I recently purchased some software that was sponsored/advertised on the Comptia website. I spent around $600 for a two course based material (Comptia A+ and Network +). I am 34, gainfully employed, and I want to venture in to a new career that will be more financially rewarding in the end. I studied the material 1.5 months just for 1 part of the essentials exam. I passed with a 675/675. Barely, but I made it. I have used only the study material provided. The question I have is this: People are bashing these "braindump" sites, claiming that they are only memorizing material and regeritating at the test site, and not actually learning the material. Now, obviously, I learned barely enough to pass my exam. I have no IT training whatsoever. How am I different from these people? I plan on getting 3-4 certs (god willing) and going back to school for a Comp. Sci. degree to back up my certs. However, I believe I can only learn so much from books. How am I supposed to get a job with 0% life experience. Am I wasting my time?? I have really no idea how I passed...
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Opinion
- Thread starter tnpctech
- Start date
You can make a new career in IT. It has been done many times before.
First certification exam is a new experience. A certain amount of test anxiety is to be expected. having seen the Essentials exam, you now have a much better idea what the exam is all about and how it is written, etc.
I would suppliment your study materials with a few free study guides like Examnotes.net, Cramsession.com, and others. I always try and overstudy for an extra margin.
You'll likely start in an entry-level position. Opportunities exist. Best of luck in your studies.
A+,N+,S+,L+,I+,HTI+,DHTI+,e-Biz+,Security+,RFID+,CETma,CSS,CFOS/T,CCNT,CCTT,ACSP,ISA CCST3
First certification exam is a new experience. A certain amount of test anxiety is to be expected. having seen the Essentials exam, you now have a much better idea what the exam is all about and how it is written, etc.
I would suppliment your study materials with a few free study guides like Examnotes.net, Cramsession.com, and others. I always try and overstudy for an extra margin.
You'll likely start in an entry-level position. Opportunities exist. Best of luck in your studies.
A+,N+,S+,L+,I+,HTI+,DHTI+,e-Biz+,Security+,RFID+,CETma,CSS,CFOS/T,CCNT,CCTT,ACSP,ISA CCST3
CiscoGuy33
Instructor
tnpctech ,
You said - "How am I supposed to get a job with 0% life experience"
Get some old PCs and other network equipment on eBay and setup a home lab, get some hands on practice with what you are reading about. Be able to "talk the talk" - not just read about it.
Here is an EXTREME home lab, even if this guy had no other experience, he would not have any trouble "talking the talk" on a job interview -
You can also do work for free at a local school or church to get some "real world" experience to go with your certs and college classes.
Also check with your current job - who does the IT or MIS work - see if you can do a "job shadow" on your day off - this might lead to a position within your own firm.
When you go to college to get your Comp Sci degree - check there - might be able to get into the college IT department as a student intern.
Hope this helps!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
You said - "How am I supposed to get a job with 0% life experience"
Get some old PCs and other network equipment on eBay and setup a home lab, get some hands on practice with what you are reading about. Be able to "talk the talk" - not just read about it.
Here is an EXTREME home lab, even if this guy had no other experience, he would not have any trouble "talking the talk" on a job interview -
You can also do work for free at a local school or church to get some "real world" experience to go with your certs and college classes.
Also check with your current job - who does the IT or MIS work - see if you can do a "job shadow" on your day off - this might lead to a position within your own firm.
When you go to college to get your Comp Sci degree - check there - might be able to get into the college IT department as a student intern.
Hope this helps!
E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +
SimonDavies
MIS
As someone who started out his IT career at the ripe old age of 27 I would like to think I can offer some advice.
I had always been interested in IT but my first 10 years in gainful employment was actually me being in uniform with the Army, my roles didn't include any IT based work but I kept my finger on the pulse of the IT world (I built my own pc's, read the magazines etc). Just prior to getting out of the Army I gained a Novell CNA certification, with no experience I still managed to leave the Army and get myself an IT job, I started low and worked my way up.
My first IT role was as a HelpDesk agent, answering calls and trying to fix things for the users, I was allowed to flex my IT muscles on some client visits and gained more experience.
I spent my time learning my trade by playing with the technology, there were times when I could have setup a new company infrastructure with the hardware I had at home (infact I can still do that now
) but because of the hands on approach to the technology I got to understand it better. Sure I had my moments.. but learn from them.
One thing I would say to you is that you have to appreciate that you're going to start back at the bottom of the ladder, it's certainly doable if you're ok with that, I have had bosses in the past that have come from the business and moved into the IT area because they wanted a change.. and they took the skills that they already had from the business and applied them to their new roles (just because they hadn't worked in IT before didn't make them useless), with your maturity you have something that an 18 year old school leave doesn't... worldwise experience.
I would perhaps advise against.. and this is just me.. don't waste the time and money on going back to school.. at your age it's perhaps too late to do so, I know that I had considered it but in all fairness it hasn't hindered me at all (I actually left school at 16 with no higher education).
I should add that the roles I generally get involved with now are at the design and deployment level, I design the desktop environments, deployment mechanisms etc, I build, test and handover the server environments for companies.
All of that with no higher education, coming into the industry late but with a few certifications to my name.
SimonD.
The real world is not about exam scores, it's about ability.
I had always been interested in IT but my first 10 years in gainful employment was actually me being in uniform with the Army, my roles didn't include any IT based work but I kept my finger on the pulse of the IT world (I built my own pc's, read the magazines etc). Just prior to getting out of the Army I gained a Novell CNA certification, with no experience I still managed to leave the Army and get myself an IT job, I started low and worked my way up.
My first IT role was as a HelpDesk agent, answering calls and trying to fix things for the users, I was allowed to flex my IT muscles on some client visits and gained more experience.
I spent my time learning my trade by playing with the technology, there were times when I could have setup a new company infrastructure with the hardware I had at home (infact I can still do that now
) but because of the hands on approach to the technology I got to understand it better. Sure I had my moments.. but learn from them.One thing I would say to you is that you have to appreciate that you're going to start back at the bottom of the ladder, it's certainly doable if you're ok with that, I have had bosses in the past that have come from the business and moved into the IT area because they wanted a change.. and they took the skills that they already had from the business and applied them to their new roles (just because they hadn't worked in IT before didn't make them useless), with your maturity you have something that an 18 year old school leave doesn't... worldwise experience.
I would perhaps advise against.. and this is just me.. don't waste the time and money on going back to school.. at your age it's perhaps too late to do so, I know that I had considered it but in all fairness it hasn't hindered me at all (I actually left school at 16 with no higher education).
I should add that the roles I generally get involved with now are at the design and deployment level, I design the desktop environments, deployment mechanisms etc, I build, test and handover the server environments for companies.
All of that with no higher education, coming into the industry late but with a few certifications to my name.
SimonD.
The real world is not about exam scores, it's about ability.
The question I have is this: People are bashing these "braindump" sites, claiming that they are only memorizing material and regeritating at the test site, and not actually learning the material.
The problem with people using "braindump" sites, is that they rely completely on what they find there and memorize the questions and the right answers. Now I am not saying EVERYONE does that, but most people I have talked to that DO use them, do it that way. Which is a shame, because they are not really learning anything and their employeers will discover it at some point. I myself am more of a visual learner, so I prefer to get CBT nugget videos (I prefer Jeremy C.) and watch those, then the parts that I have issues with I get out a book and read through it a little bit, and if you purchase CBT nuggets video they give you an option to purchase testing questions (not the questions on the certs) to practice with.
Another good study material would be TestOut, they use videos, simulations, and decent testing questions in their teaching material. I use both TestOut and CBT Nuggets depending on the Cert I am going for.
All in all, it will all depend on your preference in materials...
Good Luck!
Dallas, Texas
Telecommunications
CCNA, Net+
Working on MCSA, Convergence+, CCVP
The problem with people using "braindump" sites, is that they rely completely on what they find there and memorize the questions and the right answers. Now I am not saying EVERYONE does that, but most people I have talked to that DO use them, do it that way. Which is a shame, because they are not really learning anything and their employeers will discover it at some point. I myself am more of a visual learner, so I prefer to get CBT nugget videos (I prefer Jeremy C.) and watch those, then the parts that I have issues with I get out a book and read through it a little bit, and if you purchase CBT nuggets video they give you an option to purchase testing questions (not the questions on the certs) to practice with.
Another good study material would be TestOut, they use videos, simulations, and decent testing questions in their teaching material. I use both TestOut and CBT Nuggets depending on the Cert I am going for.
All in all, it will all depend on your preference in materials...
Good Luck!
Dallas, Texas
Telecommunications
CCNA, Net+
Working on MCSA, Convergence+, CCVP
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