Certifications!

I'll be the first one to tell you that I don't like the idea of getting certified on anything in the IT world.  Don't get me wrong, I understand why one needs to be, but I don't like what you have to go through to get certified.  You have to take a test and pay money for that test.  Many will argue that the benefits of having the certificate out-way the costs.  This, I feel, stems back to possibly the company in which people work in help pay for the tests.  Heck, if my company offered to help pay for my testing, I would be certified out the ying-yang.  Thing is, there are also a lot of employers that do not participate in this type of help.

What chaps my hide is the fact that there are many jobs now that state you must have a certificate to be hired.  Even the entry level positions such as help desk support or desktop support are requiring some sort of certification such as CompTIA A+ (basic computer skills over hardware and operating systems).  My argument is that many people with multiple years of computer usage already have the majority of the knowledge to pass the A+ exam.  I feel that employers are taking advantage of people when asking them to have the A+ before getting even looked at and interviewed.  This test is basic.  If you have an Associate and Bachelor degree in IT, chances are that you have enough knowledge to pass the A+.  Thing is, the cost associated with it.  At the current time, it costs $178 to take the test.  Other than their fundamental tests, this is by far the cheapest test that they offer (CompTIA, 2012).  I don't know about you, but that is too much just to have someone state that I am certified to play around on a computer.

Now, their other tests such as their Security+ and Network+ are a little more detailed and require one to have knowledge in that specific area.  I can understand if you are applying for a job in that field (Networking or Security) that you need to have such qualifications.  I can not tell you how many times I have been turned down by a job because I do not have the A+ certification.  I live paycheck to paycheck and have a problem with forking out that much money to get a certification.

Now, with that off my chest, I want to take the time out to actually state that in today's economy, you need to get certified if you plan on getting into a specific area of IT.  I completely agree with this notion.  Here are a few suggestions for you if you are planning on the Network or Security specific IT areas of work:

Security - CompTIA Security+ or the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or both
Networking - CompTIA Network+ or the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or both

You can do searches for the above tests to find them and to read more about them.  I have no problem with getting certified in these areas, but when it comes to that general A+ certification, I am a bit peeved that it is a requirement to many entry level jobs.  Good luck in your certification search.  I know I will be getting my CISSP once I am done with school and possibly the others up there as well.  

Reference

CompTIA. (2012). Exam Prices. Retrieved July 31, 2012 from http://certification.comptia.org/Training/testingcenters/examprices.aspx