A plus Certification: Who are the employers?
Updated: 02/18-2021
Since its introduction in 1993, in excess of one million individuals have attained CompTIA A+ certification. No other IT certification program has ever achieved that before, not even half that goal. No wonder A+ has become a recognized standard within the IT industry!
For that reason, and other, A+ is without question the most well-established entry-level IT certification. Employers that hire at the entry-level will more often than not like to see A+ certification. This is because for many employers A+ certification helps them differentiate between candidates applying for jobs.
The extent to which A+ certification is now an industry standard is proven by the fact that most major IT manufactures including Lenovo, Canon, Dell and HP among others require that their channel technicians have it in order to support their products. Additionally many brands will not let you do any warranty work on their equipment without being certified. This is one of many reasons major support outfits like the Geek Squad require A+ because if they were to let non certified individuals do the work it would invalidate the warranty on the product. Many government agencies also require that their internal hires but also contractors be A+ certified in order to support their systems. Most educational institutions from high schools to junior colleges as well as technical jobs retraining programs make A+ a mandatory part of their curricula.
For a look at IT career pay levels in 2021, click here.
These are all reasons that have spelled success for A+ certification on the job market. As a result A+ has paved the way for many entry-level candidates into IT careers. Once they are in many have then, later on, enhanced their skills and added certifications like CompTIA’s Network+ and Security+. When an individual gets that far, it really increases their pay and job security. A+ certification shows your employer to be that you have a solid foundational knowledge in PC hardware and software, operating systems (Windows, Mac, Linux, Apple, Android), troubleshooting procedures, networking and mobility as well as security and operational procedures.
The A+ exams are updated and upgraded every three years in a major re-haul because technology changes very quickly. And in order to be sure to adequately equip aspiring IT professionals with up-to-date technical knowledge and skills they need, the exam must include in its objectives the devices they find in today’s work environments.
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Since its launch in 1993, the technical landscape that A+ certification addresses have changed drastically. In that time users and companies have seen the adoption of laptops, cell phones, tablets, smartphones and mobile applications. In excess of 62 percent of companies have established “bring your own device” (BYOD) policies. For IT support workers this means an increased demand on their abilities: More users needing more help with more varied devices.
CompTIA involves many leaders from the IT industry to serve on an advisory committee that CompTIA what the market needs to include in its exam development. This helps ensure that the A+ certification exam objectives continue to reflect current knowledge and technology. One really important aspect of A+ certification is the inclusion professional “soft skills” i.e. the professionalism required to providing excellent customer service while communicating in thoughtful and respectful ways. This is a major issue for all employers, that its people have the right training in customer service skills. This is because many, if not most, support technicians work directly with customers whether on the phone or in a help desk, or with face to face.
