How far do certifications go?

[Krovos]

Hey guys! I currently work as a tech for a local PC shop in my area and I am also studying for my CompTIA A+ certification. I plan on looking for a salaried "Support Specialist" position once I'm certified, but am curious with how far certificates can actually take me. Say for example I was trying to become a Network Systems Administrator, would something like a "Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)" suffice? At what point do companies actually start valuing college degrees over experience and certifications?

 

[voyagerfan99]

In my experience, you don't learn a whole ton in college that will land you good pay without getting certifications. I was hoping that as part of my college experience we'd be administered certification exams and get certified, but that didn't happen. You need to go do it on your own.

After getting A+ (pretty pointless, but people like it) look into Networking+ to get your foot in the door. Then get your CCNA.

In the end, certifications and experience win over a college degree.

 

[beers]

A degree makes it easier to get in the door if you don't have a lot of xp.
Certs make it easier to get a higher salary at your next position.

If you got a CCIE then it's trivial to get a six figure position instantly.

Net+ might be an easier lead into CCNA if you don't have a whole lot of background knowledge.

How far do you want to go?

 

[Krovos]

In my experience, you don't learn a whole ton in college that will land you good pay without getting certifications. I was hoping that as part of my college experience we'd be administered certification exams and get certified, but that didn't happen. You need to go do it on your own.

After getting A+ (pretty pointless, but people like it) look into Networking+ to get your foot in the door. Then get your CCNA.

In the end, certifications and experience win over a college degree.

That was my experience as well. I attended a community college in the city a few years ago and they were teaching extremely mundane and outdated information.

This is a 100% true story! One of the questions on my test sheet followed:

"How much does it cost to prepare a gaming computer?
A) $1,500
B) $2,000
C) $4,000
D) $10,000"

The correct answer was "B" and I then commenced to slamming my head repeatably into the keyboard.

Studying "A+ 801" so far has taught me some interesting things in regards to RAID configurations, but beyond that it seems like common sense. I'll definitely look into Network+ once I finish 801 and 802.

Thanks!

A degree makes it easier to get in the door if you don't have a lot of xp.
Certs make it easier to get a higher salary at your next position.

If you got a CCIE then it's trivial to get a six figure position instantly.

Net+ might be an easier lead into CCNA if you don't have a whole lot of background knowledge.

How far do you want to go?

That definitely makes sense. As far as climbing the industry ladder is concerned, I honestly haven't a clue as of yet. Right now I'm working part time at a local PC repair store and my next immediate goal is to land an entry-level help desk position. I need to find out what I'm interested in within IT before I commit to setting a long term goal.

 

[ScottALot]

Say for example I was trying to become a Network Systems Administrator, would something like a "Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)" suffice? At what point do companies actually start valuing college degrees over experience and certifications?

For networking, regardless of vendor they want you to work with, the CCNA is really nice to have. Paired with Network+, it shows that you have a real good concept of how networks operate, the role of each protocol, ... and also shows that you are able to learn the technical details of a vendor's equipment (it'll usually be Cisco, but Avaya/Nortel is also out there, etc...)

In the end, certifications and experience win over a college degree.

... in IT. With most technical jobs, a degree is what you want, and certifications are secondary, sort of supporting the degree. However, IT is a much different realm. In IT, your certs are your bread and butter. A degree is really nice in IT because it shows that you're well-rounded enough to attend classes and work excellently, but that's pretty much it.

Net+ might be an easier lead into CCNA if you don't have a whole lot of background knowledge.

Yes, this.

If you're interested in gov't work, you're going to want to get Security+. That opens a lot of doors in state and federal work. It sort of overlaps with Net+ a little.

 

[Krovos]

For networking, regardless of vendor they want you to work with, the CCNA is really nice to have. Paired with Network+, it shows that you have a real good concept of how networks operate, the role of each protocol, ... and also shows that you are able to learn the technical details of a vendor's equipment (it'll usually be Cisco, but Avaya/Nortel is also out there, etc...)



... in IT. With most technical jobs, a degree is what you want, and certifications are secondary, sort of supporting the degree. However, IT is a much different realm. In IT, your certs are your bread and butter. A degree is really nice in IT because it shows that you're well-rounded enough to attend classes and work excellently, but that's pretty much it.



Yes, this.

If you're interested in gov't work, you're going to want to get Security+. That opens a lot of doors in state and federal work. It sort of overlaps with Net+ a little.

Thank you for all of the information you've provided!

 

[Renzore101]

Personally I am getting my degree to show that I have it, as from what I can tell that's about all companies look at. Some companies will not hire those who do not have a 4 year degree. Outside of that I am focused on getting my Cisco certifications once I feel that I am ready. I have my A+ currently, and I will probably go the Network+ then CCNA route. Some courses in my college experience have been trivial ways for the college to make money, but in my school I am now getting into my Cisco core courses, which are teaching me a lot about networking concepts that I had no clue about previously.