Employers today seek clever problem solvers for their IT departments, particularly those who can think on their feet and come up with creative solutions in different environments. For those who want to prove they have such capabilities, getting the CompTIA A+ certification remains one of the most effective ways to achieve this goal. Out of the many other options available, the A+ is one of, if not the best at showcasing those hard-to-define soft skills, hence why having it on your resume makes you more desirable on the job market.
As a refresher, CompTIA is a world-renowned non-profit organisation whose core purpose is to provide vendor-agnostic certifications that help professionals prove their skills and proficiency in various IT disciplines. Among their most popular certifications to date include CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+, and CompTIA A+, to name a few.
What Does Vendor-Agnostic Mean for Certifications?
CompTIA focuses on making their tests and certifications vendor-agnostic. This emphasis on vendor-agnostic skills and knowledge is in stark contrast to other companies who create certification programs designed to verify an individual’s mastery over one, specific piece of technology or technology stack.
Of course, getting certified for a specific discipline is necessary to work for companies that use them in their operations. For instance, an organisation that relies on AWS cloud naturally want AWS-certified experts. However, given that technology continues to evolve, there is always a possibility that that AWS-dependent company suddenly decides to leverage other cloud computing solutions, such as Microsoft Azure, for example. This is where CompTIA’s offerings shine as they provide all the knowledge and skills one needs to excel in a given position and be comfortable with using as many different technologies as possible.
What is the New CompTIA A+ Certification?
CompTIA A+ is a foundational certification that covers nine essential IT skills:
– hardware management
– software troubleshooting
– installation and support for modern operating systems
– device and network troubleshooting
– networking
– cloud computing and virtualisation
– mobile device administration
– basic security concepts
– operational procedures around professionalism and communication
The A+ is ideal for IT professionals early in their careers looking to prove their mastery over all the basics of their field. Regardless of which role they decide to pursue, the A+ certification proves to employers that they have all their bases covered. As of October 2022, the only way to earn the A+ is by taking the 220-1101 and 220-1102, which are more commonly known as the Core 1 and Core 2 exams, respectively.
These new versions place a much greater emphasis on working remotely and in hybrid environments, as well as overcoming the unique challenges that stem from this new landscape. Also, the rising trend of leveraging SaaS solutions and remote working means the A+ now emphasises the importance of creative problem-solving in dynamic and fast-moving workplaces operating on non-traditional networks.
How the CompTIA A+ Covers the Three Most Important Skills Employers Want
The American National Association of Colleges and Employers recently conducted a job outlook survey that determined what employers were looking for in employee candidates. The results stated that 98.5% of them valued critical thinking as the most important. Moreover, more than half of the hiring managers among the 650 employers surveyed deemed critical thinking, effective communication skills, and attention to detail to be hard to find.
These three factors are consistently more sought after than attributes such as ‘applicable job skills’ and ‘technology proficiency’ in various other similar surveys. This means that if you are searching for a good job position, your priority should be finding a way to effectively prove that you have these attributes down to a science.
Fortunately, the new A+ exams highlight these exact skills that more and more employers are looking for. As an example, SaaS models and apps are one of the core subjects the exams focus on, including how to recognise when issues should be escalated to the provider. While there will never be a ‘perfect’ moment to give up trying to fix said issues yourself and get help instead, IT professionals can learn to find that sweet spot. This requires–you guessed it–thinking critically, having an eye for detail, and communicating effectively to determine if continued troubleshooting attempts will just be a waste of time and if the problem needs more than a simple fix.
Another key focus of the exams is remote troubleshooting. In today’s working landscape, IT professionals with A+ certifications can expect to be tasked with fixing the machines of their organisation’s remote employees from a remote environment themselves. Succeeding in this technically challenging endeavour requires one to be a clear thinker and effective communicator who is adept at isolating problems quickly.
Lastly, the A+ also goes in-depth on ever-evolving foundational technologies in today’s modern world, like IoT, cloud solutions, and data management, along with all major operating systems. Of course, it is impossible to anticipate every possible combination of these things that an IT professional will ever encounter. Therefore, the A+ instead hones their understanding of the technologies they know and their ability to think clearly about them, enabling better and more creative problem-solving in new environments they are not trained for.
Conclusion
All of the new improvements to the CompTIA A+ programme make it more useful in proving that you have all the important skills employers want, all while still delivering the relevant technical expertise and skills that have defined the exam since its inception. To get started on your journey towards A+ certification, enrol at BridgingMinds today. As the industry leader for life-long learning, we provide comprehensive training programs that ensure you stay relevant and get you one step closer to your dream job or promotion.
