't, and they are the ones that get promoted within the company (just as an example). When it comes to IT, it never hurts to be as broadly disciplined as possible and being 'just' IT support is not - in my opinion - going to be what you need.


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

-WOLF- said:


> I agree with the above post. Tech support or helpdesk as a _career_ is an awful idea - unless you are able to build your own business that gets at least dozens of customers a week or a storefront with decent traffic (a few hundred visitors a week minimum) you aren't looking at a stellar career without becoming an ultraspecialist i.e.: that one guy that knows some 30 year old system no one else does.
> I've done professional helpdesk, non-profit computer technician work, self-employed tech work, and other similar jobs, and it's absolutely not something you want to do for more than a few years. It is, however, an excellent entry level job and a way to get some easy experience.
> 
> I highly recommend going to school to get a good body of knowledge; versatility is essential in the professional IT community. If possible, try to get a Bachelor's degree in IT, computer science, or a similar discipline. If that's not possible then at least get a diploma or something where you can put your knowledge to paper. You'd be surprised what you can learn from these programs and also be surprised how many employers want education to get into the door.
> ...


They are not wrong and you will need far more knowledge than you could be led to believe, remember each place that promotes their format does it because it makes them both money and gains some prestige, as windows, is but one area you have more operating systems and for many companies you need a good working knowledge of networking there are are many more area's but I guess you have got that bye now..


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