Hi there,

Just wanted to see if anyone had any advice on becoming a qualified IT Technician. :-)

I really would love to work towards a recognised credential in Support (Technical Support Consultant), but all Ive come across is expensive course providers who just wanna sell me courses without a care in the world.

Ive been around a few to see what they?ve got, some tell me just to buy an MCDST course, others say go straight up and do the MCSA which for some reason I don?t think is the right way to go. Others say do A+, Network+ and MCDST

Id like to build up on experience first but I understand that you have to have at least 2 years experience if you apply for a MCSA job?

Anyhow, I wanna know if I should do something like a Comptia A+ course in hardware first or Network+ and then MCDST. What would be the next step then?

Ps are there are any other guys out there in the middle of studying for something like this? Would love to hear from ya.

Thanks

Lucie x

Hi

Not sure what your domestic situations might be, but have you thought about local college courses? I'm sure there will be online courses, but they must indeed be somewhat expensive. Colleges however tend to offer free or at least discounted courses, especially if they're full-time. If you happen to be on state benefits, the right course might well be free.

Regards,
M_M

Hi MM,

Im looking at doing a part time home course for A+ and MCDST so i was intending to pay for it. I dont really wanna do any college stuff you see, too much hassle i.e. travel, distance etc

Do you think £400 is expensive for A+ course (CD-R) and MCDST (CD-R) ?

x

Not that I would personally be spending £400, let alone on studying, I'm sure that for the type of course, I doubt it is actually that expensive though. Some courses might exceed 4 figures afterall. Might be worthwhile if you can afford it or you are eligible for financial support.

That said, does the Open University offer anything to you? With them, at least it rules out travelling (aside of the odd lecture where you would have to go to Nottingham (for Midlands) for a few days, eg). I don't know much about qualifications in IT, so I'm unsure whether OU have any relevant courses or not.

Hi Lucie Ann

Depending on your current "hardware" skill I would recommend doing something like the Comptia A+, I did this years ago and even though I was already a bit of a fundi I learnt quite a bit.

It's a relatively cheap course and even if you are a bit of a beginner the course isn't so intense that it will confuse you.

From there I would say it could be a good idea to do something like the MCSE or something similar. Note: these microsoft courses are expensive but are probably the best paperwork you could have.

If you have the time I would suggest trying to get a temporary job in a computer company and start learning all the skills, at the end of the day experience is more essential than paperwork (depending on where you live of course)

I have found that the current trend in IT is experience over qualifications. I know training companies hate to hear this and yes, it's nice to have a Certificate or two but truthfully, if you can get yourself infront of the right kit and learn it really well this will be invaluable to your future progression in IT support. Work towards IT quals as you work, don't do it the other way around.