Tech Employment Info

Wondering how important certification / school training is in the field in regards to employment?

A little background: I have owned/operated a computer repair/upgrade/custom build store front for over 4 years now. It is a one man operation, I do it all and have focused on home machines, with dos ; win 3.1/11 ; win 95; and win 98 (very little networking). I am 100% self taught (not even a friend to ask questions), When I started I would pull my hair out for weeks on a problem that should have only taken a few minutes, but I didn't give up and learned a lot (haven't had a machine beat me yet). Now I find myself solving problems for the techs I purchase equipment from. Also I get a lot of customers from other computer shops around the area that cannot solve their problems. Overall I now consider myself to be a skilled tech from what I've encountered in the field.

My question is, how important does the industry consider school training, certification etc.., compaired to experence in regards to employment / salary? How do you think I might fair based on the limited background I provided above??

I'm A+ certified, and like you, a one man operation. I am self taught Windows NT, and deal with a lot of major networks for big companies with at least 30+ computers.
I do all of my work on-site, and I do not advertise. My advertisement is word-of-mouth.
If your good at what you do, then you should have no problem getting your customers to write out a letter of recommendation. These type of achievements would be just as good or better than any certification.

It all depends on what kind of job too. For me, being fresh out of only one year of college, it's been real hard finding a computer job. I too am self taught, and have ventured a little into the small business. But without a full degree or some certification (I personally don't like it...but the money would be nice) I was getting either shot down, or offered $.50 over minimum wage. But thankfully I found a new business that needs someone with real experience and not just book smarts. But I know that at big companies (IBM, HP, etc), they are very stingy to un-certified people.

I agree with Eagle - satisfied home users give you a pat on the back and tell you that you are a genius.

Satisfied companies pay the $$.

I also do alot of onsite work for businesses with 20+ workstations and Eagle is right. If you DO it right, then clients will be happy to recommend you.

Certification is way overrated (esp. MCSE with its boot camps - what a joke.)
On the same note - it never hurts to have that piece of paper.

I am MCP, A+, as well as a few vendor certs. Get the real world experience first, then back it up with as many certifications as you can get your hands on. BTW, the new CCNA test is about to be out in Beta, and will be FREE thru the end of March at Sylvan centers.
shawn

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I ripped the head assembly out - it spins up fine now...

[This message has been edited by shawnMt (edited February 16, 2000).]

I think if you can pass the test and have the real world expertise behind you - then take them. We all enjoy the ability to show these certifications. One day you may want to apply for a big job, this would truly count on a resume if you are compared to someone else...

Good luck

I personaly feel that a college education is a waste of not only time, but major money. I have been working w/ computers since I was 10 1/2 years old. I started back when the Commodore Vic-20 was hot! LOL Since then I have worked for many companies doing computer related service. I started w/ Radio Shack when I was 17 and that is where I got a lot of my hands on experience w/ the pc market. I used to rip the new machines apart as soon as they hit the store! I would then teach the Dallas-Ft. Worth support a few tricks about the systems that they said couldn't be done! :-) The only actual degree I have is my highschool diploma. Everything else has been all hands on. I personally feel that this is the only true way to learn how to work and repair systems. Any college course teaches you how to do networking w/ Windows 3.11 for workgroups on a 486SX/25! Lot of help this will do when you get out in the job market and run into your first Win95/98 network job! LOL Bottom line, college and all the extra certifications are a bunch of overhyped toilet paper! LOL I worked w/ a guy who supposedly had a 4 year degree in computer science! All good if thats the field you want. But he knew squat about actually repairing pc's correctly! I spent close to a month fixing all the machines he messed up in the short month that I worked w/ him! As for me, I feel that piece of 8 1/2" X 11" paper only means that you are certified to know how to mess things up worse than they already are! Word of mouth is the best kind of advertisement you can get. I have a very large client database due to word of mouth. If you know your stuff, then people will come to you. They don't really care if you have a piece of paper or not.

I gotta tell you guys - certification does
count - a lot of jobs out not counting the one-man shops require certs. if more than one person applies for a job (i can you from experience) that the cert will get the eye.
and education is a biggie as well...since receiving a degree, my income has increased quite a bit. just a couple of things to ponder..........

I, too, have been killing PCs since I was young. I got my start with an Atari 800 when I was 13, so I was practically over the hill (-: I started my own business when I was 19 and in college (pursuing a degree in music performance, of all things!) and I dropped out of college when the money got to be too good and the business was taking all of my time. But at the age of 24 I was facing a dilemna: I didn't know HOW to run an actual business. I was making quite a bit of money but working 80+ hours a week and facing the reality of having to (gasp) hire someone! I started shopping my services around, looking for someone to hire me. Because I had no formal education, was completely self taught, and only worked for myself (business references were never checked, much to my dismay), I was never seriously considered. So I quit altogether, went to a 10-month trade school to get enough Novell to pass my CNA exam (I'd been implementing and supporting NetWare for about 4 years by then, but I wanted to get the by-the-book education so I could pass the cert exam), and got my CNA. Since then I have had NO problems getting jobs. Last August, some four years after I got my CNA, I finally passed exam number 7 for my CNE, and I found myself on the happy end of many new perks, including raises, bonuses, and commission. I have to tell you, from a business standpoint, certifications help. The client sees the certifications and it gives him or her a warm feeling inside, that they are not getting a hack. No matter what people may think of "Paper CNEs" or "Paper MCSEs", the fact remains that the certification shows that you have a sound knowledge in THAT arena. Now, I have known MCSEs who couldn't upgrade RAM in a PC, and I've known CNEs who couldn't install Windows 95. But you can not lump all certified professionals into one category and say that they are all worthless. I take particular offense to that. Bottom line is that experience may be more important, but couple it with a certificate and you have a recipe for advancement in the IT industry.

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R. Bret Walker, CNE

OK guys, thanks for the input. I'm looking for somekind employment now - tired of all the paperwork (selfemployed) and slow sales lately - don't know if it will be computer work or what but one can only try.

On another note, I hope not but some of you guys have me thinking I'm overthehill in this field. I started with computers after I retired from the Army (20 years) in 93' (before that claimed to be computer illiterate) I bought a 286 (used mail order) and crashed it the first 5 minutes I had it. Took me a month, no disks, knowldege, etc... but I got it up and that was my start. Anyway am wondering what the average age of computer repair techs is (I'm 46).

Thanks again.

Bling Bling 19! Seriously...19. At the moment I am the only tech in the store, but in a few months, we'll be hiring another one, and then I'll be HEAD TECHNICIAN! Wow...I just love it!

25 yrs old. Been kicking machines around since I was 18 or so. My parents bought me an IBM (386) for graduation and I tore it up every way you can imagine. Didn't have a "computer friend" to fix it so I had to do it myself. That was my start.

BTW - I'm MCP, A+, HP Certified, and MS Preinstallation Specialist (woo-hoo I got a certificate!) 5 yrs PC exp, 2 yrs network exp.

Shawn

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I ripped the head assembly out - it spins up fine now...

I'm 20 years old, and have been working in the computer industry for 2 1/2 years. I Did an A Level in IT Tech, an A+ cert, and a few NT admin / core tech courses.
After 4 weeks work experience (paid of course) in an IT recruitment company, they employed me full time. Since then, I've worked internally, supporting over 200 users in a team environment. And for the last 2 years, I've worked all around the country doing support work through my original employer. It's great. Experience is essential. However, some of the guys I work with are 40+, and know a damn site more than me. I find though that us young-ones have a better approach to problems, and can think laterally. I hate it when older people quit their job, and gain full MCSE status, earn mega bucks, and know "f" all.

Good luck

Well, I'm 30 now, and started professionally when I was 18. In fact, my first job was building a PC for a classmate in February of '88, just about 12 years ago. I guess he liked his service...and I certainly liked his patronage...He was the best man at my wedding and is the godfather of my two children! (-:


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R. Bret Walker, CNE

34 - and female. I paint my tools pink, but they get stolen anyway. Certification is practically required in CT for companies (preferred is the gentle way of putting it). No college to speak of, no certification, but tons of gumption, guile and skill won't get you further than $10 per hour.

AM 46, 12 YEARS SELF TAUGHT, SELF EMPLOYED,
HAVE FIXED MORE NETWORKS & MACHINES THAT HAVE BEEN MESSED UP BY "CNA,CNE,MSCE,A+, AND NEIGHBORHOOD GURUS(YOUNG PUNKS)" THAN I WANT TO THINK ABOUT, THEY WILL COME IN ASK ADVICE, I GIVE IT TO THEM, THEY LEAVE MUMBLING ABOUT "DUMB OLD FART", RETURN A WEEK OR 2 LATER, "CAN YOU FIX IT AND RETRIEVE MY DATA"
I AM TIRED OF "COLLEGE DEGREES AND CERTIFICATION PAPERS" YOU WILL EITHER BE ABLE TO DO IT OR NOT