I was in IT for 15 years and want to get back into it. The last year I have taken A+, Network+, Security+ and CCNA to fill in the gaps with my knowledge. Glad I did. Study to learn, not just to pass the cert.
@@EMSpdx yeah , I bought the package comes with a book , videos , quizzes , damn this stuff is thorough , it's great for people like me who know zero about IT. I suggest you buy the book , it's great at those little details .
I got ITF+ as a confirmation that I actually understood the materials (I was originally studying A+ and it was way over my head). Once I passed ITF+ I felt I was ready for A+. That was during the Summer of 2020. Fast Forward to today and I now have my A+ (achieved in 2021) and Net+ (achieved yesterday).
Congrats. Having the actual ITF+ doesn't really mean a lot. Having gone thru the course work to get it gave me a pretty good foundation to taking on A+.
Well this is a misleading video title. Saying that its the TOP LIST OF THE MOST USELESS IT CERTS. and then you don't provide a list of useless certs. This title is nothing but clickbait.
I have earned 7 certs. 3 comptia certs, lpi Linux and 3 microsoft mta certs. For me, comptia A+ was the most beneficial in landing my first job. The lpi Linux got me a raise along with the MTA certs. Plus I gained great knowledge studying for them. I advise anyone to get the A+, get in the field and then study additional certs at you work. Combining that book knowledge with experience makes it so much better. I started out as a pc repair tech. Now I work from home remoting into Linux systems at doctor offices all day and I love it.
@michiko honestly. it really depends on where you live. I live in rural Ohio where I have a 5 bedroom house for $650 a month. I make $24 an hour. Some people will say that is low for what I do. But again, my cost of living in the rural midwest in low. The same job in LA might pay $30 an hour but in LA you are paying $1500 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment. There's so many factors that go into it.
I want to get into linux. Took Comptia A+, Network +, Security +, don't feel like getting Linux +. However, Lpic and linux foundation do interest me. How's the Lpic exam?
You did a beautiful thing here. Since start of my career... The A+ cert and the soft skills and interpersonal comm skills has earned me so much more than my CCNA certification.
@@dashamm98 I would recommend it. It's solid for fundamental understanding. But experience and networking with people will get you further, faster. I got into the IT industry without it but missed out on so many fundamentals. Learning this knowledge from these certs is helping me ALOT. Dont sleep on working as a service tech for companies like Apple and Bestbuy while in school. Its good for resume building.
What's wild is that if you get the trifecta, A+, Net+, & Sec+, you're only qualified for a help desk job... like what? - A+ says you should have 9-12 months of experience Net+ says you should "CompTIA A+ Certification and a minimum of 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience working in a junior network administrator/network support technician job role" - Sec+ says you should have "CompTIA Network+ and two years of experience in IT administration with a security focus" Having all three is having the knowledge of someone with 4 years of in the field experience. Yet you'll only get a helpdesk job. Let's also not forget the $1200+ dollars for taking the exams and the extra cost of study material... should be able to get a better position, not sys admin, of course, but certainly better than helpdesk
Yupe! Those are entry-level certs that CompTIA provide, meaning, what you just said. Having 1-3 years of experience in the IT field before taking any of them will help out considerably! Coming in as a clueless rookie in IT will not help you much studying the material in those books and videos because you need to have the fundamentals down first!
I took the ITF to see if I had the knowledge, I passed it then that gave me the confidence to take and pass the A+. It’s all about the person trying to learn and get better.
I think ITF+ is definitely a good exam to take for that first cert test. It's not super expensive, and won't take months of study to try it to see what the process is like.
i’m looking to go into cybersecurity, I have no experience at the moment. should i buy the itf exam and take it or should i start off by buying the itf bundle?
I'm in the process of a career change into IT at the the age of 50 from spending 30 years in retail and hospitality. It's a bit scary but also exciting what my new career will be like, I have zero experience at the moment. Like you said, there is value in basic certs, there's value in learning and everyone has to start at the start at some point in there life. So thank you for the reassurance.
Where you able to make the transition? I was working in labor my entire life. Injured my back in a factory and made a transition to tech sales. Now thinking I need to flip it to IT before I loose my voice or hearing.
I just got a tier 1 job that required an A+... without actually having an A+ certification. What I *do* have is years of customer service experience, a semester of volunteer IT work for a professor's run-down computer lab, and an in-progress virtual home lab. I didn't match their requirements exactly, but I tailored my resume to reflect that I could perform the job duties anyway. I do get discouraged seeing higher level roles require a B.S. in IT (sometimes an M.S.) & 5+ certs (some of which aren't offered anymore) but I've learned that you should just apply anyway if you feel you're a fit for the job, even if you dont have those 5 specific certs. I think people should go for the certification that best fits the path they're on. At the very least, it's resume material.
That’s great advice thank you. I recently graduated from a undergraduate program focused in cybersecurity and was thinking I had to get a Bachelors next. I have tons of experience with labs and hands on experience though.
I don't think we should be advocating for people to be lying about their skillset. IT is one of those fields where tons of people lie & hiring managers have enough on their plate having to sort through all of those lies. You got an entry level job. A+ or not as long as you are competent, you can at least do the bare minimum to get the job done. Higher level jobs are ENTIRELY different. The pressure is another level. One mistake & you can lose a company millions of dollars in a second. THAT is why those certifications are required & everything is strict. Do you want Susan Wojcicki breathing down your neck because the email system or God forbid UA-cam itself went down? The problem is also you might think you're doing good at your job, but then you see someone like me do it & you'll be discouraged because of my skillset/knowledge. I've run into dozens if not hundreds or techs in similar situations to yours & I can say with 100% certainty everyone noticed the difference between us to the point where their managers were looking at them skeptically. It's not like I was trying to impress either...I did the basics the job required. When you don't have any sort of structured learning under your belt you miss out on A LOT. There is so much you haven't realized that you don't know.
Employers describe their perfect candidate but rarely find them or hire them. Don't worry about requirements as long as far as what you need to have but rather what you need to learn to be an effective employee.
As someone who is brand new to IT and trying to figure out my path, I was relieved to hear the content of this video. I understand that some certs are better than others but I just want to build a base and I think some basic certs will help me decide what path to take. Thanks for the video!
@@jamesabbott3149 Been in IT for several years. Envision what position you want to be in the next 5 to 10 years. Cloud Engineer? Cyber Security Policy Guy? Management? Then tailor your education to meet those standards. Wasting time on getting all the certs is expensive and time consuming. Jack of all trades in IT will not get you PAID. Specialization can. Additionally, you don't have to take the cert to obtain the knowledge. You can buy the book or videos and do it your own for personal betterment. But INDUSTRY standards prefer the higher level certs.
@@theoneaboveall7708 I have been working in IT for 8 years - life long learner before that, however. I would disagree. Generalization can get you paid - it is all about the business. If you can find a nice startup, you can easily make high 5 figures or low 6. But it is also more work. Specialization gets you paid MORE, but generalization can still get you paid just fine. If others want to generalize and be a jack of all trades, then by all means, go for it!
Best advice I can give... Jump straight into Sec+. It maybe harder but it'll open up doors for government and related contractor employment. Have the company pay for higher certs, move onto bigger things like AWS, Azure, RHEL, CCNA, CISSP, etc.
I will start uni in August , I am currently studying for the A+, I bought the book already , but like is this list for people who r currently working and want to get a higher salary orr
The best career outlook comptia certification compare to the others. It's better get it and also a+, server+ (temporary entry level job to gain experience) than getting rest of the unnecessary comptia certifications.
@@maroon9273 OOh I was wondering if it's better if I focus on my studies and then start working later orr , what do u recommend , ooh and btw I am planning to major in Cyber Sec, if possible or Computer engineering.
If you are monitoring a network for intrusions and that’s your job then for that person would have no use for A+. If you are a computer nerd then knowing the difference between ddr3 and ddr4 could be beneficial for the application.
I agree with this video 100%. I earned my Comptia trifecta a few years ago. They have helped me tremendously. Don't forget they are a launchpad to the more specific certs that you want to focus on. You have to start somewhere. Also I think the learning opportunity outweighs just earning the paper that shows you passed a test. Enjoy the learning. There is much to learn from the "fundamental" certs.
Not gonna lie, when I first started my IT career 7 years ago, I didn't think much of the fundamental IT certifications (A+, Azure Fundamentals,, etc) until I took a pivot into software development. The program I'm currently in required the MTA 98-361 to be enrolled and that certification changed my mind and I respect those aiming for the basic certs. Now I'm studying for the fundamental certs for ML/AI. Great video!
I was told A+ was worthless and pointless. I had my Sec+, Net+, Server+, and CySA+ plus 10 years of experience before I ever sat down for the A+. I will say personally after studying for it and taking the tests, I think it's absolutely worth getting. It's great information and I can definitely see it helping folks out.
@@Wabbajack21 take more classes and learn more and try it again. if you can't pass that exam your not going to be ready (or probably able) to get an IT job
@@Wabbajack21 get the Exam Cram books for ANY certification you're studying for, read it over, and DO THE PRACTICE QUESTIONS/TESTS. They help TREMENDOUSLY and REALLY do prepare you for the tests because ALL of the info they provide is more or less DIRECTLY on the tests. I passed my A+ cert using Exam Cram and Professor Messer.
@@Wabbajack21 Just passed security plus with no IT experience, it took some months of studying but professor messer's videos were invaluable for learning the material for me. I know he has a series for A as well.
Got my sec + , then landed my FIRST IT job as a Govt contractor overseas making 100+. In my opinion get certs that meet DOD standards, the govt is always hiring & paying.
I just recently passed my Sec+ on Jan. 7th with no IT background. I’m a DOD firefighter contractor looking to branch into the IT field. I just started studying for my A+. I want to go to the cloud/security side of things, any info you can drop my way?
This is the route I’d like to go as well. I live in the Washington, DC area and the amount of opportunity here for govt and govt contractor positions is quite abundant
As my younger brother used to say, “Certs are like degrees, they get your foot in the door. Once you’re in the door, you have to prove that you know what you’re doing. IT and programming are show-me fields.”
I agree with you 100%. There isn't a cert that is useless and is beneficial in some way, shape and form. Since the pandemic started. I've been working on gaining additional certs, and I've obtained 9 of them. 8 MS and 1 CompTia. I've gained more attention from recruiters than ever before and 2 of the Azure/1 O365 certs definitely gave me the edge to gaining my next job which came with a raise. I highly encourage IT pros to work on their certs. Furthermore, I'm glad you mentioned soft skills because a lot of IT pros don't have that, and it's an absolute necessary skill set to have in the field. It should be considered a must. I can't tell you how many "IT Pros" I've worked with who can benefit from having that. It makes the world of a difference.
A+ helped me get a deep understanding of computer hardware and learning how to troubleshoot basic OS level issues. After I earned that cert I opened my own computer repair business. It’s absolutely NOT useless.
Had us in the first half not going to lie lolol but great video and so important for people getting into IT to understand that there are no “useless” certs just certain ones may be more in demand
The most useful cert to get when starting in IT is defenitely the CCNA. It teaches fundamental concepts that you will use in your entire career. Then the second one would be the OSCP. Finally, get the CISSP once you have enough experience. Thats all you need.
@@1CoreGame CISSP is a management certification, OSCP is not and it is focused on pentesting. CISSP has more value than OSCP as it cover all aspects of Cybersecurity. OSCP is an entry level certification, CISSP is not. source: I have both.
I took the ITF+ 5 years after getting my Masters in C.S. (my grad research was in Layer 1 Security, at that time didn't even think in a million years i'll be doing IT). Took a weekend to study, but good to get the ball rolling for A+ or to get your mind right for certs.
The soft skills of interpersonal and communication skills are absolutely paramount to move forward in IT. That's how people with no IT experience practically walk into IT and Cyber jobs today. I find it funny that at one time it was all about going to school so you can become technically proficient in the IT field and while that still holds true, employers can easily train a person on their particular platforms and technology and get that person up to speed on what's going on technically, without having to walk them through customer service training as well. Gone are the days of being the IT guy in the bowels of a company where some intern drops off PCs for you to tinker with all day. You have to talk and communicate with people plain and simple. This is the stuff that should be taught in IT classes and programs. The technical stuff will come easy to most because you wouldn't have gotten into IT if you didn't have a love or passion for technology in the first place. So really, get those customer service skills or take some communication skills courses at you local community college or find a course online that has a credential for effective communication or whatever it is to show that you can talk to another person.
Nice to know. I’m changing my focus from obtaining an IT degree to obtaining certifications. Faster, I can work on degree once I get a job in field if needed to further career.
All of them are useless or all of them are useful. It all depends on the mood of whoever is hiring at the moment they review your resume or during the interview. Most recruiters and HR did not study IT and do not know about IT certificates.
Passing minor exams is super important. You always learn something and think of them as stepping stones to your dream role. I passed my A+ and it gave me the confidence to do more exams, and now I have a high paying IT role
In my view I want to go into networking part of IT,I was studying for the Compton Network + but I switch to Studying for a CCNA , I just look at some job postings and more people are looking for more CCNA than Network + I won’t say is useless but It depends on the rout you want to go
@@TheAwesomeness1123 because that’s stupid and overkill , the CCNA is long, in depth and you have to learn Cisco specific hardware on top of all the networking concepts.
@@TheAwesomeness1123 Network+ is theory-base knowledge in Networking, around 90% lecture and test/10% hands-on to pass the test. I have this cert. CCNA is 90% hands-on and 10% other. Go for one or the other! CCNA and CCNP are much move valuable and more in demand!
If you are new to IT you absolutely need to learn the knowledge and concepts in the A+ regardless of the value employers may place upon the actual cert itself. I would argue that it would be very hard if not impossible for an IT newbie to gasp a lot of the concepts in a cert like the Sec+, CCNA, or any of the other higher level certifications without an A+ foundation. If you have actual work experience in IT and possess let say junior level IT skills then you can most likely bypass the A+ unless of course its required by your employer (an many employers will require it). In conclusion weather you sit for the A+ or not you absolutely need to study and understand the concepts in the A+ if you are new and looking to get into IT.
interesting. how much does IT pay these days? I didn't realize these certifications were still valid in today's market and that networking was in demand. It's been about 10 years since I abandoned IT with a networking degree and several certifications.
@@vegan-rising The market is cold right now and having CompTIA certs don't hold the value of let's say Cisco, Microsoft or Amazon certs hold. If you have 2 or 3 years of IT experience, then having CompTIA A+ or Network+ is cool but not required by most employers. Experience is key!
Every certification can have a use, especially since one thing it should say is that someone has knowledge on the subject, if not experience. In the career field I am in, ITIL is considered important. A+ was required besides Security+. I see certifications as a way to gain base level knowledge (depending on the certification), which some employers want. Or if you decide to work in government, it doesn't matter what the employer wants, Security+ is the ground floor. (And preferably an OS cert for the computer environment you work in.) Going back in time, the one cert I wish I could have gotten (but it was incredibly expensive for a junior enlisted Soldier), but could only get a token for half off, was the GSEC+ certification from 2009 timeframe. The class for this certification was jam packed with information. The instructor covered 6 textbooks in six days. (He was kind of like a happy, peppy Ben Shapiro in how he talked. Fast enough to tear through all the information in the textbooks at 8-10 hours a day.
Hello, I am a 61 year old female. I have a degree in Computer Science from 1989. I agree that most people that work with computers in IT have little knowledge of how computers actually work. I am a Linux Administrator and have worked as a Software Engineer and in IT Support and have built gaming computers as well. I think the A+ certification and the Network + certifications are great starters despite a degree or no degree.
4:34 - " certification GIVES YOU value" thank you for actually saying that. I honestly got my CySA+ cert for ME and didn't care what a company thinks lol! Fast forward... I finished my B.S in Cyber , got security + and CySA+ and got my first interview for security analyst tomorrow. Keep putting one foot in front of the other!
As an IT Instructor in Career Technical Education, I can tell you that IT certifications are in fact quite important, and most if not all of our employers and business partners would not even consider a job applicant without any IT certifications earned. Our main goal in our IT Academy is to teach the right technical skills, learn how to apply them in the real world, and earn as many IT certifications as possible while enrolled in one of our programs. Our placement numbers prove that certified students are likely to get jobs in IT, while students with no cert are usually out of luck and unemployed or employed in non-IT industries (most common are hospitality and retail).
But this misses the question, imo. Do these people overvalue the certs? For better or worse Ive always thought that in the minds of HR departments etc, IT certification is understood in terms of college degrees. If that's right then they may be good for getting a job and even a raise, but do they do anything more?
Certificates are crucial for employees to present you favorably to clients. They demonstrate that their workforce is qualified and certified in various areas, allowing them to command a competitive price for their services.@@sp1ke0kill3r
Don't believe the hype. A cert only looks good on a resume but Experience outweighs any cert. You just got to find your way into an enterprising company and volunteer for most every project to expand your hands on knowledge in real world situations. Take that course money and instead use it to build your own Home-Lab so you can run your own test projects. Now when you're face to face with an interviewer you'll have vast diverse amounts of knowledge to one up the competition.
I have 9 IT certifications and I'm still stuck working in tech support. It would be really nice if the hiring managers in the industry actually valued them.
I also have nine certifications and years of sysadmin experience in the military and I can't get a job. Haven't tried help desk but that would be going backwards for me. But I may have to.
Certs are not all. you have to prepare a good resume, not stacking up what you did so far, but showing what achievement you did in your current work and past roles. for example, you improved support response by two times, your helped to fix an important issue for the client and helped them to save X amount of dollars. your achievement should be quantitative (read : using numbers, percentage, etc). Also, the hiring manager should be able to understand your goals, and your achievements within few seconds of reading your resume. So try to highlight your goals, achievements as compact as possible .Keep in mind the 5 seconds rule. Also, while listing all your certifications show your willing to learn, too much certs list may hurt, especially if the said cert is completely unrelated to the role you are applying for. I would put max 3 certs, the most recent, the most important and the most in relation with the role you applying. I got these tips from a recruiter specialized in cybersecurity roles and he is ranked number 1 in success rate in my region. Hope it helps. Good luck!
Thank you for making this video. So many people forgot the value of having value through these certifications. Be successful people. Get that knowledge!
Im in the process of getting my Sec+ cert to complete the trifecta and let me tell you: LUCK plays a big role in landing a entry level job. Google ITSS, A+ Net+ and still not even a single interview. And yes all my resumes, cover letters etc are professionally made for me transitioning from one career to another. But again, its who you know unfortunately.
I did the A+, Net+ and Sec+ whilst progressing through various IT jobs. The A+ got me my first service desk job, the Net+ got my my first L1 NOC engineer job and the sec+ got me my first Sec analyst roles. All three were super affordable and completely offered more value and ROI than my degree and MSc I did later on in my career. Why, because its accessible and it gets the ball rolling with work experience which is far more important for career development.
The one type of certs I have a hard time recommending are Microsoft's certs. Not because the cert or the content itself isn't useful, but because in 3-5 years that cert is likely to be retired as MS restructures their certification programs AGAIN. It doesn't have the longevity of other certifications, plus MS renames these so frequently that no one bothers to keep up with which cert goes with which skillset this year. Add to that a history of fly-by-night training vendors pushing people through MS cert bootcamps where you walk out in 4-6 weeks with a dozen certs and can't apply the skills of any of them, and they're just not as useful as some other places where you could invest your time and money.
I agree that every cert has a purpose, it's still learning and it's still knowledge that you didn't have before. My only con with Comptias certs are that they word their questions so fucking stupid. Please comptia up your game.
Exactly, it's unrealistic to an actual job scenario. I despise the tricky wording they use as what they're asking is incredibly unclear half the time. I think it has to do with the platform, Pearson, being a non-english company, so their translation is pretty half-assed.
First, GREAT VIDEO and congrats to everyone taking and passing their certifications. After 38 years of experience and a ton of certifications, and still having FUN in this field, this is what I have to say : No certification is meaningless. Go get the certifications your comfortable with first. Never stop training. Challenge yourself, don't be affraid. Failing is part of the process. You cannot do any gains if you discourage yourself on every fails. Always be respectful for all the ones they achieved their certifications. Instead, encourage them. Share your experience and knowledge. And certainly, have fun. It's all about attitude. I've seen too many people in my life taking certifications, and then at some point they stop and sat on them. DON'T DO THIS. Always, and I mean ALWAYS re-train yourself, even basic things, no matter the age you have. I'm 58, and STILL continue taking training courses, online, reading books, doing local labs, name it. And I'm not planning to stop any soon. The brain is a "muscle" that needs to be kept trained, like anything else. Finally, Always respect the pace of your ability to digest your training. Don't get burned by trying to go too fast. We are all different. Success is in your ability to be constant, but never stop. And don't be affraid, as the age go by, the pace is not the same at 58 as it was at 20. But the most important thing, is that it still running strong. I've seen too much people stopped and have to be retired too soon because of their decision. It's all having fun on the job your doing on a daily basis, and training and certifications gives you the tools to achieve that.
If it wasn't for the fact that failing an exam wastes money, then I am sure a lot of people would be less afraid of failure. Now if you're in a situation where wasting money isn't a concern, then failing and learning works. A lot of people are afraid to take risk, including myself.
To think you can simply memorize content to pass a test then be proficient enough to do a job with nothing else is somewhat delusional unless it is solely an entry level certification. You have to show the practical application of how that knowledge applies in a production environment, not just that you can regurgitate a concept in a definition form. Now, I’m against the IT gatekeeper mindset but there is some merit in overlooking someone with just a CCNA who hasn’t ever seen a switch outside of a packet tracer lab instead of giving them the keys to an enterprise network. You also have to look at where you live. Just because you have IT certs, if you live in Nowhereville, USA a job isn’t just going to materialize out of the nether. Lastly, be realistic with your practical skill set. If you have A-Sec+ but only a lab portfolio, your chances of being a Cyber Sec Engineer is low. Don’t search for that on Indeed... look for a high paying HellDesk, Field Service Tech, T2, Network Tech, Desktop Tech, etc. Again, the gate keeping is bullshit, but I wouldn’t trust a pilot with a Piper license to land the 747 I’m on.
Yo wsup Nathan, great post but as someone that has ZERO knowledge in computers, the parts, how it works, etc…would you recommend the A+ cert? Any advice would help. Hope to connect with you soon 💪
@@trideez3768 I’d absolutely recommend A+. Just be aware that with zero knowledge or experience the A+ will be a ton of informational overload initially. Certs do NOT teach you knowledge, they test your knowledge, so I’d start with some free or low cost training (there’s plenty on UA-cam and Udemy) and setting up a Virtual Machine lab environment to first gauge your interest in drinking from that firehose before committing to $478 in exam costs. The experience of setting all that up and maintaining it while going through a semi-structured learning plan will give you what you need, technology wise, to start at a Help Desk. The rest is customer service, people skills, calm under stress, etc.
The only way I view a certification as useless is if the person is gathering them with no plan. I have met plenty of people with credentials that did not even relate to their career goal or current position.
I don't any have any certs. Did CS at University, and dropped out in the last year because I didn't see a way it would benefit me and I'm terrible at programming. Since I love hardware and playing with it, I learned how to troubleshoot it and got Help/Service Desk job very easily. They didn't even ask if I have any certs or anything, just gave me technical questions and got the right answers. As he said in one of his videos: Try to get experience before getting your first job.
A+ helped me out a lot. People may say some of these certs are useless but unfortunately if you don't have them HR won't give you the time of day. This is because HR people aren't technical, they don't understand certifications like we do. They just see the word CEH and give you an interview, but they don't understand what the certification or exam is about. Once you get past HR and you land the job your co-workers might appreciate the value.
Got my ITF+ first. In and of itself, it's not pragmatic towards employment. However, it gave me the back ground to jump right into A+ and pass it my first time. I compare it to taking a prerequisite 100 level course before taking the 101 for credit.
In many big companies I've worked at the IT departments regularly would patch in to customer's computers and fix things for them. I've worked primarily in health care, but I can tell you, most operating rooms have their own IT people because their equipment has to work 100% during a surgery. If you know how to fix a computer issue during an operation, you are worth your weight in gold.
You can always leave it before you are too sunk into it. I started last year, then put it down. Now, I'm reactivating Coursera as need to be complete a few modules here and there as they complement other training and certification endeavors. It felt a little like quitting, but I survived. Sometimes you have to readjust your position. It is sometimes hard to choose a cert path because there is a lot of information and people barking about get this cert, not that cert.
I started off thinking I wouldn’t like this video, but I really enjoy the direction you went. Even the itf is a good confidence builder. It may not make you job ready but it makes you want to get the next one because you know you can learn the material.
The CompTIA A+ certification teaches you the troubleshooting method. Saying that certification is useless is like saying the scientific method is useless to a scientist. The A+ cert applies to literally every IT field & the basics of it can be pretty much applied to any problem you encounter in life outside of IT. In my 20+ year IT career the people I've seen completely struggle are the ones that don't know how to troubleshoot. If you know how to troubleshoot, you can work on issues without even knowing the platform, software, etc. like the back of your hand. The A+ is one of the most useful certifications you can get. If you can't get a job with an A+ then that's an issue with either how you're marketing yourself or a failure on those involved in the hiring process in knowing what these certifications mean & how impactful they are. The ITF+ is an assessment on whether or not you would even want to get into IT & which field you would choose. It at least acknowledges that you know the basics of each field. It's not meant to be used as a serious certification when applying for jobs.
Software Engineer here. Started with Comptia A+ 20 years ago when I was clueless on what I wanted to do. That opened the door for me to other technologies and IT branch
There are many good cert programs out there but I found that TestOut is my favorite. The sims are fantastic but the randomized practice tests are EXCELLENT. Some people claim its expensive, but the cost is reasonable for the quality, in my opinion. Best of luck to you!
You wouldn't believe it, but in the DFW area, A+ carries a lot more weight than you could imagine. But it's mostly for low-ball wages for doing very basic tasks.
I love this vid. I despise anyone who goes on saying that certs are useless. Granted many may be overpriced but that's where we need to research the course content and job market etc. But you always learn something new at some point. Great points here sir. 👏👏👏👏
Finally somone said it... Certs will not get you a job, I have been saying this for over a decade. Certs are good for showing HR, and some managers, that you put effort into learning said topics. Doesn't necessarily mean you can do the job, or capable of doing the work.
To add on a certification might not be as in demand because it is highly specialised. A certification that has many results on indeed is most likely required for an entry level job.
you're so right - we mustn't generalize from one or a few people's experiences - one or a few companies may value the certs - and one or a few may disregard them - the only certainty is we don't know for certain when we engage in an job interview - - all this ignores the fact that the personality of the person is being interviewed - may undermine the certificate - it's not the certificate alone that is applying for the job - if you don't get the job - don't just blame the cert
Absolutely agree!!! There is no useless certification, or at least preparing to certification. You will learn a lot of things and details that you might miss in daily work. As one of the NetAcad instructors, I'm completely agree with author of video. Every knowledge is worth time, you spent on it. I also heard that's COMPTIA A+ is useless, Yes, it's very beginning, but not useless.. In fact in my experience with students, even experienced people could not pass A+ exam, because of lack of knowledge of fundamentals.
I just got my first IT support job (remotly) without any certs. None of the recruiter that reached out to me even mention certs or degree...all they wanna know is if you can do the job. Honestly touching your resume a litlte helps too...
not really sure if any cert is useless, at the end of the day you learn something you did not know, but maybe depends on your job, or what you need at the moment? hmm
My guy! Your videos look so good! I started watching your vids a little over the year ago and the content has ALWAYS been top notch, but now the quality of video and audio matches the quality of the information. Congrats bro!
I guess a Cert is useless if you don't know where to go. However, if you have a path to follow, even some non-directly related Cert can be useful. (For example, I work in infrastructure and have a Scrum Fundamentals Cert.) On the other hand, Certs don't necessarily prove anything. However, I think they show recruiters that you are someone who cares about your career, stays sharp, and is connected to your job. You don't sit and wait for things to happen; you go out and make them happen.
One should also understand several of these certs will allow you to basically test out (via transfer credits) of certain classes for example in WGU's BSCSIA and MSCSIA degree programs. This makes for less classes you need to finish your degree. I was able to get state grant money for some of the training & employer paid for the exams. This knocked out 12 classes off my degree of 34 classes. Every little bit helps.
Can you elaborate which certs specifically allowed you to knock off those 12 credits? I’ve been looking at WGU’s BSCSIA. I’m taking a course right now in my state to earn several CompTIA certs.
@@yonatanmakara6856 I plan on getting A+ first. Then to net+, then ccna. A+ for all around knowledge on computers, net + for getting started in networking, ccna for more specialized networking. From what I understand, most companies, Atleast bigger companies, tend to use Cisco products
@@RubixCubed3 right my concern is not finding a job when i get net+. Dont wanna spend months for looking for a job and nothing. Ive already made up my mind.
My Network+ cert has definitely been useful to give me the overview I needed to get started in IT. It has been a very useful overview of networking that provided a good foundation of knowledge to get started on further study. That being said though Comptia is mostly just an overview and not a deep dive. My experience with Comptia is that it's a good place to get started for a beginner in IT and computer science however comptia certs alone don't give you mad skills to actually do advanced things at the keyboard. Netwok+ didn't make me an awesome hacker or even an awesome network tech but it did get me started toward such a goal in the future. So Comptia certs are not useless but they could be improved to take people deeper.
I think you do a great explanation here on certs. As someone who has been in IT for 20 years the only 2 certs I have are A+ and Linux+. I think it really depends on what the knowledge base of the person is. Just getting started start with the ITF+ then go for the A+. Network+ is also a good place to go after you learn A+. After I got my first job my experience allowed me to move up to where I am now. I also have an Associate's Degree in Network Engineering that and my certs together is how I got my start. Now I'm aNetwork Admin for a multi service provider.
I agree that fundamental testing should be included. I had tech spending 16 hours because he was trouble shooting legacy pci cards with Irq problem (no sharing support). The engineer was using old pci cards from an old machine in a new PC. Took me 30 minutes to figure it out.
I'll hit my 5 year mark as an entry-level campus tech and I'm doubling down on education and certifications. I tried applying with Amazon and Microsoft as an entry-level technician but didn't even make it past their questionnaire which asked "Do you have any of these certifications..."
I’m happy to see so many people with positive posts about the certs they took. The people who bash certs are usually ones who do the work daily, thus benefit the least. But it also tells me those people are also stagnating from their own hubris as the industry changes dramatically. Certs make you more likely to negotiate better salary rates. Because honestly, if you ask your employer to cover the costs and they say “No.” and you cover the cost out-of-pocket it will scare the heck out of them thinking a competitor will get you, and your replacement will know a lot less. Time is money and time invested in a cert is money multiplied.
NexGenT grad here: now working as a network engineer after taking the program - got certs, the CCNA, but that said, my company didn't care that I had certs (even slightly), what they were looking for the whole time was how I presented as an individual. This is much harder to pin down to something objective like a cert. How you present yourself as an individual is everything (this includes your skills but it's more than just your skills).
I've been in the IT world for more than 25 years and can tell you this fact: Some certs are useless but are highly valued because your client requires you to have it. One of the useless certs is CISSP.... and don't get me wrong, I got it for more than 10 years now.
I'll be honest, the first time I took the ITF+ I failed it. Then I realized I just didn't study hard enough, I attempted the exam again and I passed. After that I passed my A+ and my Network+, now I'm studying for my Security+. Don't let anyone tell you that the ITF+ is useless, because most people don't even have it. LEARN while taking these exams, not just for the credentials.
Thanks so much for this video!! I have a list of certs I want and have been working to get them prioritized. Based on what I've researched and read in these and other comments I believe the Security+ will shoot straight to the top of the list!
I have been in this industry for more than 30 years. When you have zero experience, any certification in the area of IT you are interested in; it is very helpful. As you gain experience, it is less and less about the certifications and more about demonstrating your knowledge and demonstrating your abilities to know where to go to get knowledge on a topic when you are unfamiliar. I will respect the person that says, "I don't know, yet..... but ask me again tomorrow and I will have the answer." VS the guy that tries to BS his way through a topic he knows just enough of to hang himself with it.
I feel like this really depends. I hold a few of the certifications in the image. I pursued them knowing they weren't going to lead to any magical outcomes but were used as a foundation or as a way to justify knowledge from a degree program. Personally, I'm at a transitionary point where I have built a foundation with some of these certs and it is time to move onto associate and beyond (as well as work on experience, etc.). I could see as someone gets advance certs to remove the Google IT Support or ITF+ from the resume and indicate selected certs. I don't think a CCIE will benefit from their ITF+ or MTA 98-366 showing on the resume. I believe there is something to be said for the certs building on each other and topic overlap either hierarchical (MTA 98-366 to CCNA) or lateral (AWS CCP to Azure 900). I think it is important to remember that one person's path may not be your path, and your path might not be the person's path, and so on. Perhaps it is more important to help others find their path instead of telling them which path to travel on.
The Azure fundamentals help me to get headhunted to a System Administration role as you can build on your knowledge. It also made me enhance my knowledge to get a better understanding for the AWS CP. I want to move to Cloud Security, so did SC900 but now will pursue Security+ then SSCP before CISSP with CCSK.
Knowledge is power. Learning is feeding more power to your brain. Certifications are not knowledge, but test you and measure your basic knowledge on a type or class, or program. Having a cert does not guarantee you will get a job, but being proactive feeding your brain knowledge, and being open to learn. To proof your identity, you need a driver license and possibly other docuemntation. To proof your knowlege in IT you need certain certifications to back you up! Yes, it is not as useful for a network admin, to only get A+ and security plus+ but more leaning on their career path. There are no useless CERT, feed your brain, and free your mind.
Here's the thing with certifications: Like a resume, it just gets you a foot in the door. If your resume sucks, you won't get called, even IF you know your stuff. Part of your resume sucking, might just be the lack of a few certs. Depending where you are with your journey to IT, stuff like A+ could be very useful. If you are going for your first helpdesk job (level 1), A+ and Net+ are probably going to give you a 50% better chance you will get called for an interview. But now you have to prove you actually know the stuff. If you have a lot of experience that you can do harder certs (CCNA, AWS SysOps), then A+ and Net+ are probably redundant at that point. But you'll sure get called more frequently for Cloud and Networking jobs if you have CCNA and AWS SysOps (at that point, you prove you have that knowledge in the interview)
I was in IT for 15 years and want to get back into it. The last year I have taken A+, Network+, Security+ and CCNA to fill in the gaps with my knowledge. Glad I did. Study to learn, not just to pass the cert.
Keep’r goin’ guy! Heck yeah! Y’all are great!
Is it better to study on your own and take the test or go to a school? I assume doing it on your own will be cheaper.
That's cool, and great advice!
@Metal Head you're telling a random person to become an engineer? Lol have you been to engineering school?
@Gérard Mentor
I'm starting from scratch with the A+ , I don't care what anyone says .
YES! Thank you! Good luck to you!
You can do this fella 👍🏿😎
I did the same earlier this year, despite my years of experience- and it turns out I have not kept up, or forgotten a number of things!
@@EMSpdx yeah , I bought the package comes with a book , videos , quizzes , damn this stuff is thorough , it's great for people like me who know zero about IT. I suggest you buy the book , it's great at those little details .
@The Ironclad Lad no one cares about that, go and look at how many jobs are requesting that, I'll tell you NONE OF THEM!
I got ITF+ as a confirmation that I actually understood the materials (I was originally studying A+ and it was way over my head). Once I passed ITF+ I felt I was ready for A+. That was during the Summer of 2020. Fast Forward to today and I now have my A+ (achieved in 2021) and Net+ (achieved yesterday).
Congrats. Having the actual ITF+ doesn't really mean a lot. Having gone thru the course work to get it gave me a pretty good foundation to taking on A+.
Can someone give me the link for ITF+ course work.
im finishing up my a+ what a large test.
Great job man
congrats! i wish you much success !
Well this is a misleading video title. Saying that its the TOP LIST OF THE MOST USELESS IT CERTS. and then you don't provide a list of useless certs. This title is nothing but clickbait.
Typical UA-cam..
😂😂😂
I have earned 7 certs. 3 comptia certs, lpi Linux and 3 microsoft mta certs.
For me, comptia A+ was the most beneficial in landing my first job. The lpi Linux got me a raise along with the MTA certs. Plus I gained great knowledge studying for them. I advise anyone to get the A+, get in the field and then study additional certs at you work. Combining that book knowledge with experience makes it so much better. I started out as a pc repair tech. Now I work from home remoting into Linux systems at doctor offices all day and I love it.
@michiko one year
@michiko honestly. it really depends on where you live. I live in rural Ohio where I have a 5 bedroom house for $650 a month. I make $24 an hour. Some people will say that is low for what I do. But again, my cost of living in the rural midwest in low.
The same job in LA might pay $30 an hour but in LA you are paying $1500 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment. There's so many factors that go into it.
I want to get into linux. Took Comptia A+, Network +, Security +, don't feel like getting Linux +. However, Lpic and linux foundation do interest me. How's the Lpic exam?
@@Tylerbolen what city in Ohio?
@@zenithheam2545 down in Adams county. No cities here. Not even towns. Just villages lol.
You did a beautiful thing here. Since start of my career... The A+ cert and the soft skills and interpersonal comm skills has earned me so much more than my CCNA certification.
Lmao not!
@@docholliday4546 I’m confused are you just salty you paid a bunch of money for a degree? Or are you just naturally high in sodium?
Ayoola awe how can I reach out to you ?
so the A+ is useful for at least getting your foot in the door if you're still in college. right?
@@dashamm98 I would recommend it. It's solid for fundamental understanding. But experience and networking with people will get you further, faster. I got into the IT industry without it but missed out on so many fundamentals. Learning this knowledge from these certs is helping me ALOT. Dont sleep on working as a service tech for companies like Apple and Bestbuy while in school. Its good for resume building.
What's wild is that if you get the trifecta, A+, Net+, & Sec+, you're only qualified for a help desk job... like what?
- A+ says you should have 9-12 months of experience
Net+ says you should "CompTIA A+ Certification and a minimum of 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience working in a junior network administrator/network support technician job role"
- Sec+ says you should have "CompTIA Network+ and two years of experience in IT administration with a security focus"
Having all three is having the knowledge of someone with 4 years of in the field experience. Yet you'll only get a helpdesk job. Let's also not forget the $1200+ dollars for taking the exams and the extra cost of study material... should be able to get a better position, not sys admin, of course, but certainly better than helpdesk
Yupe! Those are entry-level certs that CompTIA provide, meaning, what you just said. Having 1-3 years of experience in the IT field before taking any of them will help out considerably! Coming in as a clueless rookie in IT will not help you much studying the material in those books and videos because you need to have the fundamentals down first!
I took the ITF to see if I had the knowledge, I passed it then that gave me the confidence to take and pass the A+. It’s all about the person trying to learn and get better.
...what is itf?
@@dssample1239 the comptia exam it’s the beginners exam. IT Fundamentals.
I think ITF+ is definitely a good exam to take for that first cert test. It's not super expensive, and won't take months of study to try it to see what the process is like.
i’m looking to go into cybersecurity, I have no experience at the moment. should i buy the itf exam and take it or should i start off by buying the itf bundle?
@@treywhite2992 start @ ITF and move your way up.
I'm in the process of a career change into IT at the the age of 50 from spending 30 years in retail and hospitality. It's a bit scary but also exciting what my new career will be like, I have zero experience at the moment. Like you said, there is value in basic certs, there's value in learning and everyone has to start at the start at some point in there life. So thank you for the reassurance.
Best wishes to you going forward 💯
Where you able to make the transition? I was working in labor my entire life. Injured my back in a factory and made a transition to tech sales. Now thinking I need to flip it to IT before I loose my voice or hearing.
Similar. 30 years as a auto/aircraft mechanic. Lots of pain going forward.
You’ll love it…. I’ve learned that certs can be just as valuable as a degree.
Did you get in to the career
Dude get to the point!
I just got a tier 1 job that required an A+... without actually having an A+ certification. What I *do* have is years of customer service experience, a semester of volunteer IT work for a professor's run-down computer lab, and an in-progress virtual home lab. I didn't match their requirements exactly, but I tailored my resume to reflect that I could perform the job duties anyway. I do get discouraged seeing higher level roles require a B.S. in IT (sometimes an M.S.) & 5+ certs (some of which aren't offered anymore) but I've learned that you should just apply anyway if you feel you're a fit for the job, even if you dont have those 5 specific certs. I think people should go for the certification that best fits the path they're on. At the very least, it's resume material.
That’s great advice thank you. I recently graduated from a undergraduate program focused in cybersecurity and was thinking I had to get a Bachelors next. I have tons of experience with labs and hands on experience though.
I don't think we should be advocating for people to be lying about their skillset. IT is one of those fields where tons of people lie & hiring managers have enough on their plate having to sort through all of those lies. You got an entry level job. A+ or not as long as you are competent, you can at least do the bare minimum to get the job done. Higher level jobs are ENTIRELY different. The pressure is another level. One mistake & you can lose a company millions of dollars in a second. THAT is why those certifications are required & everything is strict. Do you want Susan Wojcicki breathing down your neck because the email system or God forbid UA-cam itself went down?
The problem is also you might think you're doing good at your job, but then you see someone like me do it & you'll be discouraged because of my skillset/knowledge. I've run into dozens if not hundreds or techs in similar situations to yours & I can say with 100% certainty everyone noticed the difference between us to the point where their managers were looking at them skeptically. It's not like I was trying to impress either...I did the basics the job required. When you don't have any sort of structured learning under your belt you miss out on A LOT. There is so much you haven't realized that you don't know.
If you just took the test you could get the interview without "years" of experience. And that cert doesn't take too long to get.
Employers describe their perfect candidate but rarely find them or hire them.
Don't worry about requirements as long as far as what you need to have but rather what you need to learn to be an effective employee.
@@NizelAdamsWhen did he advocate for people to lie?
As someone who is brand new to IT and trying to figure out my path, I was relieved to hear the content of this video. I understand that some certs are better than others but I just want to build a base and I think some basic certs will help me decide what path to take. Thanks for the video!
I’m in the same spot now, thinking of doing a couple of Coursera courses then going on to CompTIA
@@jamesabbott3149 Been in IT for several years. Envision what position you want to be in the next 5 to 10 years. Cloud Engineer? Cyber Security Policy Guy? Management? Then tailor your education to meet those standards. Wasting time on getting all the certs is expensive and time consuming. Jack of all trades in IT will not get you PAID. Specialization can. Additionally, you don't have to take the cert to obtain the knowledge. You can buy the book or videos and do it your own for personal betterment. But INDUSTRY standards prefer the higher level certs.
@@theoneaboveall7708 what are some higher level certs that would help?
I recommend getting your CompTIA A+ 1101 and 1102 certifications and that opens up a kingdom door for your employment opportunities
@@theoneaboveall7708 I have been working in IT for 8 years - life long learner before that, however. I would disagree. Generalization can get you paid - it is all about the business. If you can find a nice startup, you can easily make high 5 figures or low 6. But it is also more work. Specialization gets you paid MORE, but generalization can still get you paid just fine. If others want to generalize and be a jack of all trades, then by all means, go for it!
Best advice I can give...
Jump straight into Sec+. It maybe harder but it'll open up doors for government and related contractor employment. Have the company pay for higher certs, move onto bigger things like AWS, Azure, RHEL, CCNA, CISSP, etc.
I will start uni in August , I am currently studying for the A+, I bought the book already , but like is this list for people who r currently working and want to get a higher salary orr
The best career outlook comptia certification compare to the others. It's better get it and also a+, server+ (temporary entry level job to gain experience) than getting rest of the unnecessary comptia certifications.
@@maroon9273 OOh I was wondering if it's better if I focus on my studies and then start working later orr , what do u recommend , ooh and btw I am planning to major in Cyber Sec, if possible or Computer engineering.
@@waseemq1522 I'll like to ask a question what is important for you, is it gaining work experience or going to school?
@@maroon9273 School, or the knowledge needed in general that's why I will be studying for certs while studying the Uni subjects .
If you are monitoring a network for intrusions and that’s your job then for that person would have no use for A+. If you are a computer nerd then knowing the difference between ddr3 and ddr4 could be beneficial for the application.
I agree with this video 100%. I earned my Comptia trifecta a few years ago. They have helped me tremendously. Don't forget they are a launchpad to the more specific certs that you want to focus on. You have to start somewhere. Also I think the learning opportunity outweighs just earning the paper that shows you passed a test. Enjoy the learning. There is much to learn from the "fundamental" certs.
Sec+ got me my first IT job, A+ and Net+ taught me how to do the actual work. So far SySA+ has been pretty useless for me.
@Dusk Rider - Did you complete your certifications in this order?
@@thlp6872 Pretty much. Never actually took the Net+ exam but studying the material was very helpful.
I took the A+ then only reviewed Network+ material and now focused on Security+
Not gonna lie, when I first started my IT career 7 years ago, I didn't think much of the fundamental IT certifications (A+, Azure Fundamentals,, etc) until I took a pivot into software development. The program I'm currently in required the MTA 98-361 to be enrolled and that certification changed my mind and I respect those aiming for the basic certs. Now I'm studying for the fundamental certs for ML/AI. Great video!
What are the fundamental certs for ML/AI are you taking currently? Thanks in advance and good luck.
This is a 12 minute video with one minute of content. Others may flip out and cry, but most of us are just here to find out your list and reasoning.
Love you bye.
@@Itcareerquestions Just the facts, ma'am.
Certifications shows willingness to improve. That adds value to your profile.
Lol everyone mad because he’s got A+ in the bin. But I think it’s just for thumbnail. Harmless clickbait
I was told A+ was worthless and pointless. I had my Sec+, Net+, Server+, and CySA+ plus 10 years of experience before I ever sat down for the A+. I will say personally after studying for it and taking the tests, I think it's absolutely worth getting. It's great information and I can definitely see it helping folks out.
@@Wabbajack21 take more classes and learn more and try it again. if you can't pass that exam your not going to be ready (or probably able) to get an IT job
@@Wabbajack21 get the Exam Cram books for ANY certification you're studying for, read it over, and DO THE PRACTICE QUESTIONS/TESTS. They help TREMENDOUSLY and REALLY do prepare you for the tests because ALL of the info they provide is more or less DIRECTLY on the tests. I passed my A+ cert using Exam Cram and Professor Messer.
@@Wabbajack21 also you don't have to get the most expensive PC parts. Get what you can afford and what is compatible with Windows 10.
@@excelsior8682 is the book called exam crams?
@@Wabbajack21 Just passed security plus with no IT experience, it took some months of studying but professor messer's videos were invaluable for learning the material for me. I know he has a series for A as well.
Got my sec + , then landed my FIRST IT job as a Govt contractor overseas making 100+. In my opinion get certs that meet DOD standards, the govt is always hiring & paying.
I just recently passed my Sec+ on Jan. 7th with no IT background. I’m a DOD firefighter contractor looking to branch into the IT field. I just started studying for my A+. I want to go to the cloud/security side of things, any info you can drop my way?
This is the route I’d like to go as well. I live in the Washington, DC area and the amount of opportunity here for govt and govt contractor positions is quite abundant
As my younger brother used to say, “Certs are like degrees, they get your foot in the door. Once you’re in the door, you have to prove that you know what you’re doing. IT and programming are show-me fields.”
Fax
Yep, every IT interview you do whether it’s in person or over the phone your knowledge will be tested.
My ITF+ actually got me my first real IT field tech position for a school district. No other certs lol
I agree with you 100%. There isn't a cert that is useless and is beneficial in some way, shape and form. Since the pandemic started. I've been working on gaining additional certs, and I've obtained 9 of them. 8 MS and 1 CompTia. I've gained more attention from recruiters than ever before and 2 of the Azure/1 O365 certs definitely gave me the edge to gaining my next job which came with a raise. I highly encourage IT pros to work on their certs. Furthermore, I'm glad you mentioned soft skills because a lot of IT pros don't have that, and it's an absolute necessary skill set to have in the field. It should be considered a must. I can't tell you how many "IT Pros" I've worked with who can benefit from having that. It makes the world of a difference.
Yeah 100 % true
A+ helped me get a deep understanding of computer hardware and learning how to troubleshoot basic OS level issues. After I earned that cert I opened my own computer repair business. It’s absolutely NOT useless.
Had us in the first half not going to lie lolol but great video and so important for people getting into IT to understand that there are no “useless” certs just certain ones may be more in demand
yo
The most useful cert to get when starting in IT is defenitely the CCNA. It teaches fundamental concepts that you will use in your entire career.
Then the second one would be the OSCP.
Finally, get the CISSP once you have enough experience.
Thats all you need.
Only if you're network focused.
@@mattyssexydroid
If not network focused, then what alternative to CCNA ?
why would you take ocsp before cissp makes no sense
@@1CoreGame
CISSP is a management certification,
OSCP is not and it is focused on pentesting.
CISSP has more value than OSCP as it cover all aspects of Cybersecurity.
OSCP is an entry level certification, CISSP is not.
source: I have both.
I am a Veteran, tested out of college, have an FCC GROL (Commercial license), and I am putting in for entry level jobs and only hear crickets.
I took the ITF+ 5 years after getting my Masters in C.S. (my grad research was in Layer 1 Security, at that time didn't even think in a million years i'll be doing IT). Took a weekend to study, but good to get the ball rolling for A+ or to get your mind right for certs.
I agree.
same here. been in pc support for like 8 years and ITF+ taught me stuff about databases and programming i didnt know. brushing up on that stuff was 👍👍
The soft skills of interpersonal and communication skills are absolutely paramount to move forward in IT. That's how people with no IT experience practically walk into IT and Cyber jobs today. I find it funny that at one time it was all about going to school so you can become technically proficient in the IT field and while that still holds true, employers can easily train a person on their particular platforms and technology and get that person up to speed on what's going on technically, without having to walk them through customer service training as well. Gone are the days of being the IT guy in the bowels of a company where some intern drops off PCs for you to tinker with all day. You have to talk and communicate with people plain and simple. This is the stuff that should be taught in IT classes and programs. The technical stuff will come easy to most because you wouldn't have gotten into IT if you didn't have a love or passion for technology in the first place. So really, get those customer service skills or take some communication skills courses at you local community college or find a course online that has a credential for effective communication or whatever it is to show that you can talk to another person.
More importantly is business communication skills.
You extroverts are cringe.
Makes sense for sales positions as well
Didn’t read the entire wall of text but soft skills is the most underrated skill to have and to a degree is the hardest to teach somebody
Nice to know. I’m changing my focus from obtaining an IT degree to obtaining certifications. Faster, I can work on degree once I get a job in field if needed to further career.
All of them are useless or all of them are useful. It all depends on the mood of whoever is hiring at the moment they review your resume or during the interview. Most recruiters and HR did not study IT and do not know about IT certificates.
Passing minor exams is super important. You always learn something and think of them as stepping stones to your dream role. I passed my A+ and it gave me the confidence to do more exams, and now I have a high paying IT role
In my view I want to go into networking part of IT,I was studying for the Compton Network + but I switch to Studying for a CCNA , I just look at some job postings and more people are looking for more CCNA than Network + I won’t say is useless but It depends on the rout you want to go
CCNA would be far more useful than Network+. Cisco dominate the networking market and it's always in demand.
Why not both eventually?
@@TheAwesomeness1123 because that’s stupid and overkill , the CCNA is long, in depth and you have to learn Cisco specific hardware on top of all the networking concepts.
@@TheAwesomeness1123 Network+ is theory-base knowledge in Networking, around 90% lecture and test/10% hands-on to pass the test. I have this cert. CCNA is 90% hands-on and 10% other. Go for one or the other! CCNA and CCNP are much move valuable and more in demand!
If you are new to IT you absolutely need to learn the knowledge and concepts in the A+ regardless of the value employers may place upon the actual cert itself. I would argue that it would be very hard if not impossible for an IT newbie to gasp a lot of the concepts in a cert like the Sec+, CCNA, or any of the other higher level certifications without an A+ foundation. If you have actual work experience in IT and possess let say junior level IT skills then you can most likely bypass the A+ unless of course its required by your employer (an many employers will require it). In conclusion weather you sit for the A+ or not you absolutely need to study and understand the concepts in the A+ if you are new and looking to get into IT.
interesting. how much does IT pay these days?
I didn't realize these certifications were still valid in today's market and that networking was in demand.
It's been about 10 years since I abandoned IT with a networking degree and several certifications.
@@vegan-rising The market is cold right now and having CompTIA certs don't hold the value of let's say Cisco, Microsoft or Amazon certs hold. If you have 2 or 3 years of IT experience, then having CompTIA A+ or Network+ is cool but not required by most employers. Experience is key!
Every certification can have a use, especially since one thing it should say is that someone has knowledge on the subject, if not experience. In the career field I am in, ITIL is considered important. A+ was required besides Security+. I see certifications as a way to gain base level knowledge (depending on the certification), which some employers want. Or if you decide to work in government, it doesn't matter what the employer wants, Security+ is the ground floor. (And preferably an OS cert for the computer environment you work in.) Going back in time, the one cert I wish I could have gotten (but it was incredibly expensive for a junior enlisted Soldier), but could only get a token for half off, was the GSEC+ certification from 2009 timeframe. The class for this certification was jam packed with information. The instructor covered 6 textbooks in six days. (He was kind of like a happy, peppy Ben Shapiro in how he talked. Fast enough to tear through all the information in the textbooks at 8-10 hours a day.
Hello, I am a 61 year old female. I have a degree in Computer Science from 1989. I agree that most people that work with computers in IT have little knowledge of how computers actually work. I am a Linux Administrator and have worked as a Software Engineer and in IT Support and have built gaming computers as well. I think the A+ certification and the Network + certifications are great starters despite a degree or no degree.
4:34 - " certification GIVES YOU value" thank you for actually saying that. I honestly got my CySA+ cert for ME and didn't care what a company thinks lol! Fast forward... I finished my B.S in Cyber , got security + and CySA+ and got my first interview for security analyst tomorrow. Keep putting one foot in front of the other!
Passed my Security+ exam! Now I'm fully qualified to protect my grandma's knitting blog from cyber attacks! 😎👵🔒💻😂 #GrandmaApprovedSecurity
Please tell me the materials you use to prepare for the exams? I'll be glad to get a response from you
As an IT Instructor in Career Technical Education, I can tell you that IT certifications are in fact quite important, and most if not all of our employers and business partners would not even consider a job applicant without any IT certifications earned. Our main goal in our IT Academy is to teach the right technical skills, learn how to apply them in the real world, and earn as many IT certifications as possible while enrolled in one of our programs. Our placement numbers prove that certified students are likely to get jobs in IT, while students with no cert are usually out of luck and unemployed or employed in non-IT industries (most common are hospitality and retail).
But this misses the question, imo. Do these people overvalue the certs? For better or worse Ive always thought that in the minds of HR departments etc, IT certification is understood in terms of college degrees. If that's right then they may be good for getting a job and even a raise, but do they do anything more?
Certificates are crucial for employees to present you favorably to clients. They demonstrate that their workforce is qualified and certified in various areas, allowing them to command a competitive price for their services.@@sp1ke0kill3r
Don't believe the hype. A cert only looks good on a resume but Experience outweighs any cert. You just got to find your way into an enterprising company and volunteer for most every project to expand your hands on knowledge in real world situations. Take that course money and instead use it to build your own Home-Lab so you can run your own test projects. Now when you're face to face with an interviewer you'll have vast diverse amounts of knowledge to one up the competition.
I have 9 IT certifications and I'm still stuck working in tech support. It would be really nice if the hiring managers in the industry actually valued them.
I also have nine certifications and years of sysadmin experience in the military and I can't get a job. Haven't tried help desk but that would be going backwards for me. But I may have to.
Work on a better resume. Job do value them. working on mines now!!
Certs are not all. you have to prepare a good resume, not stacking up what you did so far, but showing what achievement you did in your current work and past roles.
for example, you improved support response by two times, your helped to fix an important issue for the client and helped them to save X amount of dollars. your achievement should be quantitative (read : using numbers, percentage, etc).
Also, the hiring manager should be able to understand your goals, and your achievements within few seconds of reading your resume. So try to highlight your goals, achievements as compact as possible .Keep in mind the 5 seconds rule.
Also, while listing all your certifications show your willing to learn, too much certs list may hurt, especially if the said cert is completely unrelated to the role you are applying for. I would put max 3 certs, the most recent, the most important and the most in relation with the role you applying.
I got these tips from a recruiter specialized in cybersecurity roles and he is ranked number 1 in success rate in my region.
Hope it helps. Good luck!
@@PurpleTeamer Gee, why didn't I think of that?
Just about gearing up for the RHCSA exam. That certification FORCES you do hit the practical side. And I mean hard. And that's excellent.
Thank you for making this video. So many people forgot the value of having value through these certifications. Be successful people. Get that knowledge!
Im in the process of getting my Sec+ cert to complete the trifecta and let me tell you: LUCK plays a big role in landing a entry level job. Google ITSS, A+ Net+ and still not even a single interview. And yes all my resumes, cover letters etc are professionally made for me transitioning from one career to another. But again, its who you know unfortunately.
I did the A+, Net+ and Sec+ whilst progressing through various IT jobs. The A+ got me my first service desk job, the Net+ got my my first L1 NOC engineer job and the sec+ got me my first Sec analyst roles. All three were super affordable and completely offered more value and ROI than my degree and MSc I did later on in my career. Why, because its accessible and it gets the ball rolling with work experience which is far more important for career development.
I got an IT cert, but it’s not because I wanted to be in IT….. it was just to better under computers 💻 etc. I’m in Quality Assurance.
@@sainigursimar no .
The one type of certs I have a hard time recommending are Microsoft's certs. Not because the cert or the content itself isn't useful, but because in 3-5 years that cert is likely to be retired as MS restructures their certification programs AGAIN. It doesn't have the longevity of other certifications, plus MS renames these so frequently that no one bothers to keep up with which cert goes with which skillset this year.
Add to that a history of fly-by-night training vendors pushing people through MS cert bootcamps where you walk out in 4-6 weeks with a dozen certs and can't apply the skills of any of them, and they're just not as useful as some other places where you could invest your time and money.
I agree that every cert has a purpose, it's still learning and it's still knowledge that you didn't have before. My only con with Comptias certs are that they word their questions so fucking stupid. Please comptia up your game.
Exactly, it's unrealistic to an actual job scenario. I despise the tricky wording they use as what they're asking is incredibly unclear half the time. I think it has to do with the platform, Pearson, being a non-english company, so their translation is pretty half-assed.
If its technical, any certification can be a great boost on your resumee. Of course, you need to know and understand what you just passed.
First, GREAT VIDEO and congrats to everyone taking and passing their certifications.
After 38 years of experience and a ton of certifications, and still having FUN in this field, this is what I have to say : No certification is meaningless. Go get the certifications your comfortable with first. Never stop training. Challenge yourself, don't be affraid. Failing is part of the process. You cannot do any gains if you discourage yourself on every fails. Always be respectful for all the ones they achieved their certifications. Instead, encourage them. Share your experience and knowledge. And certainly, have fun. It's all about attitude.
I've seen too many people in my life taking certifications, and then at some point they stop and sat on them. DON'T DO THIS. Always, and I mean ALWAYS re-train yourself, even basic things, no matter the age you have. I'm 58, and STILL continue taking training courses, online, reading books, doing local labs, name it. And I'm not planning to stop any soon. The brain is a "muscle" that needs to be kept trained, like anything else.
Finally, Always respect the pace of your ability to digest your training. Don't get burned by trying to go too fast. We are all different. Success is in your ability to be constant, but never stop. And don't be affraid, as the age go by, the pace is not the same at 58 as it was at 20. But the most important thing, is that it still running strong. I've seen too much people stopped and have to be retired too soon because of their decision. It's all having fun on the job your doing on a daily basis, and training and certifications gives you the tools to achieve that.
If it wasn't for the fact that failing an exam wastes money, then I am sure a lot of people would be less afraid of failure. Now if you're in a situation where wasting money isn't a concern, then failing and learning works. A lot of people are afraid to take risk, including myself.
To think you can simply memorize content to pass a test then be proficient enough to do a job with nothing else is somewhat delusional unless it is solely an entry level certification. You have to show the practical application of how that knowledge applies in a production environment, not just that you can regurgitate a concept in a definition form. Now, I’m against the IT gatekeeper mindset but there is some merit in overlooking someone with just a CCNA who hasn’t ever seen a switch outside of a packet tracer lab instead of giving them the keys to an enterprise network.
You also have to look at where you live. Just because you have IT certs, if you live in Nowhereville, USA a job isn’t just going to materialize out of the nether.
Lastly, be realistic with your practical skill set. If you have A-Sec+ but only a lab portfolio, your chances of being a Cyber Sec Engineer is low. Don’t search for that on Indeed... look for a high paying HellDesk, Field Service Tech, T2, Network Tech, Desktop Tech, etc. Again, the gate keeping is bullshit, but I wouldn’t trust a pilot with a Piper license to land the 747 I’m on.
Yo wsup Nathan, great post but as someone that has ZERO knowledge in computers, the parts, how it works, etc…would you recommend the A+ cert? Any advice would help. Hope to connect with you soon 💪
@@trideez3768 I’d absolutely recommend A+. Just be aware that with zero knowledge or experience the A+ will be a ton of informational overload initially. Certs do NOT teach you knowledge, they test your knowledge, so I’d start with some free or low cost training (there’s plenty on UA-cam and Udemy) and setting up a Virtual Machine lab environment to first gauge your interest in drinking from that firehose before committing to $478 in exam costs. The experience of setting all that up and maintaining it while going through a semi-structured learning plan will give you what you need, technology wise, to start at a Help Desk. The rest is customer service, people skills, calm under stress, etc.
The only way I view a certification as useless is if the person is gathering them with no plan. I have met plenty of people with credentials that did not even relate to their career goal or current position.
I don't any have any certs. Did CS at University, and dropped out in the last year because I didn't see a way it would benefit me and I'm terrible at programming. Since I love hardware and playing with it, I learned how to troubleshoot it and got Help/Service Desk job very easily. They didn't even ask if I have any certs or anything, just gave me technical questions and got the right answers.
As he said in one of his videos: Try to get experience before getting your first job.
This is big facts! Soft skills & experience!
A+ helped me out a lot. People may say some of these certs are useless but unfortunately if you don't have them HR won't give you the time of day. This is because HR people aren't technical, they don't understand certifications like we do. They just see the word CEH and give you an interview, but they don't understand what the certification or exam is about. Once you get past HR and you land the job your co-workers might appreciate the value.
Got my ITF+ first. In and of itself, it's not pragmatic towards employment. However, it gave me the back ground to jump right into A+ and pass it my first time. I compare it to taking a prerequisite 100 level course before taking the 101 for credit.
In many big companies I've worked at the IT departments regularly would patch in to customer's computers and fix things for them. I've worked primarily in health care, but I can tell you, most operating rooms have their own IT people because their equipment has to work 100% during a surgery. If you know how to fix a computer issue during an operation, you are worth your weight in gold.
Bruh I literally just started the Google IT Support certification ☹
It’s preparation for the A+ more than anything
You can always leave it before you are too sunk into it. I started last year, then put it down. Now, I'm reactivating Coursera as need to be complete a few modules here and there as they complement other training and certification endeavors. It felt a little like quitting, but I survived. Sometimes you have to readjust your position. It is sometimes hard to choose a cert path because there is a lot of information and people barking about get this cert, not that cert.
@@brecaldwell2993 Yeah I'll just go ahead and finish it cuz A+ is what I'm aiming for right now
@@michaeldvorscak thanks for the tips, I think I'll just finish it, it doesn't hurt having the word Google on your resume anyway
@@UGES How can I get to Sec + with no IT background?
I started off thinking I wouldn’t like this video, but I really enjoy the direction you went. Even the itf is a good confidence builder. It may not make you job ready but it makes you want to get the next one because you know you can learn the material.
The CompTIA A+ certification teaches you the troubleshooting method. Saying that certification is useless is like saying the scientific method is useless to a scientist. The A+ cert applies to literally every IT field & the basics of it can be pretty much applied to any problem you encounter in life outside of IT. In my 20+ year IT career the people I've seen completely struggle are the ones that don't know how to troubleshoot. If you know how to troubleshoot, you can work on issues without even knowing the platform, software, etc. like the back of your hand. The A+ is one of the most useful certifications you can get. If you can't get a job with an A+ then that's an issue with either how you're marketing yourself or a failure on those involved in the hiring process in knowing what these certifications mean & how impactful they are.
The ITF+ is an assessment on whether or not you would even want to get into IT & which field you would choose. It at least acknowledges that you know the basics of each field. It's not meant to be used as a serious certification when applying for jobs.
Software Engineer here.
Started with Comptia A+ 20 years ago when I was clueless on what I wanted to do.
That opened the door for me to other technologies and IT branch
I'm going through the A+ right now. I'm looking for good simulations and practice tests right now because I really want to solidify what I've learned.
There are many good cert programs out there but I found that TestOut is my favorite. The sims are fantastic but the randomized practice tests are EXCELLENT. Some people claim its expensive, but the cost is reasonable for the quality, in my opinion. Best of luck to you!
It’s all a building process. First the foundation, then the frame, then the exterior, then the interior. Balance soft skills with certifications.
Completely agree! IT certifications, communication and soft skills are needed ... to be a successful IT Pro.
ITF+ helped me get the confidence to move towards my A+, now I have the trifecta and a job in tech, so it is definitely useful.
I sat through the entire video...only at the end did I realize he said absolutely nothing.
You wouldn't believe it, but in the DFW area, A+ carries a lot more weight than you could imagine. But it's mostly for low-ball wages for doing very basic tasks.
I love this vid. I despise anyone who goes on saying that certs are useless. Granted many may be overpriced but that's where we need to research the course content and job market etc. But you always learn something new at some point. Great points here sir. 👏👏👏👏
Finally somone said it... Certs will not get you a job, I have been saying this for over a decade.
Certs are good for showing HR, and some managers, that you put effort into learning said topics. Doesn't necessarily mean you can do the job, or capable of doing the work.
To add on a certification might not be as in demand because it is highly specialised. A certification that has many results on indeed is most likely required for an entry level job.
I just passed the MS-900 an hour ago and got 365 Fundamentals certified.. better not be on here lmao.
LMAO
Lool. Congratulations tho. Wish you all the best!
Congrats
Thanks all!
you're so right - we mustn't generalize from one or a few people's experiences - one or a few companies may value the certs - and one or a few may disregard them - the only certainty is we don't know for certain when we engage in an job interview - - all this ignores the fact that the personality of the person is being interviewed - may undermine the certificate - it's not the certificate alone that is applying for the job - if you don't get the job - don't just blame the cert
Absolutely agree!!! There is no useless certification, or at least preparing to certification. You will learn a lot of things and details that you might miss in daily work. As one of the NetAcad instructors, I'm completely agree with author of video. Every knowledge is worth time, you spent on it.
I also heard that's COMPTIA A+ is useless, Yes, it's very beginning, but not useless.. In fact in my experience with students, even experienced people could not pass A+ exam, because of lack of knowledge of fundamentals.
I just got my first IT support job (remotly) without any certs. None of the recruiter that reached out to me even mention certs or degree...all they wanna know is if you can do the job. Honestly touching your resume a litlte helps too...
Listen everybody luck is different but I suggest you still get a certification. IT support is a turn around job. I did that.
not really sure if any cert is useless, at the end of the day you learn something you did not know, but maybe depends on your job, or what you need at the moment? hmm
My guy! Your videos look so good! I started watching your vids a little over the year ago and the content has ALWAYS been top notch, but now the quality of video and audio matches the quality of the information. Congrats bro!
A+ got me in the door. And a pro for Comptia is their stackable certs! They look good on paper.
I'm glad I clicked on this video. I talked with a friend who works in IT, and he agrees with your sentiment, and that encourages me 🙂
I wish more people adopted that philosophy "Any is better than none".
I've earned a bunch of Google Certificates due to Programming Hub (71/114).
I guess a Cert is useless if you don't know where to go. However, if you have a path to follow, even some non-directly related Cert can be useful. (For example, I work in infrastructure and have a Scrum Fundamentals Cert.)
On the other hand, Certs don't necessarily prove anything. However, I think they show recruiters that you are someone who cares about your career, stays sharp, and is connected to your job. You don't sit and wait for things to happen; you go out and make them happen.
One should also understand several of these certs will allow you to basically test out (via transfer credits) of certain classes for example in WGU's BSCSIA and MSCSIA degree programs. This makes for less classes you need to finish your degree. I was able to get state grant money for some of the training & employer paid for the exams. This knocked out 12 classes off my degree of 34 classes. Every little bit helps.
Can you elaborate which certs specifically allowed you to knock off those 12 credits? I’ve been looking at WGU’s BSCSIA. I’m taking a course right now in my state to earn several CompTIA certs.
So far the only cert that helped me was the A+. I currently hold the A+, Net+, and Sec+
Any good jobs offer yet? For networking? Since ya got ya network+?
@@yonatanmakara6856 don’t know if your question was answered yet but when it comes to network certs, Ccna is gona get you farther than net+.
@@RubixCubed3 right. I got my voucher for net+ already so i might as well take it. Unless i should skip it all together and go for ccna
@@yonatanmakara6856 I plan on getting A+ first. Then to net+, then ccna. A+ for all around knowledge on computers, net + for getting started in networking, ccna for more specialized networking. From what I understand, most companies, Atleast bigger companies, tend to use Cisco products
@@RubixCubed3 right my concern is not finding a job when i get net+. Dont wanna spend months for looking for a job and nothing. Ive already made up my mind.
Security + and CCNA, and you have DoD covered and private sector, you can add AWS or Azure
My Network+ cert has definitely been useful to give me the overview I needed to get started in IT. It has been a very useful overview of networking that provided a good foundation of knowledge to get started on further study. That being said though Comptia is mostly just an overview and not a deep dive. My experience with Comptia is that it's a good place to get started for a beginner in IT and computer science however comptia certs alone don't give you mad skills to actually do advanced things at the keyboard. Netwok+ didn't make me an awesome hacker or even an awesome network tech but it did get me started toward such a goal in the future. So Comptia certs are not useless but they could be improved to take people deeper.
Network + is useless. Maybe only for dummies and beginners..
For job applications is useless
I think you do a great explanation here on certs. As someone who has been in IT for 20 years the only 2 certs I have are A+ and Linux+. I think it really depends on what the knowledge base of the person is. Just getting started start with the ITF+ then go for the A+. Network+ is also a good place to go after you learn A+. After I got my first job my experience allowed me to move up to where I am now. I also have an Associate's Degree in Network Engineering that and my certs together is how I got my start. Now I'm aNetwork Admin for a multi service provider.
Yo can I ask you some questions
I agree that fundamental testing should be included. I had tech spending 16 hours because he was trouble shooting legacy pci cards with Irq problem (no sharing support). The engineer was using old pci cards from an old machine in a new PC. Took me 30 minutes to figure it out.
I'll hit my 5 year mark as an entry-level campus tech and I'm doubling down on education and certifications. I tried applying with Amazon and Microsoft as an entry-level technician but didn't even make it past their questionnaire which asked "Do you have any of these certifications..."
I’m happy to see so many people with positive posts about the certs they took.
The people who bash certs are usually ones who do the work daily, thus benefit the least. But it also tells me those people are also stagnating from their own hubris as the industry changes dramatically.
Certs make you more likely to negotiate better salary rates. Because honestly, if you ask your employer to cover the costs and they say “No.” and you cover the cost out-of-pocket it will scare the heck out of them thinking a competitor will get you, and your replacement will know a lot less. Time is money and time invested in a cert is money multiplied.
In both my AAS and BS degree, I have to take the A+ degree as a core class for graduation. Also, I got a free voucher so I am going to take it
NexGenT grad here: now working as a network engineer after taking the program - got certs, the CCNA, but that said, my company didn't care that I had certs (even slightly), what they were looking for the whole time was how I presented as an individual. This is much harder to pin down to something objective like a cert. How you present yourself as an individual is everything (this includes your skills but it's more than just your skills).
I've been in the IT world for more than 25 years and can tell you this fact: Some certs are useless but are highly valued because your client requires you to have it. One of the useless certs is CISSP.... and don't get me wrong, I got it for more than 10 years now.
What's your opinion in CCNA?
I'll be honest, the first time I took the ITF+ I failed it. Then I realized I just didn't study hard enough, I attempted the exam again and I passed. After that I passed my A+ and my Network+, now I'm studying for my Security+. Don't let anyone tell you that the ITF+ is useless, because most people don't even have it. LEARN while taking these exams, not just for the credentials.
Thanks so much for this video!! I have a list of certs I want and have been working to get them prioritized.
Based on what I've researched and read in these and other comments I believe the Security+ will shoot straight to the top of the list!
That's great to have an IT cert, but the experience will help that IT cert stand out. NOW you are an IT Pro!
The most important ones are the certs your country takes seriously 👍
I have been in this industry for more than 30 years. When you have zero experience, any certification in the area of IT you are interested in; it is very helpful. As you gain experience, it is less and less about the certifications and more about demonstrating your knowledge and demonstrating your abilities to know where to go to get knowledge on a topic when you are unfamiliar. I will respect the person that says, "I don't know, yet..... but ask me again tomorrow and I will have the answer." VS the guy that tries to BS his way through a topic he knows just enough of to hang himself with it.
I feel like this really depends. I hold a few of the certifications in the image. I pursued them knowing they weren't going to lead to any magical outcomes but were used as a foundation or as a way to justify knowledge from a degree program. Personally, I'm at a transitionary point where I have built a foundation with some of these certs and it is time to move onto associate and beyond (as well as work on experience, etc.). I could see as someone gets advance certs to remove the Google IT Support or ITF+ from the resume and indicate selected certs. I don't think a CCIE will benefit from their ITF+ or MTA 98-366 showing on the resume. I believe there is something to be said for the certs building on each other and topic overlap either hierarchical (MTA 98-366 to CCNA) or lateral (AWS CCP to Azure 900). I think it is important to remember that one person's path may not be your path, and your path might not be the person's path, and so on. Perhaps it is more important to help others find their path instead of telling them which path to travel on.
The Azure fundamentals help me to get headhunted to a System Administration role as you can build on your knowledge. It also made me enhance my knowledge to get a better understanding for the AWS CP. I want to move to Cloud Security, so did SC900 but now will pursue Security+ then SSCP before CISSP with CCSK.
Knowledge is power. Learning is feeding more power to your brain. Certifications are not knowledge, but test you and measure your basic knowledge on a type or class, or program. Having a cert does not guarantee you will get a job, but being proactive feeding your brain knowledge, and being open to learn. To proof your identity, you need a driver license and possibly other docuemntation. To proof your knowlege in IT you need certain certifications to back you up! Yes, it is not as useful for a network admin, to only get A+ and security plus+ but more leaning on their career path. There are no useless CERT, feed your brain, and free your mind.
Here's the thing with certifications: Like a resume, it just gets you a foot in the door. If your resume sucks, you won't get called, even IF you know your stuff. Part of your resume sucking, might just be the lack of a few certs. Depending where you are with your journey to IT, stuff like A+ could be very useful. If you are going for your first helpdesk job (level 1), A+ and Net+ are probably going to give you a 50% better chance you will get called for an interview. But now you have to prove you actually know the stuff.
If you have a lot of experience that you can do harder certs (CCNA, AWS SysOps), then A+ and Net+ are probably redundant at that point. But you'll sure get called more frequently for Cloud and Networking jobs if you have CCNA and AWS SysOps (at that point, you prove you have that knowledge in the interview)