MCP or A+ cert. first?

After 15 years of casual PC use and being "the guy" that all my friends call whenever they're having PC problems, I'm finally going through and looking at certifications so I can maybe get a decent entry-level job somewhere.

I'm 24, a fast learner as far as software/hardware is concerned, and i'm getting different opinions from people as to which Cert I should get first. I'm fairly certain I want to eventually get an MCSE, so I figured i'd start with an MCP, but some people are telling me to start with an A+ cert.

So my question to you good people is, MCP or A+ first?

Which one will help me get a decent (anything over 20k net) entry-level job after I get it?

Certifications are shit. All they prove is you can cheat at exams, or you can memorize all sorts of shit for just two days without having the slightest idea of anything. I've seen Cisco certified professionals fail when asked what's the difference between TCP and UDP. I've heard horror stories about Java certified engineers that make Silent Hill look like a comedy game. I had to take certifications myself because my company paid me to because their partners forced them to, and I can safely said I could have passed that without having a fucking idea of what I was saying.

But yeah, managers and shit who works for companies only care about titles titles titles, they are like stupid gamers with their "rigs" and "giga hurtz", so you might want to get certified in something so that stupid people will hire you. The smart people hire too, but they are fewer.

yah, it depends on what you want to do (job wise)
if you want to get a tech support job at a large company that doesnt focus on tech support usually the requirement will be the A+ cert. tech support at fry's electronics for example.

i got A+ certified because my high school offered it as a class and payed for the exam if you had a certain grade, so i got it for free. when getting a job it definately helps to be A+ certified, but it proves nothing if your talking to someone who knows their shit.

Any more opinions, anyone? I want to make a decision today.

>>4

A+ is a step up from McDonalds.
MCSE will always be a good cert but that is something you want your company to pay for.

Serisously, an MCP vs. A+ makes little difference with entry level.