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I've been working in Desktop Support for 2 years now, have 3 years as a Dell hardware contractor, and have been the go to person for a few years on tech issues for friends/family. No formal education or certs but I'm looking to change that. I was going to go to WGU for the Network+Security BS but I'm not sure if I am ready to commit "4 years" of school work as I haven't taken any classes in nearly 5. I'm thinking the A+ and N+ are out as my experience trumps that now. I'm not sure if I want to do Network Admin or Sec, but I feel like that's the best place for me to go to get a decent career. My local community college offers certificates (30 credits), diplomas (58 credits), and AAS degrees (72 credits) depending on what you're looking for. I'm assuming with my years of experience that even going with a certificate wouldn't hurt and would be a good primer to get back into studying without over doing it. Would this be an okay option? Or would just going for the CCNA by doing the ICND exams be a better resume booster? Are there any relevant Microsoft or higher-tier CompTIA certs that'd benefit me too? Edit: A coworker thought that the Net+ might not be a bad starting point. cage-free egghead fucked around with this message at 22:03 on Oct 26, 2017 |
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Oct 26, 2017 21:49
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Thanks for the replies. My network experience is very small now. Have never touched any of our company's equipment, did barely anything with the software side. Mostly just remote stuff within my company's network in Windows. I looked at the local college but it looks like they took out the CCNA stuff specifically and moved down to general network admin and prep for CCENT.
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Oct 27, 2017 01:23
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Diva Cupcake posted:Humble Bundle for IT certification books Worth the $15 for all of the material? I see they're mostly study guides. What's that versus the full thing?
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Dec 5, 2017 02:54
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Scheduled for my Net+ exam in March so that gives me two months to prep which should be enough. I've got a bunch of random materials but many of the things I got from others pertain to the previous generation's tests (005), would those still be mostly relevant? Also any insight into sites like ITpro or Certmaster? I had a coupon code that made it a $100 difference between the standard and deluxe versions.
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Jan 3, 2018 03:55
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Anyone know if it's possible to convert the N10-006 to the 007? I am anything but ready for my exam next week 
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Aug 24, 2018 17:25
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FCKGW posted:What do you mean by convert? Your voucher? Or do you already have the cert? The voucher. I'm scheduled to take it next week but I don't want to anymore.
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Aug 24, 2018 21:21
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sniper4625 posted:Where did you get the Voucher? Iirc the one I got from CompTia was just a Net+ voucher - i didnt have to select 6/7 until I went to register with the testing company, it could be used for either. Good call, I thought if I cancelled at all through Pearson that it was a forfeiture of my voucher purchase or something but I was able to simply cancel it and then re-reg for the N10-007 using my same voucher code. Thanks!
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Aug 25, 2018 00:35
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ThePagey posted:Okay so I go to an online University where my finals are pretty much exclusively just Industry and Vendor certs. I had 6 months to get the A+ and Network+, and am a complete loving idiot, so I just finished the 901 and 902 today and have to get the N+ done in the next like 9 days. Depending on how much time you have you could chew through Professor Messer's Net+ playlist. I've been following along and taking notes as I go, there's bound to be a bit of material in there that you know already. I take my test on Friday. From what I read on reddit, know your acronyms, types of connections and connectors, subnetting and cidr notation, among other things I'm forgetting off the bat. There's also this nifty site that works great on mobile to have as a quick reference to the exam objectives. Don't forget to take some practice exams, too.
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Oct 17, 2018 03:58
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Passed my Network+! So glad the last few months of studying paid off. It felt so good to see that final screen saying I passed.
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Oct 22, 2018 04:06
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Anyone go through WGU for the BSNOS degree? I've got my N+ already and a few general credits but the Cisco certs are really daunting to me. Just wanna know what others' experiences were.
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Feb 6, 2019 19:29
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FCKGW posted:Words I appreciate the insight, thank you! I was originally going to do the Cybersecurity one but switched not long after because I feel it's a more "safe" bet, as everywhere I read has that it's tough to get into cybersec right out of school. I've got some years of breakfix and desktop experience so I should be a much better candidate for network operations down the road, but I am honestly stuck as to which portion I want to do. The security side is super fascinating but I know the network side a bit better from coworkers and friends. I was let go from my job last April and still haven't found anything solid so I'm just going to use this time to get as many CUs done as possible while I'm not working. Already got my Net+ (which was a tough gig for me as I haven't studied poo poo in like a decade) and a few credits transferred so I've got like 10% of the degree done. Was the Cisco stuff the most difficult? I keep hearing that it's a bit tougher than Net+ and will take longer to study, which makes me nervous because I'd hate to burn out. What about your job prospects now that you're graduated?
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Feb 7, 2019 04:14
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Taking the 220-1001 on Thursday morning as part of my WGU program. Studying for this one is a lot more trivial when you have a decade of experience and your Net+ already lol
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Sep 17, 2019 15:32
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Passed the 220-1001 pretty easily but I forgot how obtuse some of the questions are on these CompTIA certs. Like, the wording is just so odd. How does the second part compare to the first?
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Sep 19, 2019 15:38
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The Net+ basically fulfilled the requirements to get enrolled there since my college history is so small. I think it's a decent system.
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Feb 1, 2020 04:03
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CompTIA is also loosening their testing policies (or rather PearsonVue or whatever)
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Apr 2, 2020 19:02
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RightClickSaveAs posted:Just passed the CySA+ Do companies actually care about expired certs? Also WGU does testing at home with a webcam and proctor watching you, you also have to spin your webcam 360 to see the whole deskspace. It's really nice actually unless you get a bad proctor.
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Jun 15, 2020 18:49
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Would this be of any value for AWS stuff? https://www.humblebundle.com/books/get-certified-packt-books?hmb_source=navbar&hmb_medium=product_tile&hmb_campaign=tile_index_7
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Jun 16, 2020 19:52
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WGU's Cloud Computing BS is dropping the Cloud Essentials+ course and replacing it with the Amazon AWS CCP cert course. Pretty excited to get my feet wet with AWS. They also have the SysOps Admin cert too so lots to learn still. Take my Sec+ tomorrow morning and just noticed that I've taken the A+, Net+, and now this in successive Octobers over the last 3 years lol. Hopefully a first try pass is in the cards.
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Oct 1, 2020 03:59
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FCKGW posted:Microsoft is offering a number of their exams for only $15 for anyone laid-off or furloughed due to COVID-19. I don't know how they verify this so it may be on the honor system. There's a limited number of vouchers so don't be that rear end in a top hat who takes a voucher from someone who may need it. Thank you for this, I have no idea when I'm going to be able to study for this but for $15 why not
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Oct 1, 2020 21:45
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Only a week? drat, that's impressive. Nice job! I've been studying for the last month and just bombed the exam today. Got like a 630 or something. Only felt confident with maybe like a quarter of the questions and the PBQs were much more complicated than everything I had gone through as far as practice exams. I had heard Ucertify was garbage but drat it made me feel like an idiot after going through that lol
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Oct 1, 2020 23:15
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Buff Hardback posted:I have a BS in CS and was (technically only tier 1 but there was a lot of overlap) doing K-12 IT for the past 2 years or so, so I wasn't going in completely blind. I'm enrolled at WGU right now and they insist you use their material (Ucertify) so I've used it for like 95% of my studying. I knew I should have just gone with Messer for it since he got me through Net+ and A+.
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Oct 1, 2020 23:19
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Buff Hardback posted:Can't you just use it and not tell them? Kinda, the site tracks nearly everything you've done including bookmarks that "complete" once you've spent enough time on the page. The instructor and mentor can see how much progress you've made on everything.
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Oct 1, 2020 23:33
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Passed my Sec+ yesterday! I was super bummed out after failing it last month and went way behind schedule for the adjacent WGU class but the last two weeks I pounded out some long days that got me an extra hundred exam points. Feels good. I remember people talking about how Sec+ looks good for defense contractors or something and needing a clearance. Anyone have any insight on that? My degree will be in Cloud Computing but I'm out of work right now and like sec anyways s9
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Nov 15, 2020 21:57
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Yep, current student here. Good stuff, very affordable and it'll leave me with a bunch of certs I didn't really have to pay for so I'll get those checkmarks too. Really I'm just doing it for the bachelors checkmark to pass the HR filters.
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Jan 1, 2021 21:42
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Farecoal posted:Failed the first part of the A+ exam, retook it today and passed (barely). Passed the second part the first time, also barely. Guess I'll start looking for a job soon? Hopefully I can find one that fits with my part-time school schedule. Nice job! Hope you're able to find something quick and that can work with school. Take a look at WGU if you're wanting some more flexibility with a school schedule, I'm loving it after almost 2 years.
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Jan 11, 2021 02:09
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While anecdotal, I got a LOT more hits on my resume when I put that I was currently in school (WGU). The certs definitely helped but I feel like I'm at a ceiling until I get my BS. Maybe even an MS after since that's only like 25 more credits.
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Sep 25, 2021 19:54
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I was in the same boat. A fun field tech job after high school with no real aspirations for college until I was like 24. It wasn't until my 30s that I finally completed an actual semester without failing a class. Now I'm like a few terms before getting a BS for cloud and want to try the cybersecurity masters right after. I'd love to make more than $60k.
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Sep 25, 2021 20:33
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It took me two tries but I've got no security background so it was pretty difficult. Had a bit of overlap with the Net+ and the usual CompTIA wording fuckery but going through the Professor Messer and Pluralsight material was a huge help. Used that for the Net+ and A+ as well.
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Sep 27, 2021 15:01
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Actuarial Fables posted:Completed the last course for my bachelor's degree at WGU today. Didn't think I'd ever graduate from a university, but here we are. Congrats! I'll be in the same boat once I'm done with my last 40 credits. Cannot wait. I banged out all 4 of my classes last week so I messaged my mentor to throw a couple more classes into my term and she hasn't gotten back to me in two days. It also took two days for my last course instructor to simply approve my 4th attempt at D087. Kinda pissed that for an online school people have a hard time replying to an email lol
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Oct 8, 2021 03:18
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AnonymouseNo5 posted:Well, I'm not a college graduate, which might be a problem. I'm not either (will be done next year) but I have been getting a ton of hits from really utilizing it. Even just putting in my header "Seeking opportunities in cloud tech..." has gotten me attention from recruiters. Especially for IT, you'd be silly not to use it. To talk on the topic of the thread, I am getting discouraged as I'm studying for the AWS CCP exam and not getting great scores. It's their entry level cert so if I'm having trouble with this... 
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Nov 20, 2021 02:38
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I'm almost a decade in lol. To be fair most of that is help desk and deskside support so it's all completely new to me.
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Nov 20, 2021 04:26
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Knocked out the AWS CCP early last week or week before and then got Cloud+ don't tonight. A surprisingly difficult exam but glad to have it done. Now onto the AWS SAA, which hopefully isn't my last stop on the AWS train. But I also want to take some Kubernetes courses asap too but I can only learn so much at a time.
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Nov 30, 2021 05:30
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If you have an IT background already the A+ is a joke and would be a waste of money, IMO.
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Jan 15, 2022 01:50
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Have my AWS SysOps exam coming up this week and have been really hitting the books and practice tests but I'm still getting caught up on random ones. It's all starting to click little by little but this is a MUCH harder exam than the CCP one and I'm half tempted to just push it off by a week, but this is part of one of my WGU classes (which really should be a 4-credit one rather than 3) and I've got 36 days left on my term.
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Jan 24, 2022 22:02
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Dandywalken posted:Taking the Net+ this Tuesday. Its extremely weird how much erroneously labeled study material there is for the N007 on free test sites etc. Stuff asking about SQL stuff which is never mentioned on the actual official material. If you haven't, definitely watch some Professor Messer clips for some nice, quick reviews of topics. It was the only material I used to pass a few years back. And good luck! 
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Jan 31, 2022 04:34
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navyjack posted:Does anybody have a resource for really understanding the differences between the various “*aaS” schemes? Preferably with examples? I’ve gone over them and over them and be sure I understand them and then when I take a Sec+ practice test there’ll be 6 questions and I’ll get 5 wrong it’s making me crazy. This should help out!
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Feb 7, 2022 23:03
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Crossposting this from another thread:cage-free egghead posted:Not sure if anyone here is currently enrolled or is interested in WGU's cloud program but they've broke it up to 3 different career tracks: multi-cloud, AWS, and Azure.
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May 25, 2022 19:32
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I am literally withdrawing from WGU as we speak (due to personal poo poo) but they did change it this term that instead of getting the cert then you pass the class you take a test in the class, then you can request a exam voucher, then do exam and then get cert. Not sure if that's happening for all cert-focused classes but they did double the amount of AWS certs for my program this last term but one of them I wasn't going to get. Also not sure if anyone cares about that info but figured I'd say it.
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Aug 16, 2022 20:08
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