Certification-No College-Advice Please

[Emilio Belial]

Hello,
I'm a twenty three year old male with no credentials. I wasted my money going to an art school that I dropped out of because it was a money suck. (curse you new england institute of art, glad you got sued). This is after I failed at my local community college with a computer science focus (I was 18 and impulsively moved out with no money and going to classes, and working, overwhelmed). Now I'm living at my mothers and you know...hating life.

I would love some advice or suggestions. I've been looking at certificates in the field of IT. Terms like A+, N+, Network +, ccna, ccda, etc. They're so many it's overwhelming. I basically don't care about any sort of management type things, I want to be hands on and be able to fix network problems among other things that pay. I've built my own computer, but honestly I was just following a guide. I know vague definitions and what each piece does. But honestly I'll absorb any information anyone can give me.

I know some people will say that employers will look over certifications if another applicant has a degree. I've heard people defend both sides so I'm not really too sure on a definite answer. I'm sure someone who works there ass off with multiple certifications under their belt can still make a living.

I'm sorry if this has been asked, if so link a guy up please.

 

[office politics]

i would look for jobs you are interested in first and gather their reqs. monster, dice, careerbuilder, and craigslist.

certs are usually quick to get and enable you to land a entry level job. supplement this with im currently going to college for a related degree program and i am very interested in this line of work. this should cover the education reqs.

join free clubs and talk about interests and what jobs you are looking to obtain. you'll prolly find people who are looking for cheap or free tech help. this builds experience.

hopefully, those people are connected and can help you find better jobs.

 

[Lexluethar]

Office Politics is spot on. If you can get a degree (from an accredited university, bachelors or associates anything helps), it will not only help you land a job but it will help you in SO many other ways.

I get it though, a degree isn't for everyone. In that instance certifications are the way to go. Since you have zero experience get your A+ and Net+ certifications. Buy a book on each (Mike Meyers is awesome) read them and study. Honestly with hard work you can pass both exams within 4 months. If you have nothing but free time you could do it in 2. Here is some free online stuff: http://www.professormesser.com/

Once you get those certifications start applying at entry level jobs. NOC, desktop support, help desk, service desk - anything to get real world experience. Once you do that start looking into what you enjoy doing. Sounds like networking - in which case CCNA would be the next step IMO.

Generally speaking in terms of how employers look at things:
Experience>Bachelors>Associates>Certifications

With that said, CCNA, MCSA / MCSE, Vmware - all hold very high regards and are looked at equally as a bachelors IMO.

 

[Oreo]

Hello,
I'm a twenty three year old male with no credentials. I wasted my money going to an art school that I dropped out of because it was a money suck. (curse you new england institute of art, glad you got sued). This is after I failed at my local community college with a computer science focus (I was 18 and impulsively moved out with no money and going to classes, and working, overwhelmed). Now I'm living at my mothers and you know...hating life.

I would love some advice or suggestions. I've been looking at certificates in the field of IT. Terms like A+, N+, Network +, ccna, ccda, etc. They're so many it's overwhelming. I basically don't care about any sort of management type things, I want to be hands on and be able to fix network problems among other things that pay. I've built my own computer, but honestly I was just following a guide. I know vague definitions and what each piece does. But honestly I'll absorb any information anyone can give me.

I know some people will say that employers will look over certifications if another applicant has a degree. I've heard people defend both sides so I'm not really too sure on a definite answer. I'm sure someone who works there ass off with multiple certifications under their belt can still make a living.

I'm sorry if this has been asked, if so link a guy up please.

I was similar to you, no degree, didn't like education etc.

I did an apprenticeship in IT which got me A+, N+, and MCTS. As well as a years experience working in the IT Dept for DHL, which was fantastic. I then finished that and got a full time job as an IT Systems Engineer for a company in my city, they were very impressed with my experience and qualifications for my age (20), and didn't care at all about not having a degree or good higher education results.

I'd highly recommend it.