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c/career-switch-diariesharper_smithharper_smith11d agoProlific Poster

Dropped $800 on a certification and the ROI still stinks

I switched from retail management to IT help desk last spring and everyone said get a CompTIA A+ cert. Paid $400 for the study materials and another $400 for both exams, passed on the first try. Six months later I'm still at the same bottom rung job, just with a fancy line on my resume. The cert got me interviews, sure, but every place wanted two years of experience I didn't have. My buddy skipped the cert and just built a home lab for $150, and he landed a junior admin role before I even got a callback. Has anyone else blown money on a cert that didn't actually move the needle?
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miawalker
miawalker8d ago
Comptia A+ is a checkbox, not a ladder. Friend of mine spent the same money on a used server and a networking book. Now he's the one explaining VLANs to guys with degrees.
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