Paul Ricketts
Recent Posts
Cybersecurity is a thriving field in the IT industry. It’s no wonder that so many people are interested in beginning a career in this specialized IT area. As threats and cyberattacks continue to increase, as well as the number of devices that are used today, businesses are looking for cybersecurity employees to help protect their digital assets and sensitive information from cyber criminals. They are seeking qualified and certified professionals to fill a deluge of open positions.
Candidates that have the CompTIA A+ entry-level certification typically have an easier time getting jobs than those who are not certified. This is true all over the country, not just in Maryland and the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Employers and IT recruiters often make it a point (sometimes a requirement) to seek out candidates who have the CompTIA A+ certification. This credential lets them know that you have the knowledge and skills they require for various IT positions. In the metro D.C area, there are various jobs that require candidates to have an A+ certification.
To become CompTIA A+ certified, there are two exams that you must take and pass. These exams are much like any other written test you may have taken in the past. The exams each contain different types of questions that are used to validate your knowledge in specific areas. It’s difficult to say how hard the exams are, because every test-taker has a different level of IT experience, knowledge, and skills. Further, individuals may have a different way of approaching exams and a different level of anxiety about test-taking.
EC-Council's Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification first launched in 2003. Since then, it has been continuously updated and is now in its 10th edition. The certification is designed to test your ability to use the knowledge and skills of malicious hackers to help organizations lawfully identify vulnerabilities within their systems before cyber-criminals can exploit them. CEH is considered a great starting point for IT technicians looking to develop computer forensic and penetration testing careers.
Microsoft’s cloud business is booming: According to recent data, revenue growth is up 62 percent over the previous quarter for Azure. This dovetails with the growing need for cloud-certified IT professionals: 94% percent of businesses say they’re struggling to find top cloud talent — and the challenge is growing as environments diversify across multiple cloud providers.
The Washington, DC area is a rapidly growing tech hub thanks to both federal technology investments and the increasing number of startups putting down roots and opening their door in the Dulles Technology Corridor.
When you first jumped into Healthcare as a career, you loved the pay, job security, and the fact that you were helping people. But as time moves on, you're finding the demanding workload and physical demands are starting to get too much. Plus, you hear a lot of good things from your friends working in IT and cybersecurity.
Washington, DC, is now considered one of the top cites in the country to launch a technology company or grow a tech-based startup. It makes sense: Expanding government IT investment combined with the rapid expansion of the Dulles Technology Corridor makes this a hotbed of technology development — and puts certified IT professionals in high demand.
Project management professionals are in demand. As noted by a recent PMI survey, corporate need for experienced and certified project managers is growing at nearly 33 percent each year — far outpacing many other skilled occupations.
