bdimc2001

I've made up my mind guys. I'm going to get the A+ certification and then the CCNA.

But I'm having troube figuring out which school to go to? I found one in Rahway, NJ for the A+ $450, CCNA $995. I'm really considering going there. Know any in the Northern/Central NJ area? Maybe better price? I'm kinda strapped for cash, and will most likely take a loan to pay for it.


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Acura3200

Boy am I glad that I didn't have to go through that stuff... I got very lucky in my career and worked my way up to being a Network Architect and make a lot of money now. All with no college and no formal training.

Good luck to you though, just remember, certifications don't mean ANYTHING if you don't have the knowledge and understanding to back it up.

If you do get a loan, put in for a couple extra thousand and build a home network to play on and learn on. It's WELL worth the money in the long run from what you will learn just tinkering around on it. Just a thought...

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bdimc2001

J, I already have a home network. I have my laptop, desktop and my brother's laptop all hooked up to a linksys router. So I do know alittle about networks. I may do some consulting on the side for very small businesses, make a few extra bucks. But I gotta learn some more first.

MCD

Amen to that.

bdimc2001

very true. Well that's the first step get some certifications to get into the job market, then learn as I go, and when I graduate I'll be picking who I wanna work for.

djalliance

Unlimited Access in Linden for A+
PC AGE in Edison for CCNA and MSCE...
I know PC AGE offers all three for one price.

If money is tight, try going and checking out a county college.

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grishulia

come on... just get a book and save yourself some money...

bdimc2001

Thanks DJA, do you know the websites for each of those schools? I didn't know community colleges offered those types of course, I will call around now.

Grish: I already have the A+ book from my brother. I can't freakin read that thing it's thicker then my desktop computer, geez. I'd rather pay someone to read it to me and do some hands on work building them. My brother already fixed my desktop, so I can't work on it anymore.


<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by bdimc2001 on April 30, 2001 @ ]</font>

SoundSpeed

Sounds like a good decision. A+ will give you some basic computer skills and CCNA starts out basic enough that you can skip Network+. Once you get a little ways into CCNA, you could probably actually take the Network+ test and pass and add a little something extra to your resume.

Good luck.

bdimc2001

Thanks Soundspeed, that is actually a good idea, like always great advice!

Thanks again

Joey

Acura3200

Give me 30 seconds with it and you'll have plenty to work on for weeks.

bdimc2001

I did that already. I tried to install a cd-r/w two years ago and blew the whole thing up. We finally raised enough money to replace the hard drive, which got messed up during that whole fiscoe.

djalliance

http://www.unlimitedaccessinstitute.com/about.html
http://www.pcage.com/

The courses at county colleges are called Continuing Education Courses. I'm pretty sure most community colleges offer them. I know Union County College does.



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2001 Acura TL Laguna Green Metallic
Stock for now...
Wood Grain kit/Wood Knob/Rear Spoiler/Inspire Lights/K&N Filter ...More to come very soon!
djalliance@acura-tl.com

AC

Just curious, how do you blow up a machine by installing a CDR?

Like Acura3200 I too got lucky and moved my way up. I just started my own business, so money for me is kinda tight, but before I made a shit load of money at Lucent Technologies and Alteon WebSystems. Good Luck!

bdimc2001

Hey AC,

I don't know how I blew it up. But I tried to attach both the old CD player and the new CD-R to one cord. But the cord splits into two separate ends, don't know what the heck it's called, that's why I need to take A+ badly. I think it was too much for the power source and just went crazy and it smoked for a few seconds, then I unplugged it. I brought it to a local shop thru the warranty, but they couldn't fix it either. My brother figured it out, that it blew the hard drive, that's what happened.

Red Hot TL

did you guys pay for the CCNA and A+? they're gonna let me take both the class and the test for free since I'm a student gonna take it sometime this summer

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tiguy99

Being Microsoft certified doesn't hurt either...just think, deep discounts on products and software!!!!!!!!!

AC

I got my MCSE back in like 96, I don't recall getting discounts...is this something new or did I miss something? Actually, who cares, I don't pay for any MS stuff (they have too much money already) however I'll pay for everything else.

Edub-TL

hehe.. yeah those rich Washington Bastards!!

I get a really good discount on MS sw as well but not on products, but they are through my company.

Joey,
Like Jason says, certs are nothing without knowledge and experience to back them up.
Be patient, if you keep motivated and don't get too caught up about money, you'll be ok. I strongly feel that if you take a good amount of time to learn and continually re-invest in yourself; you will be alot more satisfied with what ever career you choose. Certs and stuff are important in that they get your resume looked at, you are in charge of getting past the interview, and you are in charge of maintaining your expertise.

I've had the opportunity to meet many many IT professionals and some are really good, and others are jokes. The good ones have tons of knowledge and experience.

As for your CD-R, get a 300 watt power supply for your PC and you can put anyting you want. Try to avoid using a Y-cable (sometimes called daisy chain) for power, not a good idea. Those are supposed to be used for floppy drives sharing power with something else. But if you have a good PS, then you don't have to worry as much.

As for my parting words of wisdom...

"Your first job will not be your last job."

bdimc2001

Thanks Edub,

Yup, I will definitely take that advice about experience alright. Like I've said almost 20 times. I am really looking to get in with A+ and get some experience first with the job placement that the school will get me. After that, It's really up to my personal knowledge and charm

Joey

Red Hot TL

good luck man!

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