MCITP/MCTS qualifications questions

[Devrij]

Hopefully some of you on here can answer these questions if you've been through it yourselves.

I'm looking to start a career in IT and am considering studying for and taking some MCITP exams (maybe server admin/enterprise admin, I'm not sure yet).

At the moment, my knowledge extends to just building PCs and fiddling about with them, so I'm a noob to doing anything beyond fixing issues that've cropped up on my rig.

Are these certs worth having (considering the cost of each exam)? What learning materials did you use? Did you buy books, find online resources, any free learning guides?

Basically, where do I start, how long should it take (roughly), and was it worth it for you?

Thanks!

 

[Devrij]

Of course, excuse my ignorance of the whole thing. What sort of qualifications do I need to get into desktop support, with an aim to progress?

 

[Devrij]

Start the MCITP exam track with the Windows 7 client exam and maybe look into the Comptia A+ (basic hardware support) and N+ (mini Cisco CCNA) exams. That should be enough to get some interviews.

Awesome, cheers. A+ and Network+, here I come!

 

[Devrij]

Just ran through a sample test of A+ on the CompTIA website and scored just below a pass, so shouldn't need too much study to pass that one. All these exams are bloody expensive though I'll need a job to do the exams to get a job!

 

[Devrij]

The A+ is relatively straightforward; most people consider it to be very much an entry level certification. The Windows 7 configuration exam (70-680) isn't too bad from what I understand; if you're familiar with installing and configuring Windows 7 and can troubleshoot basic problems, you should not need to study too extensively.

The Server 2008 exams are much harder, as they require you to have a very sound knowledge of a number of technologies. Microsoft themselves suggest that they are aimed at people who have been working with the technology in a professional context for at least a year before attempting the exams. As you've already discovered, the exams are not cheap, and so having to re-sit failed exams gets expensive rather quickly. I have failed the 70-640 exam twice, and so I've decided to not make another attempt until I've gone through all the training material and fully understand it.

I'm curious about something though; what has made you decide that this is something you want to invest time in? What do you currently do for a living?

I worked in Currys for a few years while doing my sociology degree (which, although it's a degree, isn't much use otherwise). I've just moved up north and left Currys (couldn't get a transfer anyway), so now I'm faced with the need to start a career. My main interests are computers and photography, and I know which one will be more likely to provide a consistent job! I spend hours on my PC learning about PCs anyway, so it makes sense to structure my learning towards a goal, I guess.

I like fixing things and enjoy the satisfaction of solving problems, so it makes sense to go with desktop/server support (although the creative side of coding appeals to me, I suspect that's beyond my basic skills). I'm 26 so I need to get moving towards a career, and IT seems like it's not going anywhere (even if it IS very competitive).

In an ideal world I'd get into a company at the bottom, get training/certs sorted in-house, and progress through there on a more natural timeline, but that's proving quite difficult with just "I mess about with PCs at home" on my CV. Hence my asking about certs. I hope having the A+/N+ might get me into those 1st line jobs.

Am I on the right track or have I missed something? Is there another way?