CompTIA A+ qualification
 

After many years of flying I am considering taking the A+ qualification. This appears to be an industry standard course which will enhance your prospects of actually earning through PC repair and maintainance. Anyone any experience of this ? any advice welcome.

Forget it
 

Theres absolutely no money in repairing PCs, whether its failed hardware, or users screwing up their machines themselves.

The worst thing about that line of work is that if anything, and I mean anything, goes wrong with a computer you've worked on at any point in the future, it must have been your fault. The amount of potential hassle is unreal.

Pc's are just too reliable is another factor, and the general public too unreliable!

I stopped doing that sort of work 4 years ago, and now concentrate on offering services ie IT Consultancy to small business; better paid, less hassle, when it's done, it's done!

You would do better to find some area you can work in that offers a service to business rather than deals with the public at all!

Hope this helps
SC

I will echo the comments of 'sad_civvie', there is very little money in PC repair at the minute. Computers now are a lot more reliable and user friendly than they were 10 years ago for example. Every Tom, Dick and Harry is offering their services in the local newspapers, the industry has become flooded and the demand for our services has dropped.

The CompTIA A+ will give you a good foundation knowledge if you wish to go on to do an MCSE for example. Employers don't really recognise it as a specialist qualification because it is a qualification (and I use that term very loosely) which most people could gain if they read the book. I did the exam last year and sailed through both the hardware and software exam in a total of 20 minutes.

Nothing will get you further in the IT industry than experience. I suppose it is a bit like the aviation industry at the minute, you can have every available qualification under your belt but without the experience you will find it hard to get a good job.

However, if it is something which you hope to do I wish you the best of luck and will offer whatever advice I can.