Certification Question

[itsgenekramer]

Is there somewhere I can go to find out how to go about getting certification? I have absolutely no idea where to start.

Thanks
~Gene

 

[JohnYingling]

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[Andreh]

What area are you looking to work in?

 

[itsgenekramer]

Well, right now I'm in a job that provides desktop support. But, I've been thinking, I'm 45 years old, have a lot of on the job experience, but no college. I can get a job fairly easily that pays $35-45k/yr, and I wonder if it would be beneficial to me to get some certifications. I don't have time for school, I have a 19 yr old son, a 3 yr old daughter and a 1 1/2 yr old son.

Thanks.

 

[jtb]

Gene,

We applaud your attitude!! And raising 3 children is

Desktop Support is related to a wide variety of certifications. A+, MCDST, and so on...

Before actually spending any money, do some research at

http://www.comptia.org

and

http://www.microsoft.com/mcdst

to see which ones match up most closely with where you want to go, then talk with your supervisor about how these fit in with the company's view of the world... perhaps they either have a certification program or educational assistance...

Many paths are ahead of you; but don't fear... you have allies here...

JTB
Have Certs, Will Travel
"A knight without armour in a [cyber] land."

 

[TJRTech]

I hope you don't bump up against age discrimination. I know a lot of employers would rather through $45k+ to those just out of college with internship experience and Comp Sci degrees over someone older, with kids, a life, and only a cert and some on the job training.

You might try to prove to your current employer that you can do the work, start to move into a junior position and have them support you in your certification.

It is easier to make an existing relationship what you want than to find a new relationship that is what you want.

TR

 

[Wishdiak]

genekr,

If having certifications will help you get more money and/or better position from your current employer, then you should see what certifications they will want you to have. Many employers will reimburse educational expenses, so you could do well taking certification classes.

If you're looking to change job and/or companies, make sure that the experience you already have will benefit you. Just having certifications alone might get you an interview, but not necessarily another job.

Employers are looking for people with experience in the specific area that they are hiring for. If your experience is in desktop support, and you want to persue a sysadmin job, the experience you have may not look as good to a potential employer as someone with a MCSE and a few years of sysadmin experience.

If you want to continue doing desktop support, and you think that certification might help you make more money or move up to a higher level of desktop support, there are certifications that concentrate in that area, such as A+ and MCDST.

Either way, you should see if your current employer has a policy that would defer some or all of the cost involved.

Wishdiak

http://www.wishdiak.com