I'm finishing a B.S. in Computer Information Technology and have about two years of hands-on desktop support experience through a flexible county IT internship. I have roughly one year left in the role, and I plan to stay until the internship ends. I expect to finish my degree about three to four months afterward.
I don't currently have any certifications. I started studying for CompTIA A+, but much of the material felt like review from my work and coursework, so I decided not to take the exam. I'd rather focus my limited study time on certifications that match my goals instead of collecting credentials just to have them.
I recently began studying for the CCNA. My reasoning is that if I'm going to spend time learning networking, I might as well work toward the CCNA instead of preparing for Network+ first. I'm also learning AWS in one of my classes, which covers material for the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam. After the CCNA, I'm considering Security+, especially because there are many Department of Defense-related jobs in my area, but I don't want to rush too far ahead.
I'm still deciding whether I want to specialize in systems administration, networking, cloud, security, or another area. For now, I want to build a strong general IT foundation, particularly in networking. Given my experience, is skipping A+ and Network+ to pursue the CCNA a reasonable approach, or would you recommend a different certification path?
4 Answers
A+ is helpful for people trying to get their first support job, but your two years of hands-on experience make it less essential. You might miss an automated application filter by not having it, but a hiring manager should recognize that real support experience can demonstrate the same fundamentals. Network+ is also optional if you’re prepared to study directly for the more technical CCNA.
Your overall plan looks solid: finish the internship and degree, continue with the CCNA if you enjoy the material, and then decide whether Security+ or a cloud credential supports the jobs you’re targeting. Don’t feel pressured to choose a permanent specialty yet. Build practical skills alongside the certifications, such as troubleshooting networks, working with identity and access systems, scripting, virtualization, and cloud administration.
Going straight to the CCNA is reasonable if networking interests you. It teaches useful networking fundamentals even if you eventually work in a non-Cisco environment, and it is a more substantial technical credential than Network+. You don’t need to earn every entry-level certification in sequence, especially since your work experience and degree already cover much of the A+ material.
The CCNA is still worth it outside of Cisco-heavy workplaces because the underlying concepts—switching, routing, addressing, troubleshooting, and network design—transfer well.
Security+ can be a good follow-up if you’re targeting government or Department of Defense positions, since it is commonly used as a baseline requirement for security-related roles and can help with certain clearance-focused job listings. It is generally less technical than the CCNA, so treat it as a useful employment credential rather than a replacement for hands-on security practice. While you’re enrolled, check whether your school qualifies for the student pricing offered by CompTIA.
That was my thinking with Security+. There are quite a few defense-related positions near me, so earning it before graduation could help when I start applying. I’ll also look into the student discount while I’m still eligible.
Microsoft Entra and other Microsoft 365 or identity-management experience also appears frequently in current IT job postings, so look for opportunities to work with those tools in your current role and be ready to explain exactly how you used them.