How to Prepare for a Computer Hardware Job

Computer hardware jobs will increase faster than many other fields through 2014. Increased use of networks, peripherals and home computer use will create many opportunities for hardware technicians, support specialists and computer hardware engineers. To prepare for these opportunities, you will need both education and certifications.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Review the career options in computer hardware. Most jobs will require an Associate degree, even if you are the neighborhood "geek." Use the College board website to narrow your choices and find out more about the education required.

2. Search for financial aid and scholarships. There are fewer scholarships available for 2-year degrees than for 4-year degrees. Financial aid and scholarship money can be put towards certification costs as well as degree costs.

3. Select a school to attend for your initial computer hardware training. You can take computer hardware classes online or on campus.

4. Complete the admissions process and take the classes that you need for the initial computing degree that you chose. Try to also include an internship in a computer hardware job that is similar to the one you are pursuing. You will make valuable contacts and get relevant experience for your resume.

5. Apply to take the appropriate certification exam for your intended job. Use online preparation courses or purchase the materials to study at home. Hardware jobs require an A+ certification. Network hardware jobs are vendor specific. Cisco and Microsoft have different certification requirements that are not transferable.

6. Complete your initial computing certification exams at CompTIA.

7. Apply for jobs using your school's career placement service, online job banks and internship contacts.

Tips & Warnings

• Vocational and technical schools offer good options for preparing for a computer hardware career.
• Associate degree programs often have less expensive tuition than bachelor's degree programs.
• Quite a few technology-oriented sites offer free online hardware courses. Take one or two to find out if this career is really good fit for you.
• Many online sites only offer self-study classes. Learning how to troubleshoot computer hardware properly requires some interaction with an instructor.
• Get recommendations from trusted sites before you pay any money for computer hardware training classes.
• Don't attend vocational or online schools that are not accredited.

Resources

• Research computer hardware career options at collegeboard.com.
• Find information about computer careers at careervoyages.gov.
• Visit comptia.org to get information about computer certification exams and courses.