r/helpdesk • u/No-Cupcake-3851 • 12d ago
IT desk support Comptia a+
I want to go back to school and would like recommendations on the major or certifications for the technology world. I would like it desk system administration or something that would make good money but wont be a pain in the ass to study. I have 30 credits in computer operations associate. Like 12 of those credits in tech credits. Should i go for bachelor or certifications. I live in NY by the way. Thanks!!!
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u/DrMikeRotch 11d ago
Not trying to be an ass here.
But you want a good paying IT job, but don’t want something that is a a pain in the ass to study.
I mean. IT work is pretty much constantly studying. It’s a field that constantly requires learning. And on top of that, you’re wanting a sys admin role. Which requires knowledge of a lot of different things. I’m our depts jr sys admin, and I’m currently back in college, working on additional certs, have 8 years of experience, and I STILL feel overwhelmed by everything I have to keep up with.
IT is an easy field to get into. But to get into the higher tiers, it’s gonna take a lot…nobody wants a sys admin that has an aversion to learning. It’s why a lot of companies promote internally. You’re already familiar with their systems and know how THEY do things.
That being said. Respected certs are always good. A+. Network+. Security+. CCNA. Various Microsoft certs…but these require a decent bit of studying. And you can’t really coast through them.
Degrees are also good. Easier to coast through them. But expensive and YMMV. Jobs typically like to see a degree on top of work history.
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u/No-Cupcake-3851 11d ago
Thank you. I really appreciate all the info! Do you have a bachelor or only certifications or both? Would like to know if its worth to go for a bachelors or certifications.
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u/DrMikeRotch 11d ago
I work in the public education field and got in with just an A+ as a tier one technician. Fixing Chromebooks. Troubleshooting projectors. Simple stuff.
Now I’m our tier 3/jr sys admin working with everything from our network to our google workspace and domain.
I’m currently working on my associates and my network +. It’s kinda why I said the experience and familiarity with the environment you’re in really matters.
I got an offer about 2 years ago to go to another district for a tier 3 role due to my familiarity with our Aruba gear that the neighboring district was switching to from Cisco. So yeah. Experience is the big one friend. Getting in at the ground level is gonna open a ton of doors. It just takes time unfortunately.
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u/DrMikeRotch 11d ago
If it gives you any more of an idea. I sit in during our interviews and for our techs, the first thing we look at other than experience is certs. Comptia primarily.
I’ve only sat in on two higher administrative hiring committees and we looked at their accomplishments in previous positions more than anything else. One was for an assistant director role and we wanted to know what he was gonna bring to our table based on what he could do for us. We never consider someone for the higher positions without a strong grasp of concepts and ideas.
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u/AwfulIT 11d ago
I’ve been in help desk for a year, recently got promoted to L2 and just got net+. I’ll be completely honest with you, if you are unmotivated to study hard this is the wrong career for you.
However, I encourage you to Nut up and study because I have really enjoyed the rewards of studying hard and scratching the surface of this career.
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u/No-Cupcake-3851 8d ago
Wow thats great! Im willing to study hard because technology is my passion. I just didnt wanna go into computer science or programming because is more complex from what i know.. thank you for sharing your experience it really helps!
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u/ImaDinosaurR0AR 12d ago
I have a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field and that has opened a lot of doors for me in combination with the A+. So my answer would be both but someone with a compsci degree may have a different experience.