TrainACE - IT and Cybersecurity Training Blog

If you’ve been searching for a job in IT you will have undoubtedly come across a lot of information regarding the CompTIA series of IT Certifications. The CompTIA A+ and Network+ in particular, are foundational to getting started in IT, whether you are a graduate looking for that first job or a computer enthusiast who wants to jump from an unrelated job into the IT Industry. Of course, you can take both of the Certifications separately but there are several reasons to consider taking them as a combined class.

You made the decision to jump feet first into a new IT career. You heard all about the high salaries, the career growth opportunities, and the cool code and hardware you'll get to work with. But after that initial excitement, you sat down to plan out your job search strategy and you drew a blank. Where on earth do you start?

CompTIA A+ and Network+ certification training was top of the agenda for many attendees of our Career-Changer Open House earlier this week. On hand to talk in more depth about our classes were TrainACE Instructors Rita Whitfield, Rico Cody and John Oyeleke. Held at our headquarters in Greenbelt, MD, attendees enjoyed pizza, cookies, and soda, whilst they learned more about our training classes from some of our most engaging instructors.

According to the 2018 Hacker Report less than 5% of today’s ethical hackers learned their skills in a classroom. While the majority of ethical hackers do have some form of computer qualification, few have formal certification in the discipline itself. So why would an ethical hacker need anything as ‘establishment’ as formal ethical hacking certification?

For years you have dedicated yourself to a traditional trade - electrical contractor, plumbing, HVAC installation, roofing - all honorable and highly skilled jobs, but for any number of reasons you find yourself looking to change careers. Bad boss, bad pay, bad work/life balance, you name it, everyone has a breaking point. Maybe a fresh start in Information Technology is just the change of careers you are looking for.

Career paths are not always as straightforward as they seem. There are going to be those people fortunate enough to find what they're looking for in their first job and build a career from that point. For many though, the process of learning and self-discovery takes much longer and sends them down paths they never anticipated or allows them to find passion through different means than they had pictured. This is very accurate in the mysterious world of information technology (IT).

Just because you graduated college as a history major doesn't mean you can't pursue a career in IT, right?  If you want career change, and IT looks attractive to you, follow this infographic for some direction! Then for more helpful tips on breaking into IT check out our Getting Started in IT guide

Are you feeling stuck in your current job and considering a career change? If you've thought getting in an IT career but are having some doubts, it's normal to be apprehensive. But don't let your doubts stand between you and your dreams! 

To help you understand how you how to succeed in information technology, TrainACE connected with a couple of our students from different backgrounds to show that success comes in many ways.

Learn about their challenges and how they were able to succeed in their IT careers through training and commitment. If they can do it, so can you!

(**Updated in April, 2023)

It's becoming increasingly evident that the internet is playing an ever-growing role in our lives, from grocery purchases to healthcare advice. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this transition. At the same time, the volume and sophistication of cyber-attacks have also increased, with cybercriminals taking advantage of increased vulnerabilities due to most of us working from home on less-than-ideally-secured networks. So, as an IT professional, what can you do to positively impact an increasingly insecure world while improving your financial standing?

In the fairly recent past, the places that information technology (IT) professionals could find careers were limited to security firms, government agencies, and the occasional jobs in mainstream organizations. Today though, as technology continues to advance, the need for cybersecurity professionals keeps growing to keep up. However, there is a huge shortage of security professionals to fulfill the need.

Today, end users having very different expectations of their IT departments than they did in the past. Large developments in networking capacity, media streaming, data processing, and the Internet have accounted for very different preferences.

These days there are many college students who graduate with a degree in a field where finding an actual job to start a career just doesn’t happen – at least not right away. Whether you are in that position or you’re a student still looking for the right career choice, cybersecurity should be on your shortlist. It’s a field that is ripe with opportunity and growth. It’s also one that offers above average salaries.

The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification is an important credential for IT professionals to have because it’s the first step to pursuing other, more advanced Cisco certifications. It will provide you with the foundational understanding of core technology concepts, and it looks great on a resume. But those are not the only reasons you should consider getting a CCNA certification – there are many others. Here are five of the best.