Career advice for a technical career (pc tech)

[DJ_Tet]

There are a lot of people who's advice I trust on here, so I figured I'd ask a more serious question.  I got A+ certified ( ) years and years ago, like before Sept 11  :'(

I didn't get a lot of experience over the years after the tech sector fell and as such pretty much just have that plus a lot of college but no degree (but I'm working on that.)  A few years ago I got a job as a tech level 2 due to my performance and quick learning as a temp, and it turned out to be a good opportunity for me.  My company though was struggling, so there were no raises or performance bonuses, so I lost a lot of motivation to improve my situation, thinking it was a dead end.

Light hit a few months ago and our company got bought by one of the major computer companies in the US, putting us in competition with IBM and the like.  It's a great opportunity (now that we know our site isn't closing after the merger lol.)  I'm going in vested with my years at my previous company, which will be over 2 when the merger is complete at the beginning of the year.  I'll get 401k, tuition reimbursement and qualify for raises etc, it's great.

I'm worried though that with only my 2 years experience as tech level 2 and a measley A+ (although this was when they still had dos stuff on the test, so I do have some tech experience others don't) that my standing/pay in the company might drop.  They emphasize how much they value good employees and how they encourage techs to get certifications.

I guess I don't know where I should go after A+.  I'm going through our materials for the Server+ and Network+, both of those seem pretty easy.  Is it even worth my time to grab those two?  Should I go the obvious MCSE route?  What about Network Security?  Basically, what tech sectors do you feel are going to offer long-term and well-paid careers?  I'm not worried that much about money but I would like to be compensated for my time and intelligence, if I'm going to sit in front of a PC for x hours a day.  What tech sectors will enable me to get a job not only now but in the future? 


Thanks for any/all advice.

[Eric P]

I don't see how you could go wrong with an MCSE, there are always positions here in the DC area for them on contract and perm basis.

My own personal ambition is to finish my CCNA stuff and then go on to Cisco VoIP, but that's because I enjoy networking and telecommunications work.  I choose Cisco simply from the marketability angle.  Everyone knows the CCNA, even though there are other competitors out there which do things differently (such as Juniper who is currently offering their certification steeply discounted), everyone knows Cisco.

If you want to stay with helpdesk and system admin stuff, i don't see how an MCSE could hurt you, but when we were hiring at my ISP, we generally considered A+, net+ and the like kind of worthless because they seemed to be easy degrees which didn't impart much practical knowledge.  though that may have been a function of the local technical school a large portion from which our hiring pool came.

Security is a big field right now, but i can't really speak authoritatively on it.

[DJ_Tet]

Thanks Eric for the advice.  Do you have MCSE?  I've heard it's tough, I'm not even sure about the amount of tests you have to pass.

Mojo, that sounds like good experience!  Unfortunately beyond pc/laptop repair the only experience I've gained is setting up servers and arrays, and my current dept which is working with digital cameras. 

[radioheadrule83]

I asked questions a few weeks back about CompTIA / CISCO / MSCE etc, so I'll be interested in any further replies you get.

[DJ_Tet]

"Pretty damning on the A+ then... my nearest test centre charges £1095 for taking it as well!"

Holy shit, is that a typo?

I think it was like $150 or $200 here, in 2000.  I'll agree that the A+ is pretty worthless as far as a cert and is an easy test (nearly every question I had was already online, so anyone could memorize the answers and pass back then) but there is good basic knowledge there.  That's why I figure if I get Server+ and Network+ they likely will be a little broader but provide a good base for future studies.  My old employer and new both require A+ for their bench techs so at least I'm covered there.

Like I said though, it didn't help me get a job for a LONG time.  There was a lot of secretary/pizza delivery in between.  So, A+ to hopefully get a job, not a good idea, A+ to keep job (especially when your employer pays) or solidify your knowledge is a fine idea.

[Eric P]

i was in mcse testing back in the 90s when you could opt for 3.11 or w95 but I never actually did all the module tests to get the mcse.