Posted on Jun 23, 2016
CPT David Gowel
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GySgt Carl Rumbolo
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Technical certifications in and of themselves does not necessarily translate to an actual job offer. Too many folks think getting a 'cert' gets you an employment offer - a certification may get your resume put in the 'interview' pile, but unless you have experience, it can be sometimes difficult to get the job you want - you may have to start at a lower level - IT support, help desk, etc. and build your career from the ground up.

If you are coming out of the service with experience, then having some certifications will be a big help going forward. I strongly recommend staying away from some of those "IT University" type schools - for profit, pushing you to take classes. Look around, shop wisely.
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GySgt Carl Rumbolo
GySgt Carl Rumbolo
8 y
SGT Teresa Puszert - As stated - fine if specific jobs require an S+ certification, but certainly not ALL jobs. Facts please - lets not be making broad generalized statements.
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Sonja Fehlberg
Sonja Fehlberg
8 y
I was speaking to specific jobs that I have. I would not mislead anyone. You are misunderstanding what I said and for that I apologize.
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GySgt Carl Rumbolo
GySgt Carl Rumbolo
8 y
Sonja Fehlberg - No need to apologize - it might have been better stated "For the types of jobs I am recruiting for a CompTIA Security+ is a requirement' clarity and context.
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SGT Teresa Puszert
SGT Teresa Puszert
8 y
GySgt Carl Rumbolo - One could also argue that your statement "Either you are a shill for some specific training or you are clueless and not a very good recruiter. Thank you for letting me know that your particular firm TCIPRO.COM is one I should recommend we NOT use." is a broad generalized statement that is not only hurtful and negative, but also not factual and down right uncalled for. TCI is not a fly-by-night training or consulting firm, we are a respected and successful IT Placement firm that facilitates excellent job opportunities for our vets and civilians.
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PO2 Michael Henry
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Edited 8 y ago
Go to community college and start there. Why? it's cheap and close to home. Find a school with a solid IT program, one that would teach Linux, Windows Server 2012, maybe 2008, Cisco, virtualization, various languages like Python, Ruby, SQL etc. The schools near me are WAY behind the times, teaching courses like Unix, Server 2003, etc. Create a VM or two at home and install Linux. Got a spare PC, install Linux on it. Get a set of A+, N+, and Secuirty+ books, then self study. Find projects associated with each cert to help make up for the lack of experience. Advertise through friends, family even church asking if they need help. Sites like http://www.codeacademy.com, http://www.edx.org, will help and offer free classes. I am going through Western Governors University (http://www.wgu.edu) and they make you display competency in each class before you move on. Some classes require a certification exam as your final to prove competency. For the Security program, I have to get A+, N+, Security+, Project+, Linux+, CCENT, CCNA, and CCNA Security + capstone to graduate. $3,000 per term, all the classes you can take in a 6 month term and vet friendly. I came in with my AAS Network Administration, A+ and N+. I got 68 credits of 124 approved. Now finished 8 units since March 1 and have Security+ and Project+. Have to finish Linux+ part 1 by Aug 31, plan on finishing both. Already had 1 interview 2 weeks ago and 2 offers via phone today.
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SGT Writer
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Edited 2 y ago
FedVTE, edX, coursera, JKO, Lynda, via LinkedIn for Veterans. Syracuse University VCTP for a tech certification.

https://jtspratley.com/blog/links-for-your-career-progression-it-lg-hr
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What are the best tech training programs available for veterans who have no college degree but want to start a civilian career in tech?
SPC Sokhen In
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Cisco is offering scholarships (free training and exams) for their new CCNA Cyber Ops cert. Here is a link:

https://mkto.cisco.com/Security-Scholarship.html

The important part is the qualifications:
Qualifications

To be considered for a scholarship, applicants must meet these qualifications:

General:

Be at least 18 years old
Be proficient in English
Basic technical competency (possess one or more of the following):

Cisco certification (Cisco CCENT certification or higher)
Relevant industry certification [(ISC)2, CompTIA Security+, EC-Council, GIAC, ISACA]
Cisco Networking Academy letter of completion (CCNA 1 and CCNA 2)
At least three years of combined experience in approvedU.S. military job roles
Windows expertise: Microsoft (Microsoft Specialist, MCSA, MCSE), CompTIA (A+, Network+, Server+)
Linux expertise: CompTIA (Linux+), Linux Professional Institute (LPI) certification, Linux Foundation (LFCS, LFCE), Red Hat (RHCSA, RHCE, RHCA), Oracle Linux (OCA, OCP)
Candidate acknowledgment:

Planning a career in IT cybersecurity
Prepared to complete training in three months
Willing to share a success story

I know many of you have gotten some Comptia certs, which means you qualify. Others of you are qualifying military veterans. Either way I highly encourage you to apply.
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SPC John Lebiecki
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Many people have pointed out the vagueness of the question, so I wont beat the dead horse. Find the interest and go from there. I went IT, started working from Desktop Support, to a Tech support engineer type role to now something specialized within Networking. Certifications will make or break a career (and in most areas is required to even get the foot in the door.)
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SGT Teresa Puszert
SGT Teresa Puszert
8 y
Absolutely true, especially in the DoD contract vertical. That's great advice SPC John Lebiecki
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SPC(P) Information Security (Is) Analyst
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YouTube, the most overlooked and underrated education source. Companies want people who are competent in their field
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SPC(P) Information Security (Is) Analyst
SPC(P) (Join to see)
8 y
I have no formal education, just certifications and experience
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GySgt Carl Rumbolo
GySgt Carl Rumbolo
8 y
SPC(P) (Join to see) - Yes - go ahead and list 'YouTube' as your source of education on your resume. I can assure you it won't get past most HR recruiter screenings.
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SPC John Lebiecki
SPC John Lebiecki
8 y
Its one thing to have a certification, its another thing to actually be able to back it up. I have seen CCNPs and CCIEs who cant do anything.
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SSgt Ryan Sylvester
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First, get with Voc Rehab at the local VA center. They'll probably have a good line on technical schools in the area based on what field they want to get into. Second, cert programs available at various tech institutes in the area. Certs are sometimes better than a college degree (though if you can combine both, that's way better). Third, if looking into an actual degree program; 1) Programming is programming is programming, look to Computer Science for programming degree paths or 2) for System/Network Operations, look for programs with multifaceted aspects of the IT field, as role specialization is no longer acceptable... you have to be able to perform many different functions, even at an entry level position.
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SPC John Lebiecki
SPC John Lebiecki
8 y
For the role specialization, I believe that depends on the company/agency you are working for. If you're working in a major corporation or within the Government sector with certifications and experience you will end up working in a specialized role. You are correct though as my old role (helpdesk/Level 1 Technical support you are working in a broad scope.
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Anita Nowocin
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Anita Nowocin
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This college has online courses. http://www.wgu.edu/#

My daughter is a tech writer with a science degree from University of Washington. My son is in IT and graduated from U of W in Tacoma. You may want to check to see if they have an online program. My daughter said that she thinks the University of Phoenix also has a good program.
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Anita Nowocin
Anita Nowocin
8 y
If you start with a community college, make sure any courses you take are transferable to an University!
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SSgt Christopher Mortell
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Siemens Healthcare in the US offered basic medical imaging technology repair training paid to veterans who could pass a basic electronics test.
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