What Do People in the Industry Say?
An A+ wannabe on the search site MetaFilter asked whether he should go for the credential, and got a variety of answers. On the negative side, one respondent said “A+ is worthless apart from being able to sell products because of it … You won't learn how to fix a computer from it. You will learn what parts inside the computer are named, though.”I disagree with this answer; you’ll learn much more than the names of the a computer’s innards. The A+ requires knowledge of not only how the internals work, but how to load operating systems, how to troubleshoot hardware issues, and a lot more.
Another said “Short answer: real techies don't care about them, they care about your actual knowledge and skills. But, depending on the company and hiring manager (or whomever), the certification could make the difference in whether a techie even ever sees your resume.”
Experience vs. Certification
My short answer to this: it’s partially true. Techies do care more about experience and skills, but that doesn’t mean that certifications aren’t taken into account at all. They can play a role in hiring, particularly when there are job candidates with similar backgrounds and experience vying for a job. The certification will tell a manager that the certified job seeker has a minimum level of knowledge.This response to the question mirrors my experience: “You cannot write the certs off as worthless, but without experience on your resume, they will not get you very far. I tried to break into IT with certifications but no experience, and I had mucho trouble getting interviews. But, I think I would have had even more trouble had I no certs and no experience.”
The Value of Volunteering
This hiring manager had some practical advice: “I'm an IT manager and when hiring I don't place much value on the A+ cert. About the only thing that will get you is a job at CompUSA. Try to get some work volunteering at a local charity or freenet if you have one.” That makes sense, and is a good way to get your feet wet. Organizations that can’t pay for IT help will usually gladly accept free help, even from inexperienced -- but eager -- IT workers.The IT forum website IT Knowledge Exchange had some recently ask a similar question. This question was answered by Ed Tittle, an IT consultant and author who is one of the best-known names in the technical certification industry. He had this to say:
“If the work you do, or envision doing, involves troubleshooting or supporting desktop PCs or their users, then the A+ still makes as much sense as it ever did–which is to say “Quite a lot!” In fact, I would also add titles such as bench tech, PC service tech, tech support professional, and PC or user support tech to the job descriptions or titles she mentions as particularly relevant to the A+. I also agree that for those whose job responsibilities or interests fall outside those areas, the A+ is probably of limited value at best.”
A network administrator for a Florida hospital, who goes by the cybername Technochic, had similar sentiments: “It really depends on what your career objective is. If say you are going to work as a help desk agent for a company helping users with day to day computer problems or as an "in the field" tech doing hands on repairs and fixes, then A+ still makes sense, yes. If you will not be doing any work directly with pc users with day to day computer problems, then you might not have any need to be A+ certified.”
Working Your Way Up the Salary Totem Pole
Certification Magazine’s most recent salary survey listed A+ title holders with an average salary of about $65,000. I’m sure those figures are for certified folks with at least several years of experience; the starting salary, in an entry-level job with the A+ certification and little or no experience, is likely to be closer to half of that figure.Still, it’s a career with a lot of potential for growth, both skills- and salary-wise. I believe the A+ is a worthwhile stepping stone into the world of technology, as long as you don’t expect IBM to hire you as a six-figure hardware troubleshooter the day after getting your credential. Consider combining the A+ with CompTIA’s Network+ certification, which will make you even more valuable to a potential employer.