Help Me Choose a Course

Eircom_Sucks

Hi all


I'm looking to get a part-time , online , IT Certification but I havn't a clue which course is best suited for me to start my journey.


Im 33 and I'd say im pretty decent when it comes to computers / laptops etc


I've installed hardware inside my own laptop ie ( internal SSD ) not a big deal I know , also set up a home network amongst a few machines reading off a stand alone server etc , all without training , I'm the type of person who would take 30 mins to fix a 5 min problem ( for IT Techs ), but id eventually get it ( comes easy to me )


I suppose I'd like to eventually get a job in IT fixing business machines , networks , cloud , software installation , configuring machines , upgrading them etc , but I have no clue which course would best set me on my merry way


any genuine IT Certificated people here point me in the right direction , I just love pc's and want a career in it , once I'm in it I would re-educate myself on diff aspects of it to tailor my services

L1011

Standard entry-level certification is the CompTIA A+ - I'd suggest looking at some free course material online first to see if you'd consider the content to be below what you're already capable of as it is pointlessly finicky & dated at times. Network+ is an entry-level networking qualification which I'd again consider finicky but as its less common than the Network+ and more relevant its probably more worthwhile. In the current market these should be sufficient to get employment somewhere - it won't be well paid but you're not going to get in somewhere better with no experience no matter how many certs you have under your belt.

Beyond those you need to decide what you really want to do. There aren't really any further certifications for general IT work or hardware - other than specific manufacturer courses, e.g. HP have courses for their resellers technicians (from memory they also require you to have the A+ at that).

"Cloud" is such a broad term that it covers everything from networking (Cisco courses seem to be what every employer in Ireland wants, even when they don't use Cisco) through to server operating systems (Linux, which has certification going from fairly basic through to hugely advanced, Windows Server which has specific Cloud MCSEs now) and both hardware and application virtualisation (VMWare, Citrix, Microsoft HyperV etc).

In summary: Look at the A+, decide if its worth it; Network+ is a good choice after that; then get in to the industry and pick a path/paths.

Eircom_Sucks

MYOB wrote: »

Standard entry-level certification is the CompTIA A+ - I'd suggest looking at some free course material online first to see if you'd consider the content to be below what you're already capable of as it is pointlessly finicky & dated at times. Network+ is an entry-level networking qualification which I'd again consider finicky but as its less common than the Network+ and more relevant its probably more worthwhile. In the current market these should be sufficient to get employment somewhere - it won't be well paid but you're not going to get in somewhere better with no experience no matter how many certs you have under your belt.

Beyond those you need to decide what you really want to do. There aren't really any further certifications for general IT work or hardware - other than specific manufacturer courses, e.g. HP have courses for their resellers technicians (from memory they also require you to have the A+ at that).

"Cloud" is such a broad term that it covers everything from networking (Cisco courses seem to be what every employer in Ireland wants, even when they don't use Cisco) through to server operating systems (Linux, which has certification going from fairly basic through to hugely advanced, Windows Server which has specific Cloud MCSEs now) and both hardware and application virtualisation (VMWare, Citrix, Microsoft HyperV etc).

In summary: Look at the A+, decide if its worth it; Network+ is a good choice after that; then get in to the industry and pick a path/paths.

Cheers man , i already bought the 2013 comptia a+ complete study guide 800 series so its the latest one , guess i should get reading so

sawdoubters

theres no money in fixing all the moneys in programing allthe banks need c+ still



http://code.org/

L1011

sawdoubters wrote: »

theres no money in fixing all the moneys in programing allthe banks need c+ still



http://code.org/

Development is a completely different career, and as you were told before, "the banks" have long since outsourced the bulk of their IT functions anyway.

Eircom_Sucks

sawdoubters wrote: »

theres no money in fixing all the moneys in programing allthe banks need c+ still



http://code.org/

Im not after millions , just comfy to get by , maybe even work for myself who knows

But cheers

the whole year inn

Yea I'm in the same boat, but I did 3 years in college studying IT , never done anything with it , but I'm looking to get back into it next year.

You might be intrested op but Sligo IT have a course on systems and networks administration that I'm looking at

http://courses.itsligo.ie/engineering-and-design/computing/bsc-in-computing-in-systems-and-networking/

3 years and work experience in the 3rd year, would this a good road to head down job wise?

I done some programming before and didn't like it .

L1011

That IT Sligo course is very, very badly named. Its a broad computer science course more or less - maths and programming have minimal place in a sysadmins actual working life (they do have a place - you will need to be competent at scripting).

There are VEC colleges with 2 year (including work experience), much more focused courses in that area but you don't get a BSc at the end of them. Usually come out of it prepared for the A+, Network+, CCNA and possibly the start of a Windows Server MCSA depending on how they do it though.

the whole year inn

MYOB wrote: »

That IT Sligo course is very, very badly named. Its a broad computer science course more or less - maths and programming have minimal place in a sysadmins actual working life (they do have a place - you will need to be competent at scripting).

There are VEC colleges with 2 year (including work experience), much more focused courses in that area but you don't get a BSc at the end of them. Usually come out of it prepared for the A+, Network+, CCNA and possibly the start of a Windows Server MCSA depending on how they do it though.

Thanks for the reply, any of those vec courses do the study online? Would I be best to get the certs on my own and then try and get a job from that and my dipolma ?

Eircom_Sucks

the whole year inn wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, any of those vec courses do the study online? Would I be best to get the certs on my own and then try and get a job from that and my dipolma ?

Well i've 2 kids and partner and mortgage and full time job , its gonna be learning at home for me and sit exams when im ready , hopefully in 6 months

L1011

the whole year inn wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, any of those vec courses do the study online? Would I be best to get the certs on my own and then try and get a job from that and my dipolma ?

Not the ones I'm aware of (they're all either 4 or 5 day a week daytime) but that doesn't mean there isn't one.

There is a chronic shortage of IT staff across every role right now so I'd even try and get employment in it with just the diploma in your case. Experience matters more than certification usually - although certs help getting your CV past non-technical HR/recruiters.

the whole year inn

MYOB wrote: »

Not the ones I'm aware of (they're all either 4 or 5 day a week daytime) but that doesn't mean there isn't one.

There is a chronic shortage of IT staff across every role right now so I'd even try and get employment in it with just the diploma in your case. Experience matters more than certification usually - although certs help getting your CV past non-technical HR/recruiters.

Can you post up a link to the courses you mentioned ?
I'm out of college 6 years now so will have to get some certs at the very least.

L1011

the whole year inn wrote: »

Can you post up a link to the courses you mentioned ?
I'm out of college 6 years now so will have to get some certs at the very least.

http://www.colaistedhulaigh.ie/courses/science-technology/computer-systems-technician is one - the same course-codes are offered elsewhere so if you know where there's a VEC CFE nearby you might find them. The content can be very different though.

There's some content I'd consider irrelevant there too (Spreadsheets?) but no course is ever perfect; and I've no idea of the quality of teaching there either.

buytolet89

Why do you hate Eircom?

Krusader

I would start with MCSA Win 7 or 8

Eire Go Brach

Eircom_Sucks wrote: »

Well i've 2 kids and partner and mortgage and full time job , its gonna be learning at home for me and sit exams when im ready , hopefully in 6 months

I am in a similar situation myself. I could have wrote this thread.

Just the one kid though, she is 14 months old.

I am curious how your studying is going? I'm setting aside time at home. Trying to study at lunch in work. But I find something always comes up. It's hard to get a good stab at it.

Have you any tips?
Thanks