# Is CompTIA Really Worth The Trouble?



## Brvsfn01

I did a search in the Forums and did not find anything that might answer my questions so I am posting it here and hopefully will get some useful opinions/answers.

I am 40 years old and in a good paying but very up and down industry where employees are not valued at all. After being laid off for the fifth time in a year I have had enough and am planning a career shift into the IT field. I actually have a lot of experience in IT (more than some of the bozos who are making 60K a year to do sit on their ***** and do nothing) but as of now I don't have any "credentials" nor with what I know do I feel I need them but as with many so-called "professions" you gotta to kiss up and play the game to get anywhere. I have started classes for to CompTIA A+ and Net+ certifications and was just told that CompTIA is changing their certification procedure from a lifetime certification to having to certify every year which I personally feel is a load of crap and is only being done as a means for the people who run CompTIA to get more money out of IT professionals and the schools. I have talked with a number of Instructors as well as working IT professionals and no one has been able to give me a valid answer as to why CompTIA is doing this other than to stick it to people who in this hard economic time really don't need to be shafted anymore than they already have been. Also, from what I am being told CompTIA is refusing to grandfather these certifications to anyone who is already in the pipeline and taking classes which is even more BS.

I sent several emails to CompTIA and even tried to call them about this and all I get is a bunch of canned BS and propaganda which is completely useless. To me at this point and with what I am seeing these so-called certifications are about as useless as a third leg and I am really considering not taking the exams at all since the people who already know me know what I can do and don't need any sort of certificate at all.

As knowledgeable and on top of things as this site appears to be I am really surprised that there has not been a lot of chatter about this topic at all because it affects everyone. Does CompTIA own this site or does no one care that they are getting royally screwed? Any information on this will be appreciated.


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## JohnWill

I guess they don't mind getting hosed.  Or maybe, the folks here don't respond well to coming in and starting right in with the insults.

I don't have any certifications, and I made a very good living doing a variety of careers that I wasn't trained for. Any of those certifications are usually good for one thing, getting you in the door. Once you're in there, you have to have the ability to stay.


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## namenotfound

JohnWill said:


> Any of those certifications are usually good for one thing, getting you in the door. Once you're in there, you have to have the ability to stay.


This is like Déjà vu, I remember reading those exact words somewhere else about a year or-so ago...


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## Brvsfn01

JohnWill said:


> I guess they don't mind getting hosed.  Or maybe, the folks here don't respond well to coming in and starting right in with the insults.
> 
> I don't have any certifications, and I made a very good living doing a variety of careers that I wasn't trained for. Any of those certifications are usually good for one thing, getting you in the door. Once you're in there, you have to have the ability to stay.


John, thanks for the response and the info. I am sorry if I come across as a bit testy but it has been a very bad year for me and my family. I lost my home and came close to losing my car and just when I think things are turning around and getting better I find out that some group of bozos has decided to stick their hands in my pockets because they seem to think I can't live without them.

A very similar thing happened in the medical professions a number of years ago. The AMA got too big for their britches and thought they were indespensible and when the Doctors stopped becoming members and paying their dues they found out they were very wrong.


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## JohnWill

I think most of us have had years like that, you just have to roll with the flow sometimes. It's a bummer to lose your house, I can certainly see that would have me down!


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## valis

Frequently the CompTIA tests are a prerequisite for the more important certifications, such as the MCSA/SE. They may not be listed in the actual requirements for the certs, but they will allow you to jump a few levels.

Least that's the way it worked when I took them a few years back.

And John pegged it; those will open a lot of doors for you. Once the door is open, continue studying and move up the ladder. IT isn't going anywhere soon, and it's a rather dynamic field. I swapped careers as well to get into IT, and have loved it.


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## secotech

it cert will get you in the door. after that you show what you are capable of. 
if you don't have cert, and are confident, offer them a deal they can't (or won't) refuse. Say a couple of days, and see if you can handle thier stucture. you will learn what you don't already know, after you get a job. good luck.

i have never been asked to show proof of certification, the card is stuck to some other card in my wallet.


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## Snagglegaster

A good starting place in this discussion would be to get the basic facts of CompTIA's new policy right; and Brvsfn01 didn't do that. Anyone who _currently _has a A+ cert or _obtains one before Jan. 1, 2011 retains lifetime certification_. Those certified _after _this date must renew every 3 years, not annually as stated in the original post. For further details, see CompTIA's FAQ page here.

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with a requirement that CompTIA certification holders keep their skills current. Lots of professions have continuing ed requirements, and CompTIA includes the option to use continuing ed credits rather than requiring retesting for cert renewal. Of course, no one is forced to become certified, or to maintain certification under the new policy.

But, you know what? Just for grins, I dug out my 1998 A+ study guides (the core module guide and Window/DOS) and the contrast between those materials and current practice is truly huge. Skimming through the old texts was good for some laughs, too. I agree that the practical value of certifications can be overrated (I once had an A+ certified job applicant who couldn't figure out how to set the jumper on a CD-ROM drive I asked him to install), but lots of times, perception can be more important than reality. Right now, I'm preparing to take the required test to become a Microsoft Small Business Specialist, and in the process I'm finding out that I _really _don't know quite as much about SBS 2008 as I thought I did.


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## JohnWill

It's not even that the certifications are not worthwhile, it's just that the skill and ability of the person is far more important in the long run. I've learned a number of complex jobs without the formal training that one might expect for the position.


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## Snagglegaster

JohnWill said:


> It's not even that the certifications are not worthwhile, it's just that the skill and ability of the person is far more important in the long run. I've learned a number of complex jobs without the formal training that one might expect for the position.


I think I said something similar in my previous post, but let's assume for a moment that you are the head of your company's IT department. You need to fill a new position, and you have 3 viable candidates within the department. They are all hard workers, and proficient at their jobs. One of them has gotten 2 new certifications (Microsoft or CompTIA) in the past year, while one candidate says he's planning to pick up some new certs, and the 3rd prospect says, "Certifications? We don't have to show you no stinking certifications!". Who would you promote in a close race?


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## valis

the person with the most relevant experience.


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## Snagglegaster

valis said:


> the person with the most relevant experience.


Spot on, but I think you get my drift. For better or worse, degrees and certifications matter. Everything being equal, documentation is often the deciding factor. I don't say that's right, but it provides an apparently simple way to compare qualifications, and for many managers, that's all that counts.


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## valis

agreed.......the certs will get you in the door at an entry level IT job; after that, it's up to you to further your knowledge and move on up.

They definitely got me my first job.


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## JohnWill

As I said in my first comment, the certs open the door, it's up to you what you do when you go through it. In my case, I started my computing career with IBM out of the Navy and became the Phila communications expert in an age where dial-up and typewriter terminals were king. My start was on the big iron, I installed the first IBM-360 that was shipped to the Phila area. That got me into a startup on-line services company after a few years as the chief system architect and I build on that.


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## Stisfa

Based on what's already been stated, it seems to be a universal fact amongst us that certifications exist for the sake of padding one's resume/CV, primarily as a means of getting one's foot in the door.

Rather than kick the dead horse, I figured I'd segue into some job-hunting skills I've picked up from Mr. Richard Bolles (What Color Is Your Parachute?) & Mr. Jeffrey Fox (Don't Send a Resume).

*From Mr. Bolles*
5 Best Ways to Hunt for a Job:
1) Life-Changing Job Hunt (Check the Book Out to See for Yourself)
2) Work Together with Others in a "Job-Club" (With Phone Book in Hand!)
3) Pouring Through the Phone Book on Your Own
4) Going In-Person to an Establishment, Regardless of Vacancies Posted or Not
5) Ask EVERYONE You Know

5 Worst Ways to Hunt for a Job:
1) Plastering Both the World and the World Wide Web with Your Resumes
2) Responding to Ads in Professional/Trade Journals in Your Field
3) Internet Job Hunting (craigslist, Monster, CareerBuilder, etc...)
4) Local Newspaper Ads
5) Private Employment Agencies/Search Firms

*From Mr. Fox*
1) Look Where Nobody Else is Going to Look
- Change the Ratio of Jobs to Job Hunters to 1:1, Rather than 10:1

2) View Employers as Your Customers
- Be the Salesman of Yourself

3) Customers Buy from Those They:
a. Know
i. Don't Just be Visible - _*GRAB THEIR ATTENTION!*_

b. Like
i. Provide _Individualized _Solutions that Match the Company's Ideals, Culture and Business
ii. Be Affordable
iii. Be Likeable

c. Trust
i. Put Some Skin in the Game

This is all just a generic overview, as I would recommend anybody looking for a job to read these books (Google Books is just a click away!). Anyway, in the "5 Best Ways to Hunt for a Job", I've found #5 to be true in my case; 90+% of the jobs I've ever obtained are thanks to a friend or an acquaintance of mine! Of course, I should echo the thoughts that have been expressed here; after getting the job, competency and implementation of the proposed solutions composes the other part of the job-hunt "equation": keeping it.

Anyway, to speak to you specifically, Brvsfn01, it seems that you already have a job lined up for you, regardless of the CompTIA Certs, which quite similar to my experience: I got an IT job without any Certs at all, which is something I still need to get, lol! It's so hard though, since my interests range from hardware to programming, between Linux and Windows, from ice cream to pure, straight lemon juice...the generalist is quite the arduous path....

Whatever the case may be, I hope the best to you Brvsfn01! Keep us posted on your job, eh? Anecdotes on the job are what really make the IT industry spiffy, especially when it's PEBCAC related errors, lol.

P.S. I noticed this article on Slashdot, so I posted it as a news item here: http://forums.techguy.org/tech-related-news/955447-flat-pay-prompts-1-3-a.html#post7636722

Just something to be aware of, since you're making the jump anyway (into IT, that is)


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## nanzu

let's say your right. I believe you are. Will it change the fact that unless your certified at this point, your going no where fast. Certification is the way to get in and you can be as bad as you want to be. I absolutely think that year to year cert is BS. But if you were hiring, do you want scrubs or guys who are on the edge. Comptia means that guys know what they are doing, it doesn't mean they are the best of the best. being certified can get you a position. Being a business man can make you the man. knowing more and being a operator/practicitioner of the skill, makes you the guy everyone wants. Just get certified and play the game untill you can call the shots. 
I'm going through the same crap, working on the first cert, let's get it done. Make a team, progress, network. I planning to certify in May 2011, stay connected. inside reply; outside,


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## valis

nanzu, I've edited out your email; that's a great way to get on the spambot's list.


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