How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?
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Following from another thread, we pretty much all know that the A+ isn't an IT cert, but that isn't relevant to the question, just want to get that out of the way. And we all know that not everyone needs it. Okay, now moving on...
Taking a perceived average for people in the industry trying to get into their first IT jobs... assuming any background whether high school, college degree, other career paths, etc...... how much does having or not having the A+ affect the initial job hunt process (how much does it speed it up, how much extra pay does it produce) and how quickly does it fall off of mattering (two years, five years, ten years, etc.)
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I honestly couldn't say as the A+ cert is so basic in what it provides that I'd never apply for a position that required me to have the cert in the first place.
Literally would completely throw any posting in the trash as soon as I saw such a stupid requirement for the job.
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@dustinb3403 said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
I honestly couldn't say as the A+ cert is so basic in what it provides that I'd never apply for a position that required me to have the cert in the first place.
Literally would completely throw any posting in the trash as soon as I saw such a stupid requirement for the job.
I agree. But it certainly does affect people who are on their first day trying to get "any tech job" to kick off their careers. How much it affects them, I have no idea. But it has to do something. Loads of people think that it's a show stopper or nearly so, to getting your career kicked off.
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@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
how much does having or not having the A+ affect the initial job hunt process (how much does it speed it up, how much extra pay does it produce) and how quickly does it fall off of mattering (two years, five years, ten years, etc.)
This completely depends on the job.
Applying to a CIO position? Then it has no effect.
Applying to an IT Systems Administrator position? Again, no effect.
Applying to PC bench tech job? Then it is completely relavent and I can imagine that having listed on your CV may more likely put you ahead of someone who does not.
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@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
how much does having or not having the A+ affect the initial job hunt process (how much does it speed it up, how much extra pay does it produce) and how quickly does it fall off of mattering (two years, five years, ten years, etc.)
This completely depends on the job.
Applying to a CIO position? Then it has no effect.
Given that the context here is just people looking for their first jobs, how many people are applying for CIO with zero experience? it's like trying to be an archmage on the same day you just learned how to guess the card someone picked from a deck.
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@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
Applying to PC bench tech job? Then it is completely relavent and I can imagine that having listed on your CV may more likely put you ahead of someone who does not.
Even this, though, I wonder once you have ten years of experience, does it drop off for them, too?
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@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
Applying to PC bench tech job? Then it is completely relavent and I can imagine that having listed on your CV may more likely put you ahead of someone who does not.
Even this, though, I wonder once you have ten years of experience, does it drop off for them, too?
A 10-year experienced bench tech isn't applying for entry-level positions.
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@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
Applying to PC bench tech job? Then it is completely relavent and I can imagine that having listed on your CV may more likely put you ahead of someone who does not.
Even this, though, I wonder once you have ten years of experience, does it drop off for them, too?
A 10-year experienced bench tech isn't applying for entry-level positions.
Right, so that's part of the question. Even where it applies from a field perspective, how long does it apply from an experience perspective.
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@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
Applying to PC bench tech job? Then it is completely relavent and I can imagine that having listed on your CV may more likely put you ahead of someone who does not.
Even this, though, I wonder once you have ten years of experience, does it drop off for them, too?
A 10-year experienced bench tech isn't applying for entry-level positions.
Right, so that's part of the question. Even where it applies from a field perspective, how long does it apply from an experience perspective.
Good question. Given that the A+ cert is an entry level certification, I would suppose that when someone is no longer entry-level or the job is no longer entry-level.
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@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
Applying to PC bench tech job? Then it is completely relavent and I can imagine that having listed on your CV may more likely put you ahead of someone who does not.
Even this, though, I wonder once you have ten years of experience, does it drop off for them, too?
A 10-year experienced bench tech isn't applying for entry-level positions.
Right, so that's part of the question. Even where it applies from a field perspective, how long does it apply from an experience perspective.
Good question. Given that the A+ cert is an entry level certification, I would suppose that when someone is no longer entry-level or the job is no longer entry-level.
That's sound logic, but we know that that doesn't really apply. Given that it is a bench cert, it should not apply to non-bench career positions, but we know that it sometimes, maybe even often, does. So that it is being used as a "filter" by companies hiring people who are not appropriate for the A+ is already a given.
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@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
Applying to PC bench tech job? Then it is completely relavent and I can imagine that having listed on your CV may more likely put you ahead of someone who does not.
Even this, though, I wonder once you have ten years of experience, does it drop off for them, too?
A 10-year experienced bench tech isn't applying for entry-level positions.
Right, so that's part of the question. Even where it applies from a field perspective, how long does it apply from an experience perspective.
Good question. Given that the A+ cert is an entry level certification, I would suppose that when someone is no longer entry-level or the job is no longer entry-level.
That's sound logic, but we know that that doesn't really apply. Given that it is a bench cert, it should not apply to non-bench career positions, but we know that it sometimes, maybe even often, does. So that it is being used as a "filter" by companies hiring people who are not appropriate for the A+ is already a given.
I would assume it's never used as a filter for non-bench tech jobs. That wouldn't make sense if it was.
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@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@scottalanmiller said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@tim_g said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
Applying to PC bench tech job? Then it is completely relavent and I can imagine that having listed on your CV may more likely put you ahead of someone who does not.
Even this, though, I wonder once you have ten years of experience, does it drop off for them, too?
A 10-year experienced bench tech isn't applying for entry-level positions.
Right, so that's part of the question. Even where it applies from a field perspective, how long does it apply from an experience perspective.
Good question. Given that the A+ cert is an entry level certification, I would suppose that when someone is no longer entry-level or the job is no longer entry-level.
That's sound logic, but we know that that doesn't really apply. Given that it is a bench cert, it should not apply to non-bench career positions, but we know that it sometimes, maybe even often, does. So that it is being used as a "filter" by companies hiring people who are not appropriate for the A+ is already a given.
I would assume it's never used as a filter for non-bench tech jobs. That wouldn't make sense if it was.
That's a perfect world, of course. And I believe, personally, that it is not used as a filter for that very often. However, there is a widespread belief in IT that it is not just used commonly, but so common as to be nearly a barrier to the field. I think that this is a very isolated myth, I think the average IT person would be surprised to learn that people thought this or experienced this, but there are definitely areas in the industry where it is commonly believed to be a nearly ubiquitous filter. That it is a filter sometimes is definitely true. but how often, that's what is extremely difficult to determine.
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Sometimes is used to filter positions but the truth is that having experience is what counts a lot.
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@dbeato said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
Sometimes is used to filter positions but the truth is that having experience is what counts a lot.
When I hired an IT assistant recently, everything I asked was about Home Lab, and what was it, and what are the VMs stored on it.
Afterwards conversation drags along, on what VMs, network type of them, and their role ...etc, I would not care less about Certs
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the only time an A+ requirement came up was when I was told it was a pre-requisite for entry to server certification for IBM. Our corporate decided (probably over a game of golf) that we were to move from dell to IBM. IBM wouldn't let us open anything unless we were certified, so i had to go get one. They wouldn't waive the prerequisite even though i had 15 years experience by that time. So, as basic as it is, i'd say get it out of the way just in case. it won't kill you
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btw, when i did do the A+, the test was so outdated at the time (asking about 8 and 16 bit isa, eisa, mca, etc) that some of our very capable younger techs found it more like a history exam and had to go learn things they would probably never have to see or use again unless they worked in a museum. i seriously hope they have improved it.
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Fundamentally the A+ only has value as an entry point into the IT industry. It is too expensive and provides little value as learning tool for it to be comparable to other certifications. However, it is perceived to be a usable filter point for businesses hiring entry level people into non programming IT positions. Whether or not it is a good filter point is not really the point. The fact is that the marketplace has this perception, and for an individual seeking to enter into the IT field without other education, experience, or interpersonal connection is immediately at a disadvantage.
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I know how to settle this once and for all. Let's create a resume of someone that scott would envision being qualified for helpdesk with no certs and submit to job postings. See if we get any bites
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@irj said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
I know how to settle this once and for all. Let's create a resume of someone that scott would envision being qualified for helpdesk with no certs and submit to job postings. See if we get any bites
Well A+ isn't the cert for helpdesk IMO.
There are much better certs for that, like OS specific certs for the OSs he'll be supporting. I'd go the Windows 10 cert route, with Net+ if there isn't anything better he can do with his time and money to get an entry level help desk role.
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@emad-r said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
@dbeato said in How Much and Long Does the A+ Typically Influence IT Hiring?:
Sometimes is used to filter positions but the truth is that having experience is what counts a lot.
When I hired an IT assistant recently, everything I asked was about Home Lab, and what was it, and what are the VMs stored on it.
Afterwards conversation drags along, on what VMs, network type of them, and their role ...etc, I would not care less about Certs
Yes, which is why IT people get it, any other department hiring doesn’t usually get it and go by what certifications you have. I got to tell that this isn’t an IT issues , it happens on other careers.
