CompTIA + so many people with landing their first IT role. From customer service advisors to uber drivers have been able to successfully get their foot in the door in IT because of actually studying and taking CompTIA A+.
As a general rule, understanding and applying the knowledge with CompTIA A+ you should be able to land your first entry-level IT role without taking any other course. These jobs are related to desktop and technical support.
However, understanding the process of getting there is equally as important. I like to provide actionable steps to maximize your success in landing your first role.
Can CompTIA A+ get me a job?
I have spoken extensively in some of the ways you can land yourself an IT role see here. However, when it comes to specifically target helpdesk and IT roles, there is no better course or certification than the Comptia A+. This is simply because of the knowledge that you will automatically give you 1-2 years’ worth of experience that even most tech don’t even know themselves.
CompTIA A+ is an industry standard for establishing entry-level IT roles. Just acquiring the certification itself will give hiring managers the confidence that you at least know the fundamental of IT and have dipped your toes in a variety of technologies. In some cases, I have actually seen that with no experience at all and just having the knowledge will get you a job.
So, what jobs can you actually get with this certification? LOADS!
- IT support specialist
- Desktop support technician
- Field service technician
- Associate Network technician
- End-user Support
- Helpdesk technician
- 1st/2nd line
- System support technician
It is important to understand that these roles are all entry-level and require some form of IT literature to succeed. With the same token, it is imperative that you understand you’re also setting your foundations for success. If you do not understand basic computer components, networking such as private and public IP’s, storage, infrastructure, it is very likely the higher you get (which you will) the harder it becomes because of missing fundamental knowledge.
There are so many people in IT at different levels that do not have the correct understanding of basic concepts which all stem and point to the CompTIA A+. It is also IMPORTANT to note at this point that is not required for you to get certified but what is more important to acquiring the knowledge and implementing it every day to land yourself a role and then taking other courses to upskill.
Actionable steps: Go to the CompTIA A+ here and just take a look at what they can offer you and how quickly you can develop yourself and land yourself an IT role in no time.
What’s Included in Comptia A+
The CompTIA A+provides an excellent curriculum structure that enables you to touch a bit of most technologies within an enterprise environment. For example, it covers Active Directory which is one of the predominant technology that almost every company utilizes to manage their user’s identity and authentication.
Skills Measured
The skills measured in the course is as follows:
- Hardware
- Connecting hardware components
- Operating Systems
- Install and support windows OS using command line & client support.
- Covers Mac OS, Linux, and other Mobile OS
- Software troubleshooting
- Troubleshooting all software related issues
- PC, mobile devices, and app troubleshooting
- Networking
- Fundamentals of OSI Model and TCP/IP
- Good understanding of WIFI and SOHO networks
- Hardware & Network troubleshooting
- Devices and network troubleshooting
- Security
- Protection against external threats
- Vulnerabilities for devices and their network connections
- Mobile devices
- Install & Configure laptops and other types of devices
- Virtualisation & Cloud computing
- Cloud technologies and concepts
- Set up client-side virtualization
- Operational Procedure
- Best practices and produces from industry professionals and vendor
Is CompTIA A+ worth getting
Understanding why you want to get started in technology is where you should start. Do you see yourself in support and working your way up. Or do you want to directly jump into a networking/infrastructure role? I have outlined a few benefits of actually getting certified with the CompTIA A+.
Trusted certification
Taking the CompTIA A + will expand your horizon and ensure that you learn so much and really hit the ground running when you start your role. This will also impress your co-workers and colleagues because of the varied knowledge you have which usually will enhance your career by getting promoted.
Now, personally, I would recommend you to take the certification because it will prove your skillsets and you’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate that to your future employers or your current one. This is because CompTIA as an organization is trusted among many employers in the way they teach and also the students they produce. Therefore, being a certified such an organization coupled with the skills you can potentially acquire is very worth it.
Money incentives
By taking the certification or learning the knowledge you can make more money and actually demand it because of the skills acquired. When you get your foot in the door, it will be simple to move to different departments very quickly because setting your foundations in networking, infrastructure, would just be a matter of understanding the types of technologies they use and eventually adapting to them.
Is A+ Certification hard?
Some say it’s hard and some say it isn’t. The best judge is yourself. The most important thing you can do for yourself is jump in and see where it will take you. One thing is for certain, if you give up now you will never know. Learning the skill and taking the course step by step is the biggest thing you can do for yourself.
Every course and every adventure is difficult at first, but the fewer concepts you have to learn the better, and the next minute you will just understand and just become better at it.
How Do I Get Started
The best way to get started I found is to take step by step. Use an online resource and if necessary an on-site institution. Online is what suited me the best such as CBT Nuggets or ITPro TV which really breaks down everything and sometimes provides you labs to practice in. Not only will you acquire the theory aspects but by actually doing it.
