IT Certification

Anything security related is good to have. Any of the Cisco certifications are also good. Some kind of cert or training in VM Ware would probably be valuable too.

CISSP or GICSP if you’re interested in security

CCNA minimum for industrial or routing/switching

PMP sucks

I heard A+ and Network+ are highly looked at Currently work on Network +

I started studying the Network+ and Security+. Bad thing about the Network+ is all you learn is conceptual knowledge. If I stick a Cisco router or switch in front of you, you'll be lost. CCNA teaches the same conepts as network+ but also gives you direction on configuring route paths and troubleshooting in a Cisco environment. Cisco is widely used in the business world and the configuration in Cisco is similar among other brands of routers and switches that use a CLI.

And a remote job in Networking or Security? That's a tough gig to get into unless you're doing cloud based networking and security, which is more complex than physical hardware.

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What are the best certifications to get into IT?

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All depeneds on your goals and anticipated career path...for example, if you're a helpdesk/desktop support tech and get a CCNA, there's no way I'm hiring you as a Net Admin without seeing the experience on your resume...

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And a remote job in Networking or Security? That's a tough gig to get into unless you're doing cloud based networking and security, which is more complex than physical hardware.

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I do cyber security audits

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Starting out ?

A+
Network+
Security+

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I'd also add that for some reason, the federal government is requiring vendors to have their engineers/consultants/whatever to have one of these three if they do any federal work.

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Whatever else..Usually these three get you into a nice 80k remote job and then you can go from there

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Starting off in IT at 80k? Ehhhh maybe if you work in Silicon Valley or some other expensive as hell place to live. Not to say it's impossible but mileage will vary.

So here's the thing, I've been in IT over 20 years and I've held many certifications. In my honest opinion, it's a rat race. However, it could be the difference between you and another candidate getting a job.

First off, don't be that guy what back in the day we'd call a "paper MCSE". People who just know the test with no practical experience. For most entry level exams, it's recommended to have anywhere from 6-12 months experience with the related technology.

There are three types of certifications I've classified in IT: General, common IT vendor specific, and ones you only get if you're working for a reseller that provides professional services.

For example, the aformentioned certifications are general certs. Some are for starting out. Some are a bit more specific like CISSP if you want to specialize in security, ITIL for IT process management cert, or PMP if you want to go more into project management. All of these are not vendor specific so it doesn't matter what your employer uses in their IT environment.

Next would be common IT vendors like Cisco, Microsoft, VMware, etc. A vast majority of IT organizations are going to use one of these vendors. Some of the entry level certs aren't hard to obtain. VMware will require a course to be taken if you have never had a VMware cert. I've held a current VMware Certified Professional cert in Datacenter Virtualization since 2011. I've only had to take a course once but have been grandfathered in if I take another test. Certs for Amazon Web Services is also one to get if you have some experience with it. I'd even throw in Red Hat and maybe Oracle in there as well.

Finally there are more vendor specific which only make sense if you work for a reseller that also provides professional services. I hold a couple of these. For example, certs for storage appliances, firewalls, etc. Basically a more specific level of knowledge. A corporate IT department may not care about these but if you work for a vendor that also provides services for these products it helps them with partner competency requirements.

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Entry level in Baton Rouge is $30k

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That's what I was thinking. Not even junior sysadmin jobs are 80k in Baton Rouge or even NOLA.

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Entry level in Baton Rouge is $30k

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Notice I said I work remotely, fellas..I live here, my company does not

ETA: Trace was hiring A+ for 50 4 years ago

Disagree on A+ cert being useless.

A+ cert would put most people as over qualified to work a Service Desk at most companies.