OT Question for MVPs

[mcp6453]

My son wants to become a computer tech. Are there any credible online
courses that could provide him with a good introduction to the field?
Which MS certification is for hardware? MCP? Which certification would
you pursue FIRST?

Thanks for the input and suggestions.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Microsoft® Windows® XP Inside Out, Deluxe Edition
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/6271.asp

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

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:

| My son wants to become a computer tech. Are there any credible online
| courses that could provide him with a good introduction to the field?
| Which MS certification is for hardware? MCP? Which certification would
| you pursue FIRST?
|
| Thanks for the input and suggestions.

 

[Courtney]

My son wants to become a computer tech. Are there any credible online
courses that could provide him with a good introduction to the field?
Which MS certification is for hardware? MCP? Which certification would
you pursue FIRST?

Thanks for the input and suggestions.

When I hire, the number one thing I look for is EXPERIENCE. No online
course can get you that. I've discovered that the best techs are the
ones who tend to tinker around on their own systems.

A+ certification would also help. Network+ helps in answering most
customer questions.

None of the Microsoft Certs will help as a computer technician. However,
if he wanted to become a network administrator, it would help.

courtney sends....

 

[Nathan McNulty]

I very much agree. A+ and Network+ are almost a must now, but nothing
can compare with experience. There are things that you just can't learn
from a text book.

He would most likely want to look at getting his Microsoft Certified
Desktop Support Technician (MCDST). Here is a little more info on that:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcdst/default.asp

On that same page, you can find all of the Microsoft Certifications
available as well as the Exams required.

 

[Bob Willard]

My son wants to become a computer tech. Are there any credible online
courses that could provide him with a good introduction to the field?
Which MS certification is for hardware? MCP? Which certification would
you pursue FIRST?

Thanks for the input and suggestions.

And when that day comes, ten or twenty years from now, that computer
techs are no longer in demand, what will your son do? Some day, a PC
will be a single chip, which simply works until it is replaced.

It might be wise to plan ahead, by getting a general education instead
of focusing on a single occupation with a finite lifetime.

 

[Mike Hall]

I would agree with you to a large extent.. I worked for IBM repairing
RS6000s, PC Servers and desktops.. at one time, it was a fairly technical
job, but they can train pigeons to do it now.. PC parts are so cheap that
even home users change major parts (often unnecessarily) just because they
can't get something to work.. you only have to look at the service depts of
computer retailers to realise that little skill is required these days.. oh
well..

 

[Phillip Windell]

My son wants to become a computer tech. Are there any credible online
courses that could provide him with a good introduction to the field?

Avoid "online" courses. You learn the least with them and experience the
most frustration. College classes are my recommendation,...follow the
programs they have which give a more "broad" focus. I would avoid a focus
on hardware. Hardware is more devalued everyday,...it is all "throw-away".
You do need to know what to do with hardware, but I would rest my career on
it.

Which MS certification is for hardware?

None. MS is a software company, they don't build computers.

MCP? Which certification would you pursue FIRST?

Cisco CCNA, all other Certs can be built upon and come after that. It covers
the overall methods and concepts of networking which are not tied to a
machines operating system. Read though many of the posts in this
group,...there is a severe lack of understanding of the "concepts of
networking" in the industry that is at the root of many of the problems the
are posted about.

 

[Yor Suiris]

I may be out of date here. But I have found in years of working with
computers the most valuable skill I have learned is DOS.
And it is "Still" very useful to me today. I see Young Pups struggling with
"simple" command line routines because they only ever used GUI interfaces.
Find an old 486 or 386 even and get him to learn to make them do tricks.
Then this new stuff will be a breeze.

 

[Phillip Windell]

A typos to correct...

You do need to know what to do with hardware, but I would rest my career on
it.

....I would *not* rest my career on it.

 

[Phillip Windell]

I agree.

486? ahhww! Make it an old 8086/88 5mhz XT with an old RLL 30meg HD.
When I got started the 286's were just beginning to be replaced by the
screemin' 16mhz 386SX's with 2 meg of RAM.

 

[Leythos]

My son wants to become a computer tech. Are there any credible online
courses that could provide him with a good introduction to the field?
Which MS certification is for hardware? MCP? Which certification would
you pursue FIRST?

Thanks for the input and suggestions.

I've hired several hundred "tech's" in my life and found that in most
cases that a Degree and Certifications don't really represent what the
person can actually do in the real world.

If your son wants to stand a chance, get him 4 or 5 PC's, something in
the low-end P4 line, a couple 5 port switches, a couple NAT Routers, a
fast internet connection, and a subscription to the MSDN Universal
Subscription (student/edu subscriptions are cheap). This will let him
build/test networks, domains, servers, ideas, etc...

Get you son into a 4H or Scouts group that has a technology focus and
get him working through all of the books he can find on networking and
such.

He should understand HARDWARE before he starts on any MCSE tract, and
then he needs to understand, like the rest of us, that there is more
than one way to do something in about every instance.

When I look at a resume I look for experience first, then
Certifications, then Education, and then follow up with every reference.
Most positions require passing a 10 page test of non-text book questions
that only experienced (having been there) types could answer correctly.

When I take on new people, ones with little experience, I only look at
attitude and potential, we can train them to do anything, but only if
they have the right attitude.

 

[DanS]

server.columbus.rr.com:

Where were you when I was looking for a job ?!?!?! Although honestly I
was looking for more than a tech position.

I've got loads of networking skills and experience and when the company I
was with went under, I was stuck. The job market in western NY sucks, and
not having certification's to back up my real world experience, which I
had been commended for on several occasions, I was never offered anything
more than a $10/hour tech job. I managed a small (100 user) network, with
all the bells and whistles for 2 years, and before that was working in
the field in a semi-supervisory position on a couple of state-wide
private wireless network deployments.

It didn't matter to any of the recruiter's that I ran this network for 2
years. Or that I programmed my first Cisco router in a freezing cold
tower shack on a mountain outside Billing's Montana in the middle of
February from documentaion downloaded and printed out (and then went on
to reach mid-high level skills). Or that I could explain how sub-
netting/the subnet mask really works and explain it to someone in a way
they could actually understand. Or that I taught myself programming. The
list goes on and on.

You HAVE to have some certification's to get anywhere. Period.

At least that's how it looks from this side.

 

[D.Currie]

I agree that hardware problems aren't much of an issue, but there are plenty
of software problems to go around, as long as your approach isn't to format
the drive and start over at the first hint of trouble.

 

[Nathan McNulty]

Hey, but formatting and starting from scratch is my favorite approach

I still think an MCDST would be a good choice as it is troubleshooting
not only hardware, but also the software. I don't see flawless
operating systems or software anywhere in the near future even if they
make the hardware less complicated.

 

[Nathan McNulty]

I agree. Certifications are a must right alongside experience. I have
seen the exact same problems in Oregon. Many of my friends have tons of
experience, but have been forced to get certified because they could not
get hired without them.

Certifications are excellent ways of showing that you are dedicated to a
field and that you understand the basics. Experience comes with time
and the type of experience most employers are looking for is experience
with other companies. You can't get that until you get a foot in the
door, which is what the certifications help with.

 

[Leythos]

You HAVE to have some certification's to get anywhere. Period.

At least that's how it looks from this side.

I'm over 40, have no degree, no certifications, ran a large IT
development department (head of east coast division) for years before
quitting to start my own IT company at the height of the IT down-turn in
this area of the country. The company is doing quite well and I've been
in computers/system design/networking, and even board/chip design since
the late 70's. In all that time I've not been hindered by lacking a
cert/degree.

Yea, I'm sure that there were jobs I didn't get because of not having
the paper, but I've never lacked for a job in my own field, and have a
different view on it from my side than most people do. My teams are made
up of people that CAN DO, not people that should be able to do, and I
respect each of them for their skills - it's all about attitude once you
know how to do something.

I still think that the kid needs to know about Hardware first, then
workstation OS's, then Networking, then Servers. Without the hardware
he's not going to know anything about RAID in the real world.

 

[Jimmy]

And in what manner will this book offer actual technical training? Just because that is how you work, doesn't make one a real tech, and that is obvious by your read and react posts.

To the OP, do not waste your money on this book, rather follow the advice of the other non-Carey respondents. They at least, seem to know WTF they are suggesting!