/CCT/ Career and Cert Thread

>>52332288
>CompTIA
I got the basic EUCIP certs, it's some EU government made equivalent thing.

Working towards Network+ using Professor Messer's videos. Afterwards moving onto Security+.

The amount of videos for both series is intimidating though, makes me not want to study.

>>52332921
Thanks for this anon, I'm checking him out now

Trying to build up the momentum to go for CISSP.

Was going to do it last summer but then decided to do graduate degree instead.

>>52332921
CompTIAs aren't that bad. I got my Security+ in a 8 week period just by studying a book, practice tests, and flash cards with a bud. But if you need some advice I'd suggest checking out techexams.net.

Anyone have a list of all the useful computer science/security/whatever certs? Which are semi-attainable for a NEET who's willing to learn the necessary shit?

>>52333560
Aside from the ones that require experience (e.g. CISSP, PMP, etc.) any of them are attainable for a NEET. You've got nothing but time on your hands. Get studying. It's way more difficult once you actually have a job.

> Jr SharePoint Admin
> 7 years
> AA in Cyber Security. A/Sec +. MCDST.
> My rich Uncle owns the company
> 60K
> Dirty South

>>52332288
kill yourself

>>>/biz/
>>>/adv/

>>52334802
Fuck off nigger. I love these threads.

Hey, I'm the guy with all the network stuff that pops up once in awhile.

Don't waste time with Net+. Security+, maybe. Net+ is a shill-scam, and its like $250. Get a CCNA (do the composite exam, only retards take the ICND1/2 nonsense). It'll cost you $295 and won't make you look like a community college dropout.

Seriously, Net+ is the jewiest waste of time and money out there.

>>52335091
>do the composite exam, only retards take the ICND1/2 nonsense
First timers shouldn't take the composite exam. They haven't seen the format yet and don't know about Cisco's fuckery. If you fail the 200-120 (the composite exam), you're out of $295. On the other hand, the 100-101 and 200-101 together only cost $5 more. The 100-101 is pretty easy relatively speaking. So the worst case is you fail the 200-101 and are out $150.

>>52335091
Depends on what job the person is going for though. I think out of all the certs CISCO's are the most practical but rarely a base requirement for a job unless it is a network engineer position.

Otherwise the security field usually lists Security+, Ethical Hacker as intro certs. Windows is there tech certs and so on.

As a network security worker, Cisco is the certs I goto for actually learning. And finally to add, don't fucking do ethical hacker unless its required. Its a little bit above CompTia tier but it is so oriented to the applications and programs of the day that it quickly becomes outdated crap.

>Job Title
Information Security Analyst

>Years of Experience
4

>Degrees/Certs
Business undergraduate degree
Working on a graduate degree
Several GIAC certs, CISSP.

>How did you find/get job
college internships & recruiting

>Pay
~ $100,000

>Location
TX, US

>>52335091
>>52335320
>>52335672
A guy I know from work (not technical work in the slightest) told me about his brother getting a CS degree and recommended him to get into Cisco. He passed it on to me, saying how his brother convinced him that he will find a job with it. Both of us are college dropouts. I went to the Cisco website and immediately got confused by all the abbreviations. So CCNA is the one to pursue?

>>52335850
When people say CCNA they usually mean CCNA R&S. There are others, but they're more specialized and don't matter until you at least have your CCNA R&S. The CCNA is pretty much Cisco's entry-level cert. There's another one that is lower-level, the CCENT, but nobody gives a shit about that. But the knowledge for a CCENT is a prerequisite for the CCNA. So to get a CCNA you need to either take both the 100-101 (The CCENT exam) and 200-101 (the CCNA exam). Or if you want, you can take the composite test, the 200-120 which covers both in one test. You don't get a CCENT for taking the composite exam, but again, nobody gives a shit about the CCENT.

A CCNA will help get a job but it sure doesn't guarantee you one. There's a lot of "paper CCNAs" out there that cheat on the exam to get their cert and employers are aware of this.

Dumb question, I promise I'm searching first but:

I noticed that the A+ certification says you need to pass two tests in a series to get A+ certified, but the test voucher is only for one test I guess. Do you specify your test when you check out at the end, and then purchase another one of a different number in the same series? Basically, do I need to buy the test twice?

>>52336346
The A+ is a waste of money and will only help you get a bottom of the barrel computer tech position at a place like Geek Squad. Better positions wont look at it as a benefit, and at worst, might see it as a negative.

>>52336346
Go look at job postings that you're going for right now. Look at the qualifications they want and shoot for those.

Task Automator for excel jockeys, 50k, living in DC.

My work said that they would pay for three community college classes so that I can put our software onto a server and make a web enabled version of it.

I'm taking a network class, a network security class, and Linux system administration. The syllabi say that I should be good to take Network+, Security+, CCNA, and Linux+.

They didn't make me sign anything so I might just let them pay for it and then go find a better job.

The whole "A+, Net+, Sec+ is garbage" is such the truth and a lie.

Here's the deal guys, A+ and Net+ are really big in the government sectors. If you don't want to work for schools, states, fed then you can get by without it. I have witnessed a CS degree candidate get rejected from a DoD job for NOT having an A+ cert. Not kidding.

I totally agree that the certs don't mean you know dick but be aware when you tell people "they're shit" only if you have ZERO plans to work in Govt/public sectors that holds true.

School systems are great jobs for new IT folk and in some areas pay really well. In my local area, for example, new IT guys with A+ being a HR checkbox pay about 38k-52k a year as 'IT Support'

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>>52335850
Here ya go.

CCNA (CCENT is a Net+ equivalent and the first half of CCNA exam) is usually the first real employable cert.

>>52336445

I'm actually a computer technician at one of Geek Squad's competitors, but I wasn't required to get any certs, and I'm not sure if my time as a tech is as sufficient as A+.

Anyone have Linux+? I'm studying for that right now.

>>52336767
Frys or Microcenter?

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>>52336803

Office Depot, criticize as you will

>>52336767
The A+ is seriously horseshit unless the job specifically requires it. Like I said earlier, look job postings that you're shooting for and tailor yourself to them instead of just buckshot firing at random certs.

>>52336845
Everybody starts somewhere. As long as you don't let yourself stagnate and work in a dead-end job for a long time it's no big deal. Just always try to improve yourself.

>>52336789
It's rare that you see Linux certs specifically listed. But the RHCE is probably in highest regard for those.

>>52336803
>>52335091

I'm 091 and used to work at one of the two places you mentioned. The guy stressing the split ICND1-2 is a fool. Would you rather be asked 90-100 questions or 45 questions on the same amount of content?

>Job Title
Engineer

>Years of Experience
18 months

>Degrees/Certs
NP/DP

>How did you find/get job
college internships & recruiting
Applied online

>Pay
~150

>Location
Northeast US

>A+ and N+ won't get you jobs
>2016

HR literally shifts through resumes and picks out people who have those certs. Also DoD jobs do require you to be certified. You literally go ahead of anyone who is trying to do Desktop Support/Helpdesk easily so a 40-55k a year job is much easier to obtain.

>>52336924
You've got a CCNP and DP with only 18 months experience? I figured they would be a little suspect about that.. and $150k a year? Do you have a degree as well?

How was working at Frys/MC pay?

>>52336924
>Would you rather be asked 90-100 questions or 45 questions on the same amount of content?
Fewer questions isn't always better. You're also not considering that you can take the tests separately and prepare for them separately instead of cramming for twice as much material. Again, the composite makes sense for current CCNA holders that are doing a recert, but not as much for first time takers.

>>52336993
>>52337051
I had the NA before I started working. My employer expected me to finish the NP within my first year, which I did. In my spare time I dusted off the DA and DP.

I have a degree in information systems from a state school.

Frys/MC was $4 an hour. I worked there 4 years (all university) full time. I made 40-55k working 45-60 hours a week. I started out in General Sales (ink, paper, cables, bullshit). Within three months I was in the build your own department, and within a year they had me in systems (desktops laptops servers, plus you're at the top of the food chain so nobody can get on you for selling 'our of your department.')

I was happy in BYO but you can't beat the money you do selling whole computers, often in bulk. It taught me I can kill it in sales, which is why I'm (thankfully) parlaying that into success outside of retail in the networking industry.

Commission (in systems) is 1-2.55% of revenue. How you determine the range is complex and would take me an hour to explain to new associates with a whiteboard.

In BYO (where all of /g/ belongs) its 1.5% on the most expensive item you sold, and then 2 or 2.5% on everything else (I forget which). So if a guy buys 10 CPUs, boards, ram sets, cases, etc, 1 CPU (CPUs trump price... its complex) gets paid at 1.5% and the other 9 CPUs and all other parts get paid at 2 or 2.5%. Plus your $4 an hour, plus 'pooled' commission... you can do pretty well.

>>52337051
I stand by my opinion and the fact I've watched dozens of associates crush the entry CCNA.

>>52337316
>I stand by my opinion and the fact I've watched dozens of associates crush the entry CCNA.
Those guys probably had experience under their belts. The people in this thread do not. They're going from zero to CCNA in a short period of time. You're going to waste their money.

Again, there's almost no chance they'll fail the 100-101 unless they're horribly unprepared. If they fail the 200-101 they're only out $150. If they take their advice they had better pass or they're out $300. They'd have to fail the 200-101 twice to be out as much money as if they failed the 200-120.

So what is the overall consensus on using brain dumps to get certs for entry level jobs?

I'm considering using a brain dump for my CCNA and Sec+. I live in a shithole and a company that pays barely minimum wage. I'm living paycheck to paycheck and just found out I will be gone by the end of next month. Should I just braindump some certs, move to a bigger area and hope for the best for a job?

>>52337418
Ethically speaking, it's obviously wrong. But ethics don't pay the bills. So if you do it, just understand that you're probably going to be the guy that everyone hates working with because he doesn't know what he's doing, and you're devaluing the certs for other people. At least learn the material first and just use it as a study aid or something.

>>52337387
I've seen biology majors from state colleges do it in 2-3 months.
I get your dumb philosophy that theres less on the line - and thats fine for some people. My view has merits just as yours does, and people can decide for themselves.

>>52337418
You'll get the cert, easy. Real easy. And then you'll forget how vlans work or something and you'll pretty quickly be labelled as someone who doesn't know what they're doing. In retrospect, anyone who's moved beyond the NA/NP world will tell you its all very simple. It seems big and complex and hard when you're in it, but soon just kind of becomes second nature.

If you need the confidence and money is tight, study your ass off then dump to confirm you understand (and get a feel for how Cisco asks questions).

Actually know what you're doing AND pass? Crazy. (not bragging - I did the NA in 30 days with work and school... read a chapterish every day and you're done with the llamle book in just over two weeks, then watch CBT nuggets at 1.3-4x speed).

There's no excuse, just laziness.

>>52337511
>My view has merits just as yours does
Not really. They're taking more financial risk for zero gain.

>>52337548
Cool story, bro

What are some chill positions if you just want to make some money and work on tech? Just want some money to get by.

I need advice, work for a major tech company, whom I don't wish to name, and they're paying for me to go back to school. I can major in Comp Sci, and Minor in Comp Eng (or electrical engineering), or vice versa, or forgo a minor if I wish. I'm thinking of Comp Sci, with a concentration in one of the branch offs offerred, and minoring in Comp Eng, or EE, but I'd like some advice on it. My company is willing to do all of them, but I want the one to make me most employable in the future, as well as to broaden my skills. I'm most interested in programming, but want to have some hardware knowledge as well.

>>52339738
I don't think a minor in computer science is really going to do that major justice, but thats from my anecdotal understanding of the major. I'm not an armchair NEET, I'm >>52337511.

A bunch of my friends did CoE and came out swinging... its the real deal. I think of it as comp sci melted into EE

>>52339839
Do you mean major in computer science? Or would it be better to major in Computer Engineering? Is that CoE?

>>52339938
CoE is Computer Engineering.

Computer Science is very much language focused learning, code constructs etc. Which is fine, but in a vacuum... well, I feel like you're very much just a Prajeet.
EE.. well, EE isn't so hot right now.

I feel like a CoE can pitch hit in either world, but thats just my opinion..., man.

>Job Title
Software Associate
>Years of Experience
1
>Degrees/Certs
BA MIS
>How did you find/get job
College job board or LinkedIn, can't remember
>Pay
42k/yr
>Location
TX