Are You Guys A+ Certified

[shanenin]

Are many of you who do computer repair A+ certified?

edit added//

do many of you make your living doing computer repair?

Edited September 8, 2005 by shanenin

[mikex]

Not I.

I learned by the Oh Sh!t method.

My wife was the primary computer user because my job kept me away from home. Well I would get to the machine stay up late screw something up. OH SH!T. Now I had to get it working before she got up in the am, which was usually about 2-3 hours after I laid down.

Found CFH board.....the rest is history.

Still learning today.

M

-edit-

I am presently working for a local Wireless Internet Service Provider. We do get some machines to work on.

Edited September 8, 2005 by mikex

[TheTerrorist_75]

I'm self taught. When I bought my first computer I searched the web on how to use and fix it. I started watching ZDTV and then joined the TechTV boards later on. I lurked and read everything I could. I have always had an interest in taking things apart to see what makes them tick, then putting them back together hoping to meet or exceed it's performance and function.

[CataclysmCow]

To me A+ certification is about on par with a GED. It's not going to do much for you, but if you are in a bind or want a head start when you are young it can lead you onto better things. It's a pre-requisite for some other certs that, IMO, are just about as useless. I'm not aware of any employer that requires one, but it would probably give you an advantage if you were to apply at somewhere like Best Buy's Geek Squad or something similar.

If you are working for yourself I'd forget it. Your customers aren't going to even know what an A+ cert is and it's unlikely that they'd even care.

I don't make a living doing computer repair, but I end up finding myself doing it a lot in order to complete a job. I've never had the issue of an A+ cert brought up when I dig into a machine.

Most of the A+ is outdated and I really don't think it makes you any more prepared or capable of repairing computers.

[jsbowen]

No A+ Certification here.

I'd rather hang a degree on the wall rather than a certification.

No, I don't do computer repair for a living, but unfortunately run into doing a lot of it during the course of a day.

Edited September 8, 2005 by jsbowen

[blim]

Now, folks are saying, "Liz what in the world are you doing in this thread????" as I still need Geek-speek translated into "very simple words"

But my nephew in Tennessee is working at a place that sets networks up in schools. He thinks A+ is a "senseless waste of time and money to get", but he had to get the certificate to pass the "probationary period" at his job, and he got a raise doing so. So, with employers, the best thing to do is to find out!

Liz

[brett5150]

I just started to love computers about 1 1/2 years ago.... Everything is just about self taught for me. The only exceptions are hijackthis training (of course) and video editing (some lovely Canadian took the time to answer all of my questions about video editing via email ) Besides that, I too learned from the "Oh Sh!t" method

Brett

[Martint]

I'm only 15

[Mx²]

I'm self taught. When I bought my first computer I searched the web on how to use and fix it. I started watching ZDTV and then joined the TechTV boards later on. I lurked and read everything I could. I have always had an interest in taking things apart to see what makes them tick, then putting them back together hoping to meet or exceed it's performance and function.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Man we have a lot in common.

[blim]

I'm only 15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sixpac, tech is one thing where being a "young'un" has an advantage!!!!

Liz

[xxkbxx]

I'm only 15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sixpac, tech is one thing where being a "young'un" has an advantage!!!!

Liz

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ha ha, I'm 16 - been working with computers since about third grade, work at a computer store, fix neighbors' computers, fix my own constantly, and I've never needed to know the voltage of a parallel port (random A+ questions!)

[bearskin]

I took a course to be a medicine man but dropped out when the spirits started on me...YES...those spirits.

[robroy]

Got my first computer in 1980, timex sinclair zx81 with 8k of ram, used the tv as amonitor. Pretty much self taught by the Oh Shit method also. Went through a couple of commodore 64's, bought an old 8086 from someone in 1993. kept that for 18 months and have built all of my own since then. No certifications here. Helped a friend build systems for sale through his business for about 2 years in the late 90's, part time job.

Didn't have tech tv available until 6 months before the g4 fiasco.

only do repairs for friends or my kids' friends

[irregularjoe]

Interesting.

Only one A+ reply!

I spent 2 years reading every computer magazine I could find before I got my first computer. A used 686 Cyrix Win 95. machine. (It's still in my closet).

That and ZDTV, later TTV is how I learned.

[Lynch]

I actually graduated from highschool with a cisco network certification im also working on a eet degree and a cet degree my cet classes are a joke they are so easy but my eet class is different im actually learning new stuff all the time in that class

[Parrotgeek7]

A+ as a standalone cert is pretty useless, but as someone pointed out, it is part or a prerequisite for other certs and many, but by no means all or even the majority, of companies will require certain certs for certain jobs. So having the paper certainly won't hurt you.

Will it help you land a $70,000/yr job, no, is it part of the req's for an MCSE which could lead into a good paying job...yes it is.

If you have the time, its never a waste to get more knowledge, but don't ever think that a pieceof paper is going to land you a job, especially over experience.

Get your foot in the door, it can't hurt.

[Tootsdog9]

Are many of you who do computer repair A+ certified?

edit added//

do many of you make your living doing computer repair?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Despite what some may say, it is not useless. You have to start somewhere and many entry level jobs do mention it as necessary. But you will need more as time goes on. I passed the os portion and will take the core part soon. There were jobs I could of had if I was fully A+ certified. But they want at least that much to hire you. You won't know it all by any means and you will forget some of it, but from an entry level start it is quite often needed. In case anyone was wondering, I am older and had to change careers do to a work injury. So I know how hard it is to find a job without it. Even though I took college courses for it. And for those who think the test is easy, try taking it without studying. Your chances of passing are poor.

[KeithLDick]

Myself, those *CERTS* are a waste of money if you have the *Field Experience* and some good brain cells to figure things out...

Course alot of Companies will throw out your resume or not even talk to you unless

you have one..

[martymas]

me to. i thought compts were some thing.

you shot at the moon

and that only superman had access to.

i saw my first compt at a city mission

were i used to do voluntary work at the weekends

i had a regular job.

but it was pretty mundane

and the city mission was a break from the

bore .

compt used to come there with no sys installed only dos

i played with them then i thought iwas good

until a struck one with a sys

i tried to bury my head in the sand when i saw that.

then techtv came to the chanel

i used to watch

that was the end of me i was hooked .

all i know is what you guys have taught me.

and you are so numorous

it wouldnt be fair if i named any one person .

tho jeff [beluga]

helped me. he taught me to install a sys.

and i still have that on a cd.

god i envy some of you

who it seems to come natural

while i have to struggle

i started using a compt at 51

so the knowledge goes through one ear and out the other.

but i want to be apart of it .

and i want to participate with all of you

so thanks for the knowledge .

and i hope we are still here for many moons to come

a quote from bearskin.

marty

[JSKY]

Self taught here. First "Computer" was a TI99/4A and then moved up as they grew. Wow!!!. I still remember how Win3.0 changed the way computers ran.

And then came the greatest of changes ...Win95

And then up through the newer OS's that followed.

There was no such thing as tech support, message boards, chat lines or any kinda help out there. If you wantet to keep it running....You learned to fix it yourself, or go without.

[ampshock]

I'm only 15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sixpac, tech is one thing where being a "young'un" has an advantage!!!!

Liz

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ha ha, I'm 16 - been working with computers since about third grade, work at a computer store, fix neighbors' computers, fix my own constantly, and I've never needed to know the voltage of a parallel port (random A+ questions!)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Computers where and have been a big part of my life.

I am 15 too, My older brother who is 18 is going to collage to work for Microsoft.

When him and me where young we where allways facinated about how computers work. When He got into high school him and me pretty much when our own ways, he when with his high school buddys and it was just me. He worked at a local computer store and has a MCSE (Microsoft Certified System Enginer). During then and now I learned alot with the Holy Sh!t Method. Now when he comes home late at night he is amzed at what I have egnered with comuter parts. I one time modified a xbox controller to work on a pc via usb. I love to take things apart and learn how they work. And that is how I got to where I am now. No I dont need any stupid A+ to work on computers.

[Tootsdog9]

I'm only 15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sixpac, tech is one thing where being a "young'un" has an advantage!!!!

Liz

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ha ha, I'm 16 - been working with computers since about third grade, work at a computer store, fix neighbors' computers, fix my own constantly, and I've never needed to know the voltage of a parallel port (random A+ questions!)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Computers where and have been a big part of my life.

I am 15 too, My older brother who is 18 is going to collage to work for Microsoft.

When him and me where young we where allways facinated about how computers work. When He got into high school him and me pretty much when our own ways, he when with his high school buddys and it was just me. He worked at a local computer store and has a MCSE (Microsoft Certified System Enginer). During then and now I learned alot with the Holy Sh!t Method. Now when he comes home late at night he is amzed at what I have egnered with comuter parts. I one time modified a xbox controller to work on a pc via usb. I love to take things apart and learn how they work. And that is how I got to where I am now. No I dont need any stupid A+ to work on computers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No you don't need it to work on computers, but it helps finding a job. Look in the want adds or Monster.com and you will see that quite a few want that certification and much more just for entry level jobs. I have used the holy shit method too, companys don't care for that and want to see more. Your modification is impressive and I admit that I wouldn't know how to do that, but a company really won't care and will want some evidence that you will be top notch working on there pc's.

[xxkbxx]

Just out of curiousity - what would be a good book to read/a course to take that would be good for the A+ test? I have some pretty good knowledge as far as how to build and fix computers, but I'd need something to learn all of those trivial numbers

[shanenin]

after reading these replys the A+ certification probably would have got me hired at one of the local computer shops. I put in a few resumes, but did not get hired(I probably could have followed up more agressively)

Does not matter, I am taking the plunge, prepared or not, to go it on my own. Come february I should be getting some calls produced by my new yellow pages ad. There is so much I do not know, but feel confident i can figure anything out especsially with the resource of all of you guys. I will be needing it :-)

[ampshock]

So now we are a hand book!

lol, jk