Do I need the CompTIA A+ to work in IT or Cyber Security?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- Do I need the CompTIA A+ to work in IT or Cyber Security?
Looking to start a career in Information Security, Cyber Security, or Information Assurance? Check out all these resources to Get Started! ⏩ www.jongood.co...
Are you interested in Cyber Security training or Career Services? ⏩ www.CyberTrain...
Join this channel to get access to perks ⏩ / @jongoodcyber
Listen to Cyber Security TLDR for Threat Intel and Cyber Security News on Podcast! ⏩ www.cybersecur...
#cybersecurity #comptia #informationtechnology
📱Social Media📱 - www.jongood.co...
⚡️Lab & UA-cam Gear⚡️ - www.jongood.co...
👕Merch👕 - www.jongood.co...
📇Affiliates Links📇 - www.jongood.co...
DISCLAIMER: I am an ambassador or affiliate for many of the brands referenced on the channel. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
DISCLAIMER (MUSIC): I only use royalty free music and sound effects.
zero experience, no degree, 27 years old. I believe the A+ really helped me get my first IT job
Honestly at the most entry level of skill and knowledge, something is better than nothing. With that being said, what if another certification accomplished the same thing but also set you up for higher level roles? It's not that the A+ knowledge isn't of value but more so a tradeoff of how effectively and efficiently you're using time and resources.
No need to ask permission to ask a question...feel free to ask away.
same
@@JonGoodCyber i want to learn something can make me find my first job in cyber security or IT or data science
@@JonGoodCyberso what is the certification that you recommend that "accomplishes the same thing but also sets you up for higher level roles"? Just Network + or are there others that you recommend?
A+ also teaches fundamentals that can be applied at all levels. If someone is coming from zero experience, its def a good course to start there journey in IT. Some people don't have prior knowledge so jumping into Net+ Sec +, would discourage them and leave them even more confused.
Starting out at a very basic level is never a bad thing, however both the Network+ and Security+ are not dependent on somebody having the A+ in order to pass the exams. All three certifications are meant for people with little to no prior experience, although the only one I don't recommend starting with is the Security+ because you won't have sufficient networking knowledge just by passing the exam.
I was making 15 an hour and got my certs with comptia and now I'm making 30 an hour starting out with almost no experience working for a top 10 company on forbes top 500. Don't listen to this guy lmfao.
@@austinbigelowdid you get the A+? I’m just starting out and Cyber Security has been a goal of mine for so long. Just want to know the best way of going about it
@@austinbigelow Damn bro we make the same and i work as a helpdesk lvl 2 for a small company
@@IsThisMeta did you hear the no experience starting out literally just graduated part. Also my job is cake I don't do anything and don't have to talk to people.
😂 Tell that to Pam in HR. She doesn’t know what A+ is but she knows it’s on her requirements list.
It's VERY RARE to see a job posting that specifically lists the A+ and nothing else. In general, I don't think I would recommend anybody applying to a job that lists the A+ and nothing else unless all other options have been exhausted as that's going to be a job very low on the corporate ladder and especially my students/mentees can absolutely do better than that.
@@JonGoodCyber "Do I need the CompTIA A+ to work in IT or Cyber Security?"
@@DJ4Dummies the point applies to BOTH information technology and cyber security roles. I help people land jobs all the time in both IT and Cyber Security so I let the results do the talking. Is the pronunciation funny or was it a test to see if people were listening?
@@JonGoodCyber i am currently a customer success manager at a legal tech company, i am looking into either ISC^2 or CompTIA A+ in order to add value and essentially get a customer success manager role in a cybersecurity industry. Thoughts?
@@davidjustima2782 my first question is what does the customer success manager do? Titles don't necessarily indicate what the job responsibilities are. The second thing is that the A+ basically is going to have no value in a cybersecurity role. Last, to actually "add value" in a meaningful way via cybersecurity, you're going to need some actual experience in the career field otherwise it's going to be difficult to be seen as credible.
My a+ got me an interview for my first help desk job. I’m getting masters degree in cyber security and a+ helped me significantly so yes, a+ is definitely worth every penny and time spent to get it
Hey it's your career so ultimately you have to judge your own decisions and determine if they were good choices, bad choices and if you should have done something different. Certainly there's plenty of proof that the A+ is unnecessary but I'm not going to knock you for making a choice. My focus has been and always will be helping people fast track their journey with an effective and efficient path, which means doing high-impact things to get the most value.
A+ is freakin hard!!!! If you had no experience, like myself, that **** was hard. In fact even the Google IT Pro Cert is hard. You can’t tell ppl there not hard or not worth it when you have plenty of experience in the field.
I am giving people the most effective and efficient path for a beginner or entry-level professional. I never said anything was "easy," however, I help people get into the career field all the time with little to no background in bypassing both the A+ and the even less industry-valued Google certificates. With so many people following my advice and succeeding, it's going to be quite difficult for you to successfully argue with the results.
I am struggling. There are so many things to remember
Which ones harder I’m taking the Google it cert now…
@@GameHEADtime Im taking it now, Networking is so tough!
This is the same guy who calls the help desk when he can’t fix his computer 😂😂
Good one? I'm not even sure how that's an insult...it's like saying "you call the fire department when there's a fire."
When it comes to computers and working with them you’ll almost always have those that spend more time on actual software work, networking, etc. rather than hardware. Then you’ll have those that love working with hardware, love tinkering about and don’t care much for learning about networking, server management, etc. there’s always two sides to a coin, in this case there are multiple small subcategory jobs for those that work in one thing and don’t want to deal with another. Why do you think bosses hire employees?
@@cringesh1t427 well stated
@@JonGoodCyber I was thinking the same. What you said in this short is the hard truth. Skip the A+!
I've worked in It for nearly 8 years and I put in tickets to our desktop team all the time lol
I got my A+ cert this year and it helped me get several job offers one of which I accepted even though I had never held a job in IT. I am also studying for my security plus and some of the information from the A+ has helped as well so is it worthless? Absolutely not! If you do not have the experience and are trying to get into IT any certification can help. If nothing else it can get you used to how the testing process works for the other exams as well. In the IT world the way to make yourself more valuable would be to grab as many certs as you can in my opinion.
You're missing the point which is all about efficiently and effectively spending both your time and resources (i.e., money). The jobs that care about the A+ is very limited and they certainly aren't going to hold it against you if you go for a higher level certification instead. The point about quantity of certifications goes directly against the main point of the video...work smarter, not harder.
As I said in my previous comment, it's about working smarter not harder. You can find my recommendations in my eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ) of what employers want to see in the most effective and efficient career path.
I think attaining multiple certs would not only help solidify a good look on the aspiring person, but also adds to their knowledge bank, and allows them to pick a specialty while displaying some type of competency. Maybe the idea of saving money by not paying for knowledge works for some and not for others @JonGoodCyber
i have to disagree. Alot of people don't like the A+ because it's "useless". I'm currently in a bootcamp and soon to graduate by the end of 2023 and so far, i have to say if you're going to get into IT, A+ is such a good perquisite for net+ or sec+ or anything. You'll learn the basics of networking, security, and hardware and software. Imagine going into the field as a network technician and not even knowing why your printer can't connect to the network.
One challenge that newer professionals face is that a lot of things appear to have more value than they likely do, but you won't learn the lesson until several years down the road. The other conclusion that you seem to be jumping to is that I'm saying knowledge of networks is useless, which was never said nor would I say that. The truth is that much of the useful knowledge in the A+, such as anything about networks, will just be reintroduced again in other certifications. I always remind people that I value the time required, and one of my specialties is helping people fast track their careers with what they need and ignoring the noise.
Don’t follow this advice.The jobs I’ve held or applied to, they always ask the same question “Are you A plus certified” you need to be if you are walking through an issue over the phone at helpdesk. The end user is your hands as you aren’t there to fix it at lest from a hardware aspect. Software wise you can always remote into their machine and fix it for them.
My advice is for those who don't want to aim for the minimum requirements or the most entry level role in technology. The jobs that ask "Are you A plus certified" aren't the jobs that I think people should shoot for unless it's a last resort.
My son is A+ certified but any prospective employer (he’s about to graduate with a bachelor’s in Cyber Security) that asks about it or mentions it is automatically getting crossed off the list. He didn’t spend thousand of hours learning penetration and defense and getting a Top Secret security clearance just to upgrade someone’s software or something equally mundane.
@Ciscoguy30 yeah, I saw that. I am getting my a+ I have a background on working on hardware, the a+ covers network and cloud. Atleast the basics
@@Dwayneff I held an A Plus cert years ago while working in school districts and it was the “it’s great to have but you don’t need that here” speech. So, I let it lapse but while job searching to see what’s out there all the jobs I’ve applied to either require it or asks because of the clients that they service. So when I said no, I immediately saw that they weren’t interested in moving forward with my application. I studied for it and got recertified last September. I’m currently in a Security + boot camp for my next cert. Good Luck 👍🏻 with your training.
@Ciscoguy30 I've applied to over 70 jobs in the past week. Not a one would set up an interview. It's because I don't have a cert or a degree. So I'm set on atleast getting my a+ while studying for network+
So someone from a different field with Zero knowledge about IT should skip the entry certificate and goes for a level 2 certificate it just doesn’t make sense to me , can’t believe I watched this
Unfortunately, you've missed all the value packed into this video. It's your choice if you want to take a slower, less efficient, and effective path with your time/resources. The reality is that the information you need for nearly all the jobs in tech, especially outside of support or help desk (neither are mandatory), is covered again in more detail in other certifications. Additionally, there is no "Level 2" designation with certifications, and ALL COMPTIA CERTIFICATIONS can be passed with no prior experience and starting from zero. Don't fall victim to the spread of propaganda.
@@JonGoodCyberwhat path do you suggest one take?
@@iameternalsunshine All of my recommendations are provided in my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ).
🤣🤣🤣😊
Don’t listen to this. Always build a foundation. Fill in holes. Regardless, this is necessary in my opinion as many times I myself and others I’ve seen around me have gone into stuff with small gaps in their knowledge and either failed or achieved a sub-par result as compared to what they could’ve done. I strongly recommend it. Plus, this video forgets to mention that sometimes people will go into IT with no prior work experience in the field but have the certs vs someone who got the A+ because it was so easy and got a help desk position, which gives them more work experience in the field, and they got the job instead of the zero work experience guy. (This is what happened in my case. Keep in mind, I did in fact have the same certs as the other candidate except he didn’t have A+ or any work experience. I had studied and obtained the other certs whilst working at a help desk position) Take my advice for what it is; my personal testimony but realize I’ve also seen other stories throughout my employment that didn’t follow the same path and they didn’t get as far as they hoped. Have an awesome day
Unfortunately it's very clear that you missed a ton of the value packed into this video in what was actually said. A major misconception is that the "foundation" must start with being hammered by hardware knowledge that you won't likely ever need. Another misconception that needs to be refuted in your comment is that everybody needs to or must start at the help desk. My focus is to give the path where people use their time and resources most effectively and efficiently. People can take the "traditional" path if they choose but I'm going to push my audience to aim higher and not settle when they don't need to. I have over a significant amount of experience in the industry and mentor new people into jobs every week so this isn't just an opinion.
@@JonGoodCyber In my experience, at the beginning of my IT career, I out did someone else who didn’t get the A+ and didn’t get into a help desk position (or perhaps another entry position) which led to me getting picked over him. It’s the “work” experience. As someone who mentors people, I would like to think you can tell them that on a resume, work experience is a big deal to some employers if not all and having more of it usually leads to greater odds you have to get hired. Hardware knowledge is quite useful to me and I’m glad I had the class because now I can also tell when something is just hardware or just software related/ just the network as a whole. I do agree with you that there are in fact other routes and yes, for people who don’t have experience, it’s possible to get to the position you want simply by having the skills needed for that position. I hope my original comment made it apparent that your odds are greater by getting into the industry sooner which usually means help desk which them you look at chances of getting hired for help desk individuals who have and don’t have the A+. My employer doesn’t have an interest in people for that position unless they have a pre-requisite such as A+ in this instance. Or even prior years of knowledge. Thank you for your time, and I hope no ill-feelings have brewed. That isn’t my intention
@@centurion6789 no worries and no bad feelings. It isn't that the knowledge in the A+ is bad, it's just that there is a more effective and efficient path that accomplishes the same objectives plus more. This is all detailed in my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ). This video covers a specific topic on certifications, as titled, in a very short time and isn't meant to cover everything to be a complete candidate as I could talk about that for hours.
I agree if you are strictly talking cybersecurity. If you have a degree or experience, I can see skipping A+ and Net+. You talk about foundation and leave out A+, it doesn't add up. Major part of these certs are CE, continuing education. Net+ renews A+, Sec+ renews Net+ etc. If you have A+ it covers job responsibilities, you would learn cyber security doesn't fix hardware.
The majority of jobs today in technology-related career fields don't deal with hardware at a technician level. It generally doesn't make sense for companies to staff their own repair crew when they can get vendor or third-party support to handle in-depth hardware issues. If somebody is struggling to land a help desk or IT support role without any certifications then the A+ could potentially help and the knowledge certainly won't ever hurt...but if we're talking about the most effective and efficient use of time and resources, then the A+ can be skipped...especially if you are targeting Cyber Security jobs. I did not however mention anything about skipping the Network+ as that is an entirely different discussion.
A+ has helped me tremendously! I thought I wanted to work in programming but realized I liked security & cloud more. It’s an awesome foundational certificate. Took me about 4 months studying part time from basically zero, and gave me the motivation & confidence to keep going!
Thanks for sharing! I'm not going to say anything bad about somebody for making a choice about a specific path because it's ultimately their choice. With that being said, many times and especially with the topic of this video, there are more efficient and effective paths that you can take.
Do you make a homelab when studying CompTIA A+? Is reading books and watching someone's full course in youtube enough to learn and pass the certification? I am interested also in getting CompTIA A+ but I don't know how to start?
@@sarahjessicatamon7083 my advice is just start. Labs are super helpful but I would say not super necessary for A+. Watch Professor Messer and take notes!
This boy said CompTIEYA, I died...lol
I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
I was like What? he had me laughing too
Yea when he said that I was like nah bro
It’s not always about just getting the certification as much as the knowledge that comes with it.
Getting the certification in many cases is more difficult and overkill for what most people need.
I dont agree my friend, this is bad advice.
There are people out there, that are trying to get their foot into a helpdesk position, with no prior education or experience.
How is learning for the A+ then a bad thing?
It litteraly prepares you for a helpdesk position, which will open paths for further development.
Maybe you haven't had to fix any hardware in your jobs, maybe you have a degree, but some people haven't finished school but have the A+ and got their IT job and are fixing hardware.
Soo for who is the A+ recommended/not recommended?
To be extremely clear, I never said that much of the information in the A+ is a "bad thing" as you put it. My mission is to get people into Cyber Security (or IT) jobs with the QUICKEST and most EFFICIENT path possible.
You certainly can choose whichever certification or training that you want but if you're going after things that employers either don't ask for or rarely ask for, then you're going to be taking a slower path than is necessary. I have plenty of videos on the channel covering which certifications matter so I highly recommend checking them out. Last, even when I started in the career field (over 10 years ago), the only people still gripping tightly to the A+ had been in the industry for quite some time and got it when it actually made you standout.
@@JonGoodCyber I don't live in a city, many IT jobs start around the Helpdesk when you have no experience. It's about understanding how computers work from the ground up. I'm not just taking practice tests, I'm reading "Comptia A+ Eleventh Edition", -by Mike Meyers. I'm on page 769 currently. Doing all of the 240 labs that teach actual skills on totalsem, I will test what I read on the computer during my reading. I had a helpdesk job, but was fired out of nowhere last week after discussing my college schedule the day before with everything seeming normal. I believe knowing the fundamentals will put me in a better place and advance my skills. Wanting to walk into the next job knowing what I am doing.
In my opinion , i believe you cant protect what you dont fully understand. If someone was to ask you to secure a a drive running windows using bitlocker and you dont even know that you need TPM enable to do that....For me i found A+ a good means to fill in so many gaps i honestly never knew about which applied to security still.. dont underestimate foundational knowlege
One thing that you have to be cautious of is associating knowledge gain with an investment into certifications. Does understanding that BitLocker requires a TPM justify pursuing an entire certification? Absolutely not! Keep in mind that I will always strive to provide the most effective and efficient path when it comes to how you use your time and resources. It's also important to understand that looking ahead can be a lot more difficult to determine the best path because of variables that are unknown to you without the matching experience...but reflecting on many years of experience gives a lot more insight beyond just the "surface level" of what you see, which is why having an experienced coach or mentor is one of the best things that you can do in your career.
A+ got me my first help desk job with a 20k pay increase. A+ is for people trying to get their foot in the door for IT. It did exactly what it was supposed to do, get my foot in the door. With good pay too.
That's great you saw that kind of increase, but would you rather have had a $20k increase or a $40k+ increase? Although it's impossible to predict exact salary figures, it's a fact that help desk is paid significantly less than standard IT jobs and all cybersecurity jobs. I teach my students to accelerate their career journey progression, not to aim for the bottom of the corporate ladder. Too often professionals, especially new professionals, aim way too low and don't make themselves competitive enough to start in higher level jobs, which leads to slower career progression.
@@JonGoodCyber well if they are already in IT getting the A+ cert is a waste of time. But I doubt many people are getting cyber security jobs as their first IT career. Typically you need to work support first and work your way up.
@@lizardking3268 I help people break into cybersecurity as their first job regularly so it's certainly possible. That said, even my students who start in IT are far more competitive candidates and either end up in higher-level IT jobs or far more lucrative jobs. A common mistake is preparing for the baseline requirements of the job that you want instead of trying to become the most competitive candidate that you can be, as those are two entirely different things.
Idk I’d rather get to the nitty gritty and get my net+ first. It goes over some of the topics from the A+
I just feel as a security analyst the net+ would do me more justice rather than the A+
What annoyed me about the A+ is that it has 2 parts 1001 and 1002
Ain’t nobody ghat time for dat.
But whatever you have time for and whatever works for you, do it!
happy studies ❤ and good luck!
I find it weird that CompTIA has stuck to their guns on having the A+ split across two exams, yet no other certification they offer does that.
I needed to graduate lol, school paid for it but it was part of tuition. Thank you WGU.
Thank you for sharing!
Always love seeing another owl. 10/10 degree program.
@@alexbelluryhow would the program be for someone with no professional IT experience? I’ve built PCs before and constantly troubleshoot computer issues at work for a large company (I’m HR, not IT lol), but outside of that I have 0 experience
@@danialkamran7280 what school paid for your A+?
Thank you for picking my question and answering VERY helpfully!❤
You're welcome and glad that I could help!
Are you thinking about going into security with no experience in the IT field? Ill throw you a scenario. You are just starting out and are on incident response. A zero pops up that has to do with a common exploit affecting autoplay. By default you org has autoplay enabled on all machines. You have been tasked with pushing out gpo to disable autoplay on all machines inside of the “Users” OU. Without A+ how to you even know where to begin? Do you expect you org to train you from the very ground floor up? Or lets say you suspect a rogue acess point is somewhere on premise and have suspicions a windows machine is connected to it. What command do you run to see all of the active connections on that machine? If only you had taken A+.
Don’t cheat learning the fundamentals. The A+ is A great starting point for those who want to get into IT with no prior technical training or knowledge.
It definitely helped me get interviews when I first started
Careful to not confuse bypassing the A+ as not learning the fundamentals as the former is not a requirement for the latter. You'll notice that not once did I say you can ignore the fundamentals. Although the A+ does give you some important information, it also gives you a lot of information you don't need, AND it actually doesn't give you all the information that you need. Simply because something is a possible path that may have worked out, doesn't necessarily mean that's the correct or best path to pursue.
Great, thank you! This is what I was looking for!
Glad it was helpful!
Cap
What does that mean?
Lolol all caps?
Lmao. Dying. You right tho. Cap AF.
@@JonGoodCyber🧢 it means you are lying
Ironic you talk about getting network+ to build a “foundation” what do u think A+ is if not a foundation in IT. Also why would I take advice about comptia from someone who can’t even correctly pronounce the name. Terrible advice
My advice is for those who want to pursue the most effective and efficient path possible. The reality is that not all of the information in the A+ will be useful outside of a very specific job (i.e., help desk, customer support, etc.), and the critical information is just reintroduced in certifications like the Network+, so why would you spend double the time to learn that information? You are confusing learning the foundational information and skipping it altogether, which is not what I said, nor would I ever say that. Also, the fact that you actually believe that I unintentionally pronounced CompTIA incorrectly is comical.
A+ got me my first support job after 13 yrs of hospitality management.
Congratulations on the job and keep going!
where would you recommend to start for people getting into cyber security entry level jobs if these other certs are irrelevant
All certifications are not worthless, just the ones that nobody actually cares about. I recommend grabbing my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ), which includes a roadmap of the minimum that's expected.
Completely disagree. Yes technically you dont NEED it, and the exams are a bit pricey but knowing the fundamentals of of anything you do is absolutely essential knowledge. Especially since it really shouldn't take that long to get. It's like learning how to play guitar but never learning a single chord.
In today's world, hardware knowledge really isn't considered fundamental knowledge as in you absolutely need it like for example networking knowledge. Why is that?...well it's because the majority of jobs no longer require strong physical knowledge at least to the extent that the A+ requires. Additionally, it's really more of a question of time and resources...why waste time where you don't need to and why waste money/resources where you don't need to. I will always give the most efficient and effective path/advice and I can tell you right now that I help people every day, week, month, and year to land jobs without pursuing the A+...and they are almost always better jobs than if they spent time on the A+. You are welcome to disagree with me but there's no arguing with consistent results.
I know a guy that wants to do some repair work so he's thinking about doing It. Doesn't seem bad for him imo
Tech repair is a niche area within the tech field that has a specific set of skills but it's not really relevant to most people within the enterprise world.
A+ teaches you protocols and the fundamentals.. it's worth it
There are lots of ways to learn the fundamentals but ultimately, everybody has to make their own decision and live with the consequences...good or bad.
What if i just absolutely love fixing broken things and $40 an hour is good enough for me? Thats what it specialists are making in my area. Avg of 39. A+ definitely “really matters”
If you just want to work break-fix issues all day long, more power to you! The issue has nothing to do with the pay. Obviously the higher jobs that you go, the more pay that you get...but really it's about aiming higher than the most entry level position that exists. The people that really succeed in both IT and Cyber Security are the ones who aren't willing to accept the traditional mindset or the bottom level jobs just because somebody says to do it that way. My advice might not always be "easy," but that's also why my students shoot to the top of the pile and corporate hierarchy quickly!
What works for you not aways works for everyone else, comptia A+ is a entry level certificate that can help many workers to enter IT field.
My advice is not based solely on my experience. I've coached/mentored a significant amount of people over the years and the reality is that my advice/recommendations are battle tested and continue to work every day. That isn't to say that things like the A+ are going to prevent you from getting into the career field, but you're path will be slower and less efficient.
While I may have got my first job without a certification. I would have to say that working in hardware management and help desk helped me understand A+ course I previously studied but couldn’t get the hang of through reading a book or watching UA-cam videos. I watched all too three instructors but working in the field now I am confident I can take a few practice tests and then ace the exam, which would be worth it for me to advance in my career. And I say this as someone who has seen how this basic foundation in the field, puts them at a disadvantage against someone who does have the knowledge and can incorporate it in their business structure. Otherwise, you rely heavily on someone who doesn’t have the skill set to make decisions because as someone else mentioned “it’s a mundane task” .. job security I guess
Thanks for the comment! One important thing to remember is that just because something in the tech field is essential, such as hardware repair, it doesn't make it mandatory for every professional in the career field. Hardware knowledge is certainly more related to IT than it is to cybersecurity, but like a lot of things, it's situationally dependent. The more and more we continue to transition to the virtual world with technologies like the cloud, the fewer people we need to focus on hardware, but also, once you get past the help desk, hardware is seldom a focus because you'll have service contracts and other staff members who are responsible for the hardware making it essentially obsolete for your job.
If guys in the trucking industry did what he did in this video it wouldn’t be in a depression rn
Thank you for watching!
Sandia Laboratories requires even its electricians to take comptia A+. This is one of the most prestigious Laboratories in the US. So thats not completely true. A+ is also a checkbox for a lot of hiring teams looking for IT positions
Sorry to break it to you, and I'm not sure where you found that information or who told you that, but that's highly inaccurate. Sandia National Laboratories (the company you mentioned) deals a lot with the U.S. government, which means they will have requirements such as the DoD 8570/8140/etc. for IT and Cyber positions....which the A+ rarely ever satisfies any requirement for the government for those types of jobs, especially the good jobs.
I don't teach or advise people to aim for the lowest position possible. Instead, I teach and advise people to reach higher-level positions and bypass what they don't need. The choice is ultimately yours, but I've never had somebody tell me they want to go slow. I have no idea why people are still wasting their time with the A+ and taking the slow path. It just makes it easier for my students to accelerate their careers.
Subscribed. Spend the money saved from A+ on other certifications. Thanks 🤝
I'm glad you enjoyed the content!
Help desk will help you get your foot in the door, no?
Certainly help desk is one option of many however there are a lot more effective and efficient paths than starting with your sights set on the bottom of the ladder unless it's a last resort. Help Desk IS NOT a mandatory step to work in IT or Cyber Security.
do it for knowledge not cert
It all depends on the situation and your ultimate objectives. Most certifications on the market can help you gain relevant knowledge but there can absolutely be factors that make one certification a better choice than others.
Thank you 🙏🏼
You’re welcome!
So you’re saying you recommend certs that are focused on networking to understand the ins and outs of traffic going to networks in IT infrastructure, correct? Totally makes sense; the a+ is more for hands on IT support. Seeing that cybersecurity is protecting intruders from back doors within a network interested prospects of having a career in cyber should know networking.
Networks are not the only thing that you need to learn but they are certainly important to understand so that you can protect them. The roadmap that I recommend is all documented in my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ).
Ok, thanks. I guess what im trying to say is will someone that is very technologically inclined and able to learn very fast pick up cybersecurity decently? 😀
@@corpuzone Everybody's journey will vary based on several factors, but certainly, it doesn't hurt to have a background in technology.
@@JonGoodCyber great 👍 and keep going with your content it’s very informative
It's not only hardware. I also had the same outlook until I actually did the certification.
I never said it ONLY focused on hardware as it's easy to look at the exam objectives and see that's not the case. The fact is though, that hardware is a major part of the certification and the jobs that it's really targeting. Just because we can learn something, doesn't mean it brings enough value, if any, for it to actually make sense to learn.
This seems like a stuck up opinion from someone who forgets what its like to start or had an easy way or lucky way in. That would be so boring never dealing with hardware, and even worse knowing nothing about it.
I make my own luck and I've never landed a job from a referral or the "easy way" that you are implying. That said, I guess you'd also accuse my students of having the "easy way" because I put them on the most effective and efficient path possible. The best piece of advice that I can give people in this industry is to work smarter, not harder.
@JonGoodCyber I believe you are steering people the wrong way and have most likely made a lot of people drop out of IT because they think the A+ is useless because of what your teaching. Not everyone lives in a city, a lot of smaller local organizations need people that can also walk down to the CEO's office and troubleshoot their computer and fix it. Skipping the A+ certification will lead them into looking like an idiot for not knowing all the steps to the boot process and at what layer the computer is running into a problem to have a fast and easy fix. Not sure why you are afraid to touch Hardware but I definitely am not.
@@nicksrandomness8116well said! 👏
This video is very relieving, although I'm just about done with A+ I'm worried about the voucher exam but I'm looking forward to network+ and security+.
I'm glad that you found the content helpful! If you've spent a bunch of time preparing for a certification, it's generally not wise to ditch it...especially if you're close to finishing or with exam scores. The last thing that you want to do is build a habit of nearing completion and then jumping ship.
The A+ will help you with network + and sec+
Honestly not a good idea.. there's a reason that comptia considers a+, network+, and security+ 'core' certifications. Youll need to fully understand whats going on at your endpoints and the network in order to successfully protect that infrastructure. I agree that troubleshooting isn't necessary for cyber security careers, but it is valuable to have a foundational knowledge of systems.
The a+ is a hell of a lot cheaper than the opportunity cost of working a help-desk job when you should be higher up the chain; having a+ would show that you know enough about endpoints to secure them rather than working a low tier job for a year
You are talking about something that might be "nice to have" in limited situations, but I'm talking about what is actually required across the board. The reality is that the A+ is rarely a firm requirement and can be easily bypassed without any professional loss. If you need the information, it's very easy to circle back and acquire the limited information you might need for a random situation. The idea of not having an A+ and that holding you back is something that CompTIA wants you to believe, I suppose, however, it's not reality. Additionally, the A+ isn't going to allow you to bypass a help desk job into a higher level job because it doesn't give you the appropriate skills to do so, which actually makes the opportunity cost around losing time studying for a certification that has limited appeal in the job market.
False. If you are new to IT concepts A+ is necessary to understand what is being taught in later certs.
A common mistake that professionals make, especially new professionals, is they see the A+ as the single source of knowledge. The reality is that important information that you actually need in you career, is reintroduced in other certifications as if you never learned it in the first place, which means it makes no point wasting your time with the A+. You don't need the A+ to learn the information and that's a fact.
As a former technical recruiter (for banks, healthcare, and SaaS companies) turned cyber security student; I’d disagree. Recruiters don’t have detailed knowledge of what each certification entails. A lot of time if a hiring manager is looking for someone with that a+ cert and we don’t see it on your resume, you will not be the first candidate we look at. Now that I have my A+ certification I have a better understanding of why hiring managers often look for it. It’s deeper than just the certification; it’s shows that you commit to and complete a task. But, from a recruiter standpoint, I’d say it helps you stand out a bit more if you have each certification from A+ and beyond on your resume. 🤷🏽♀️
I teach people to not settle for the most entry level job and what they can do to prepare so that they can come into an organization at a higher level. The reality is that my methods and advice are proven to work and are backed by significant amounts of data showing success across tons of organizations and industries. The "traditional" mindset is what will result in a traditional path that's slow and tedious...or you can take the fast track and skip unnecessary things...the choice is yours.
You have to know analog first, Bruh.
What do you mean?
I am currently enrolled with WGU for a bachelors of cybersecurity and they’ve got me taking the Compton A+ and I was pissed learning this bc I am applying n gaining experience for Soc Analyst, or GRC role in cybersecurity and it’s pointless for the students to have this cert! I won’t be applying to any helpdesk jobs!
Honestly, there are many programs out there that just try to cram extra things into the curriculum to make it feel like there is more value.
I’m currently homeless and have a question. I’m staying at a shelter that is providing the funds for me to take a COMPTIA A+ course (10 weeks), I’m currently enrolled in it and I am not so interested in hardware/software (know the insides of a computer) etc.. I’m much more interested in cyber security. I really want to finish because I have only a few weeks left and it’s not costing me anything and I also have a good grade but that’s because I find a lot of answers online which our profesor says is ok. I just don’t feel super fascinated about it and I feel like I am wasting time but I am also gaining knowledge just I just don’t feel interested. Should I take some courses at a college? I feel very unsure
I'm sorry for your unfortunate situation and I'm sure that is difficult. Given that you're homeless, you should be putting all your effort into trying to get a job so that you can start to build a way to support yourself. Certainly, if you can find a job in tech, that would be great, but even a "temporary" situation would be extremely beneficial, and then you could pivot into tech as you build your knowledge/skills on the side. For learning tech at this point, you should be utilizing any free resources that you can and you should absolutely not be pursuing paid college courses that are either expensive or putting you into debt. Paid resources have their place in a career progression, but you should be able to afford basic life necessities (i.e., food, shelter, etc.) before even considering putting a bunch of money into training. Does that mean you might have to go slower? Possibly, especially at first, but you don't want to unnecessarily keep digging a deeper hole to climb out of.
Would you recommend University of Maryland global campus bachelors in Cybersecurity technology?
I always recommend that people start with the NSA Centers of Academic Excellence (which they are) when it comes to Cybersecurity degrees so that they get a solid curriculum rather than what some random professor wants to teach. As long as you stick to the list, you'll be fine, but then, of course, you need to evaluate the cost and other factors that go into deciding if a degree program is right for you.
What if it’s part of your asssociates?
You don't really have a choice if it's a requirement.
@@JonGoodCyber sounds good . Hopefully this TS/SCI from the military will help once I finish my bachelors in cybersecurity in a few years
@@MrRandyMarsh1 That is certainly an advantage if you desire to stay in that space.
Not Comp Ty-uh, Comp tee-uh
Are you sure?
@@JonGoodCyber that’s how they pronounce it on their website if you’ve seen some of the videos in it
@@rafaelantonio7128 I'm happy you paid attention to the content, but it was definitely an intentional joke.
So what do you advise as a certification for beginners looking to get into IT/Cybersec with no experience
All my recommendations can be found included in my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ).
If I'm building a house I start with the foundation, not the roof. Get A+.
LOL! Someday people will realize that the A+ doesn't accomplish what they think it does, but until then, I guess my students will have a ton of opportunities to easily bypass people. CompTIA has done a fantastic job of brainwashing people to believe that the A+ is the best way to go, that all the information covered is necessary, and that it covers everything that you need to get started.
Just graduated with bachelor's degree in IT and am going for a master's in IT. Are certs like network+ and sec+ worth going for om top of my degree?
Although degrees can serve similar purposes as certifications, they certainly don't replace them. I recommend following the roadmap in my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ), as that's what employers will want to see.
Almost every job post related with anything technical is looking for comptia a+ in my country.
When people say that in the United States, it's generally because they are looking at the most entry-level position, which makes sense when listed. That said, I teach people how to accelerate their careers to be more qualified and bypass those "low-level" jobs. If you make yourself more qualified, nobody will care if you have an A+. Still, new professionals often aim too low in the career field, slowing their career progression initially until they learn to change their mindset.
I knew it!!!
Yep!!!
Do not believe this lol
Why would you comment telling people not to believe you? That seems strange but to each their own!
comptaaaya :/
I'm glad that you enjoyed the video!
a+ is very imp and gave me strong foundaton in IT and cybser stuff
If you completed the A+ and feel like it helped you that's fine because it's not going to hurt you, but it's not a required certification to be highly successful and my students prove that every day.
I am currently in the course careers IT course but someone told me i should take the A+ also. What is your take on this?
All my skill and certification recommendations can be found in my free eBook's roadmap ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ). I highly encourage you to review it as you aren't necessarily expected to take a training course from a specific source, but you are expected to have certain knowledge/skills that I've listed.
For those of us with no University education entry level is good enough. Can't go anywhere if you can't get your foot in the door.
I help people all the time with no experience or formal education, go from zero to Cyber Pro and completely bypass the A+...so it absolutely can be done.
A+ is foundational. It helps to start from the physical layer and work your way up.
It's unnecessary as the majority of jobs in IT and Cybersecurity deal entirely in the virtual world. Is it going to hurt you? Of course it won't "hurt" you...but I regularly help my students accelerate their journey with critical advice like this and you aren't going to be on an accelerated path if you go after things that ultimately won't matter.
It degree I am from another country 25 years old, looking for a job since 3 months in IT, nothing yet
I always recommend looking at my free eBook's roadmap ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ), which provides a ton of information to help you be successful. In most cases, if you aren't getting calls for interviews, it's because you don't have the required skills/knowledge, you aren't the most qualified candidate meaning you need more skills/knowledge to stand out, or your resume needs work.
I have my cybersecurity college degree and network cable, information technology specialist certification. But i haven't landed a job yet. I'm thinking getting A+ just to get a foot in the door.
I recommend checking out my Getting Started page and grabbing my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ), which includes a roadmap of skills and certifications to pursue.
@@JonGoodCyber that doesn't help me at all.
I’m definitely interested into getting in this field of work. I’m a guy who’s used to working inside of warehouses but I almost lost my right foot so a career change is necessary. Anyone have any advice on how I should approach this?
I recommend that anybody trying to get into the career field grab a copy of my free eBook, which includes a roadmap to follow. jongood.com/getstarted/
You’re right but to be honest a lot of overlap with Network+, if you get the A+ it will make Network+ alot easier
My recommendations always consider the most effective and efficient path. Sure you could slowly build your knowledge with the A+ first, but especially at the entry level, most certifications and training don't rely on others to be able to pass.
Suggest me a road map for knowledge in cyber security as I'm non IT
It's all documented in my free eBook: jongood.com/getstarted/
So what do you advise as a certification for beginners looking to get into IT/Cybersec with no experience
All my recommendations can be found included in my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ).
The thing I have noticed about people that are in tech who are recommending other people what to do to get started in tech... Nobody agrees on where to start.
Unfortunately, there's a lot of bad information out there, especially on how to be successful. In many cases it's coming from people who haven't seen a lot of career success and/or have very limited experience (i.e., less than a year or two). Ultimately, it's up to you to do your research on any resource you use because there's no way to stop that content.
@@JonGoodCyber I'm new to this channel and just don't know where to start to get involved in cyber security. Do you have a video on what to do starting at ground zero?
@@chrisclayton584 I have plenty of videos on starting out and a roadmap. I recommend visiting my Getting Started page ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ), where I've laid out resources to help you begin your journey.
All you need is net+ to start. Also, Palo Alto certification is free last i checked.
Something doesn't automatically become valuable just because it's free.
@@JonGoodCyber
Like speech right? Networking all use the same basic protocols, goofy.
Im getting it for free, i think its worth it but idk.
Everybody has different situations that could call for an exception, for example if you can't afford some of the other options that exist or you need any job and time is limited, it might be ok because it's free (I'm assuming you are saying the exam is free and not just training). I still recommend grabbing my free eBook, which includes a roadmap of skills and certifications that you need to be working towards for a successful career in IT or Cyber Security ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ).
I have my Google cybersecurity certificate. Can I get a job in IT? Since we don’t need the CompaTIA certificate
Honestly, the Google certificates don't come close to sufficiently preparing you to actually work in the career field. I recommend following the roadmap in my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ) to fully prepare yourself!
I'm starting from 0, where do you recommend I start?I would like to try to take part in OSCP in the future
I recommend grabbing my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ) and checking out the roadmap.
Comp Tie Uh? That’s a first
I think it's catchier but maybe that's just me.
I completely agree. I think starting out it would be best for one to read over A+ material and lab as much as possible to became familiar with hardware and software. Then skipping straight to Net+ and Sec+
Doing labs without having a solid foundation of knowledge is pretty difficult since you won't even know what's possible. That is why you take trainings, pursue certifications, and other things to increase your knowledge and grow your skills.
As usual I’m a day late and a dollar short 😂
The good news is that all is not lost...use my content to help you and make the best of the rest of your career!
Yeah but you still need a solid foundation in basic computer knowledge it helps tremendously, thats what a plus provides. Just because you know math doesn't mean you can just start learning calculus, you need to learn algebra before that, it's similar in that systemically.
At no point did I say to skip building a foundation or learning foundational knowledge, however you definitely do not need the A+ to accomplish that. There are more effective and efficient paths than sticking to the slower "traditional" path and way of thinking. Your comparison about math isn't really applicable because at no time did I say skip straight to an advanced level training or certification. The reality is that even if you stick with CompTIA early on, most of their certifications, especially the trio (A+, Network+, and Security+), are all passable without any prior knowledge or experience and people do it every day.
Facts 💯. Only if you want to work retail tech
I'm glad that you enjoyed the content!
Campthhia? What the hell is that? Hahah
Just wanted to see if people were paying attention!
A+ makes most sense to me ONLY for those breaking into the industry. I got in before getting any certs, and I found the other certs to be more useful and practical for me. Network+ and Security+ are great. ISC2 has their entry-level security cert (CC) for free right now if you sign up for and complete their online course. The only cost is $50 for your ISC2 membership after you pass the test.
I would say that's the only reason when it possibly might make sense, although I help people bypass the A+ into higher level positions all the time without any prior experience. In general and especially at the lower level positions, if a certification isn't helping you get a job, then it's not worth it. Shiny new options like the CC and the Google Cybersecurity Certificate are overhyped with marketing to get people interested but they aren't actually putting people into jobs because they aren't thorough enough and only serve as a brief introduction to material that is just reintroduced again in other options.
I dont trust anyone who can't pronounce CompTIA correctly. Lmao tf
I don't trust anybody who can't take a joke, so I guess here we are.
@@JonGoodCyber ah yes look for the "it's just a joke bro" lmao
To be fair, you shouldn't take advise from someone who says "Comp Tyah" 😂
I'm going to make it trendy to say it that way...just you wait!
@@JonGoodCyber I will put foot to mouth if/when it happens...now how do you pronounce cool whip? 🤔
“Kahmp Taia” 😂
I need the A+ I have the comptia ITF+ was useless
I'm just curious but why do you feel like you NEED the A+?
@@JonGoodCyber I cannot get a job as a web administrator or wordpress administrator like your videos going through and learning windows server
@@JonGoodCyber i want to get into security and privacy of mobile devices and internet of things A+ jobs don't pay very well
@@carolynlambert8797 There are always specific situations where I may give different advice, but that's because you have a specific target that calls for something different. That said, in most situations, my general advice is what makes the most sense.
@@JonGoodCyber going through your videos I need the skills i will check out your website too!!
hey man, I know nothing about IT, does this mean I can skip to the N+ or do I have to start with the A+?
I don't typically recommend the A+ except if you are trying to land a job in helpdesk or IT Support. You can find my recommended path in my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ).
@@JonGoodCyber the download link isn't working for it
@@dabiggestbirdthe3rd the link is not a direct download link. You must follow the instructions provided to get your free copy. Also, I just tried it and works as intended.
what about security plus?
I have a lot of videos on this channel about the Security+ and if it makes sense. Alternatively, if you're wanting a roadmap to follow, I recommend grabbing my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ), which includes skills and certifications that I recommend.
He didn't even pronounced it correctly.. sorry
It’s scary that you didn’t pick up on something that was so clearly a joke. Don’t be sorry, just do better next time!
I’m trying to get into IT from trucking should I start with security + then get ccna ? Or network +
I recommend visiting my Getting Started page ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ) and grabbing a copy of my free eBook, which includes a roadmap to follow.
Do you recommend starting with Security+ then?
You can find all my recommendations in my free eBook, which contains a roadmap of skills and certifications to pursue. jongood.com/getstarted/
@@JonGoodCyber I followed the link but I am not seeing a link to subscribe to the newsletter on your site.
@@jarhead5362 I'm not sure what you mean? There's a step labeled "Get a FREE copy of my eBook."
Hii sir I am starting my career in cybersecurity so sir I can you tell me best path for it ??
Sure...it's all documented in my free eBook ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ) where there's a roadmap included along with lots of other valuable information.
Right now I’m an SOC Analyst working my way toward cybersecurity. What’s a good Comptia course certification to acquire? I’m aiming of course, for an entry level position. Starting a new career path and I need some help on what is the next best step.
What exactly do you mean by the fact that you're a SOC Analyst working towards cybersecurity? Maybe I'm missing something from your explanation, but a SOC Analyst is a part of Cybersecurity. Either way, it all starts with my free eBook's roadmap ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ) because those are the skills/knowledge that employers expect.
@@JonGoodCyber really? So a security operations center analyst is a part of cybersecurity? I was told by my manager we don’t do cybersecurity but this was a good first step toward a cybersecurity career.
@@JonGoodCyber I just realized a technical difference that I should mention. I am a Global Security Operations Center Analyst (GSOC). I don’t actually partake in cybersecurity. I monitor security and reduce threats for a client's offices and employees around the world. We perform tactical threat intelligence tasks, such as collecting intelligence information and tracking physical threat activities that affect employees, facilities, and interests globally for our client.
@@RpgRambo I understand now...a SOC for physical security. These two uses of the term SOC can certainly cause confusion. Either way, there will be some transferrable types of skills that you are building, but definitely follow my eBook's roadmap.
I had zero experience with computer or anything and I am 19 , started doing A+ it helped me alot.But now I want to do cyber security and N+
That's great if you feel like you received value from the information! I can't really make videos about specific situations because there are occasionally variables where I might provide different advice that makes sense. With that being said, my perspectives and advice are based on substantial experience in the industry of my own, and the experiences of the large pool of students that I coach/mentor. As long as your informed, you ultimately have to make the decision on what to do.
Comp teeea not tieaaaa lol
Are you sure?
I got my A+ about a year ago and do you know where it got me? A job pushing carts at Target. The A+ is the biggest waste of money and I don’t recommend it. I’m currently in college for cyber security now.
Ouch...shots fired! I'm glad that you found my content because it's a great time to get into cyber security!
and didnt you think about making net+ or sec+ or even these new google certs, or microsoft foundations? dont get me wrong, but giving up after one cert sounds like meh... i think you should have been pushing your chances and keep trying, maybe getting new certs and so on...
well people do for a reason
There certainly is a group of people who blindly follow and ignore the facts. Keep in mind, it's not that the information will hurt you in any way...it just won't make a huge impact compared to other options.
CompTya? Dude just lost all credibility with that pronunciation 😂
You shouldn’t be so serious all the time and learn to recognize a joke when you hear one!
@@JonGoodCyber exactly. Take your own advice lol
Thank you, as someone who is starting in cybersecurity I kind of don't want that I don't want to work on Hardware Everyone is always pushing it
You're welcome and I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
Where did you start for cyber security and congratulations!!
Bruh if it’s a free class which for me it is, I’m taking what I can get 😂
You do you...I specialize in fast-tracking people's careers, but it's your choice to apply the information. After all, this is your career, not mine, and you must make certain decisions along the way.
As a newbie to tech, I'm looking into pursuing the CompTIA A+ for the Cybersecurity path, because I believe knowing where the RAM is on a motherboard for starters will help with my foundational knowledge.
I always recommend people visiting my Getting Started page ( jongood.com/getstarted/ ) and grabbing my free eBook, which includes a roadmap to follow. Certainly if you choose to do something like the A+ prior to that you can, but as far as knowing the physical location of where RAM sits on a computer, it's unnecessary for 99.99% of the jobs out there.
To be fair, if you have SOME computer knowledge you probably can get away without the a+ cert. However if you have no real computer knowledge outside of using Facebook or something. The A+ can be great for a complete beginner. There are a few advance topics that people even into computers don't talk about because they are specific to what they are aka printers, ports, the different OS or even what the different kinds of networks are. A lot of this a general computer nerd will know of, but maybe not understand. And a complete beginner would have no idea how to use Linux and the a+ will pretty much catch you up to that "knowledge of" phase.
To clarify, I am in no way saying the knowledge itself will somehow harm you or your career. Would I justify the A+ to "learn Linux?" Absolutely not, because although many certifications have value topics that are covered, the reality is that you don't typically need ALL the knowledge and can use the extra time better with what actually matters. Even for Linux, I have ~1-hour long video on UA-cam that covers the fundamentals of using Linux...1 hour versus 1-3 months of studying for the A+...the math isn't even close.