A+ Certification. Looking for advice.

[Vectraat]

So a lot of the computer shops around here require A+ certification.

 

Does anyone have any good Ebook or Audiobook (study resource) recommendations for A+ material? 

And beyond A+, what else would you recommend someone learn? 

[Oshino Shinobu]

Mike Meyer’s A+ course on Lynda.com is good,though the A+ cert covers a load of obsolete tech so a lot of it you'll never use 

[Vectraat]

51 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

Mike Meyer’s A+ course on Lynda.com is good,though the A+ cert covers a load of obsolete tech so a lot of it you'll never use 

Lol, great. "obsolete tech"
Why do so many computer stores require it then? For customer service positions and computer technicians. Called 3 different stores and they all require it.

You'd think they'd require something better.

 

What else can I read/study that's actually relevant/newer? 

[Ithanul]

There also Professor Messer and CBT Nuggets which both have pretty good videos on certifications.

 

On what else to learn, depends on which area of the IT field you are looking to go into: sys admin, net admin, security auditor, pen tester, etc.

[Shimejii]

11 hours ago, Vectraat said:

Lol, great. "obsolete tech"
Why do so many computer stores require it then? For customer service positions and computer technicians. Called 3 different stores and they all require it.

You'd think they'd require something better.

 

What else can I read/study that's actually relevant/newer? 

Because its a Relic of the times from 10-15 years ago. Certifications are like Candy, you can have dozens of them, but really they only want one or two kinds. A+ is your general CS and technician cert, as well as crapple cert. Just one of those things if you are trying to get into.

[Vectraat]

2 hours ago, Ithanul said:

There also Professor Messer and CBT Nuggets which both have pretty good videos on certifications.

 

On what else to learn, depends on which area of the IT field you are looking to go into: sys admin, net admin, security auditor, pen tester, etc.

Well, for right now, I'm thinking on getting into CS/sales at a computer store, but I'd probably want to transition into computer repair/system building sooner rather than later. If I don't completely hate my life after dealing with customers and building computers after a few years, I'll definitely want to go farther for more $. 

[Creekwater X]

Udemy Mike Myers videos for like $10 each

https://www.udemy.com/comptia-a-certification-901-the-total-course/

https://www.udemy.com/comptia-a-certification-902-the-total-course/

[Creekwater X]

18 hours ago, Vectraat said:

Lol, great. "obsolete tech"
Why do so many computer stores require it then?

The most intelligent people at the companies you will work for or so they will tell you.... Human Resources

[Vectraat]

2 hours ago, Creekwater X said:

Udemy Mike Myers videos for like $10 each

https://www.udemy.com/comptia-a-certification-901-the-total-course/

https://www.udemy.com/comptia-a-certification-902-the-total-course/

Thanks for that. Can I download them on my computer and move them to other computers or am I locked into this website to view them?

[Creekwater X]

22 hours ago, Vectraat said:

Thanks for that. Can I download them on my computer and move them to other computers or am I locked into this website to view them?

You enroll for the class and pay the 10 bucks or so and it's kind of annoying if you want to download them because you have to individually download them from the video themselves. When you're watching the video you click the gear Icon on the bottom right of the video and click download lecture. Each one of those classes (220-901 and 220-902) have about 100 videos each. But I like it a lot better than having to use a book. I recommend just sitting down with a cup of coffee and open up notepad on your desktop and watch the videos. 

[2FA]

I used Mike Meyer's book back when it was still the 801 and 802 tests (3 years ago). His book was maybe only 4 years behind the then current tech which imo isn't that big of a deal. It's more about understanding the overall concepts.

[AndyP79]

Another thought is to enrol at your local community college in their A+ software and hardware course, many of them will offer the chance to take the test at the end of it. Won't teach you everything, but you'll get a foundation that you have to dedicate a few hours to each week, and be done in four months.