¶ Introducing CompTIA Tech Plus
And welcome to technology tap . I'm Professor J Rod . In this episode we're going to talk about CompTIA Tech+ . Let's get into it . All right , welcome guys , welcome , welcome , welcome . First episode back from a while . If you listened to the previous episode , you know what I was doing . I got my doctorate .
That's what I've been working on the last couple of months . That's why you haven't heard any of technology tap . But I miss you guys , you know , and I'm back . But you know I had to take care of my business , right , you know , and I had to give up something in order to finish that journey . But I it . So , uh , you know , email me .
I told you guys in the last episode , email me if you want me to change my name to dr jrod from professor jrod . I kind of like professor jrod , but you can email me , professor jrod , that's jrod at gmailcom . Let me know if you want me to change it .
All right , so so while we were away , comptia announced that they are changing their fundamentals ITF fundamentals exam to Tech Plus . I actually like the name of it . I think the name kind of fits rather than I . You know , I get it IT fundamentals , but I kind of like the tech one because this is the first one .
Right , tech is going to be my first exam , but I'm looking at it . I'm actually looking at the guide , the certification guide from CompTIA , and it's a little different from what I expected . One , if anybody ever took the fundamentals one , I mean , that was not an easy test . The latest version of ITF was not . It was not .
So many people complained that they felt like it was harder than A+ . Right , you know , tell me that I'm wrong . Right , tell me that I'm wrong . But I think most people felt that that exam was really hard .
I think it had a lot to do , that it had a lot of programming in it and , you know , most people are not programmers , but they had a lot of questions . It was super weird , you know , because I taught it .
Uh , the new exam and I , you know , I , I I had the older one , the one before that one , and you know that cert never expires , so I didn't take the new one . But , you know , when I worked in Lincoln Tech , there were people that were coming out of that exam room full of sweat saying , man , I barely passed .
You know , and sometimes you know some of these places , you know they want you to have the updated cert and if you don't have it , you're gonna get another job , right ? So there was a lot of guys coming out there out of that exam , sweating , you know , thinking like man . I didn't , you know , I almost didn't pass . But let's take a look at the .
The tech plus , so formerly known as compTIA ITF , is a universally recognized certification that demonstrates an individual's understanding of the vast landscape of technology and the ability to navigate and leverage tech tools and platforms efficiently . What I think they did here in Tech Plus , that they did differently , right ? So they say who benefits from Tech Plus ?
And this is where it gets interesting right , students and career changers considering a career in technology , which I think it's a good one to start with . Right , if you are , I don't know . If you were a student , I don't agree . But if you're changing careers , yeah , you should know the fundamentals .
Right , you should take fundamentals , because I think A+ , a+ it does a good job . But if you have never done anything with a computer , I think A plus is a little hard for people .
To be honest , right now let me know if I'm wrong , but I honestly think you know if you in computers , if you're already in the industry , right , if you are , you know , like me , I was a tech for a long time and then I decided to do A+ .
So a lot of the terminology that was going on and all the stuff even though the stuff was new because I wasn't exposed to everything in technology , right , like A-plus kind of , does you know security , networking , that you know , and it goes really in depth into it ? I wasn't really you know , and it goes really in depth into it .
I wasn't really you know , that wasn't me . But if you don't , if you don't know of something , it's hard . But if you don't know anything , it's even harder , in my opinion . Right . So I think , if you are a career changer , so I think if you are a career changer , you should go and take a tech plus class .
I , you know , I don't think it's , it's you know , if you are , you know putting down floors for living , which you know you make money . You know putting floors Right , and then you have no experience in IT , right , you have no experience in IT , right , and then your brother-in-law is an IT guy and he tells you hey , you know , go take Tech Plus .
That's the one you should get first , right , because it will really teach you the fundamentals of PC , which is what you need to grasp before you move on . Now , if you're a college student , right , and you like taking courses already , it's probably not for you , but for career changes it's definitely , definitely .
It says professionals working in fields that require a broad understanding of IT . Okay , marketing , sales and operations staff who want to improve job performance , enhance technology skills and rely less on IT . That's a you know what .
That I find it's a good marketing skill Market to people who , you know , maybe like want to know a little bit more about computers . But , right , you know , it'd be a good like an idea .
So , like , if you have marketing , we have like 20 people marketing maybe send one person to take that tech plus course , right , and then , like , they could be like the you know the , the , the one that everybody in marketing goes to right , say , hey , I'm having a problem before it goes to tech right , right , you know , then that person could be like kind of
like a triage person , right . He says , oh , you know what , I think you're going to need to open up a ticket for this one , but maybe they can fix it on their own , right . I think that would be a good place where they can market it .
And then you know , you might be able to do it to salespeople who are selling computer parts that maybe are not as technical , but because you know they don't , they're salespeople , right ? You know , if you're a salesperson you can sell anything , but you want to be a little bit more technical , a little bit more knowledge about the product that you're selling .
You may want to take this course , a Tech Plus course , and get your Tech Plus certification . Hey , who knows , you might like it , right ? And then , you know , migrate over to Tech . You know a lot of people are doing that . So you know I've always preached Tech is a good field . If you want to make money , it's one of the best fields that you can do .
Let's see CompTIA . Techplus serves as an essential entry point for those beginning their journey into the exciting world of technology . It provides a comprehensive overview of fundamental concepts and practical skills paving the way for fulfilling a venture into technology .
Techplus is a vendor-neutral , internationally targeted technological certification ensuring that individuals possess the essential knowledge to engage with and understand technology across different environments . It focuses on establishing a solid base in computing security , data and application software .
Techplus combines theoretical knowledge with practical exercise , simulating real-life tech scenarios . This approach enhances critical thinking and problem-solving abilities , preparing learners to address a variety of tech-related issues confidently . And then what's new in this version ?
Techplus includes in-depth exploration of virtualization and cloud technologies , which is new right , such as hypervisors , guest operating systems and cloud service model , reflecting the industry's move towards cloud computing .
Right , that's what we're moving towards now , or we've been moving and the need for this new technology understanding Acknowledge the growing importance of digital literacy . Right .
Tech Plus covers essential digital skills and online collaboration tools , preparing individuals for both personal and professional digital interactions , addressing the vital importance of security in digital interconnected world .
Yeah , this would probably emphasize , you know , if you kind of like salespeople or people you know that have one guy marketing how important security is and they can like emphasize that cascade around the company Cause , again , people are still not taking security seriously and in the series of hacking over the summer you'll see uh .
Tech plus covers uh vital aspects like safe browsing practice , understanding certificates and privacy considerations crucial for the safe use of digital tools and online platform . Tech Plus divides into database fundamentals , emphasizing data value , database structure , basic backup concepts and highlighting the importance of data management and analysis in IT .
Additional topics on emerging technologies include the Internet of Things , vr and AR systems , offering insights into the future of technology and the societal impacts . A significant addition of tech is the inclusion of AI concepts such as AI chat box , ai assistants , ai generated code and content , and understanding the increasing relevance of AI Sounds okay .
Right , it's going to be tech plus zero , seven , one Right . Of course , they're going to have cert master Right , which you know . A lot of my students have used cert master and they like it . I mean it's expensive though , but they a lot of students like it . You know I give them hats off .
I'm curious to see what's going to happen when they when that merger with TestOut is complete and how they're going to do it . Potential level one positions If you get certified with TechPlus IT support specialist , help desk technician , computer technician , data entry technician and technical sales associates .
What is covered in the exam this is the most important part 14% are IT concept and terminology . Basics of computing , including processing , output and storage . Understanding the notational system , such as binary , hexadecimal , decimal and octal .
Comparing and contrasting common unit measures like storage unit bit by kilobyte , throughput units uh kilobytes , uh megabytes and processing speed megabytes and giga megahertz and gigahertz .
That's 14 of the exam 22 is infrastructure overview of common computing devices and their purpose , including smartphones , tablets , laptops , and more explanation of common internal computing components like motherboards , cpus and gpus .
Comparison of storage types , volatile versus non-volatile , local versus cloud installations and configuration of common peripheral devices and understanding different types of input and output interfaces . Virtualization and cloud technologies , including hypervisor and cloud service models . And basic network concept and capabilities of small wireless networks . That's 22% .
It leads me to believe that they're going to have a massive change in A-plus by reading this when the new A-plus exam comes out . Applications and software 18% . Components of operating system and its purpose . The purpose and proper use of software , including productivity , collaboration and web browsing software . Configuration and use of web browser features .
Common use of artificial intelligence and software . That's applications of software , which is 18% . Next is software development concepts 14% . Comprise of programming languages , categories , interpreted versus compiled , fundamental data types and their characteristics .
Purpose and use of programming concepts like identifiers , arrays , functions and objects , and then programming organizational techniques and logical concepts . Five is data and database fundamentals that's 14% . The value of data and information in decision-making .
Database concept , purpose and structure , structure versus non-structure , relational versus non-relational databases , and then basic data backup concepts and the importance of data persistence and availability .
And then number six 18% , is security Fundamental security concept and frameworks , confidentiality , integrity and availability , methods to secure devices and security best practice , password best practice and common use case for encryption , which is good to know .
You know , for the , you know the lower people at the lower end of the IT scale , right , really the users right , and configuring settings for small wireless networks . So it looks like , yeah , I think there's going to be massive changes to the A+ . That's what I'm thinking . So I mean , you know , I don't know , we'll see . They have some stuff on .
Nearly all IT managers recognize the values certificate professionals bring into organizations , such as boosting productivity , helping to meet client requirements and closing the organizational gaps . Yeah , that's going to be one of my next goals , guys . In closing the organizational gaps , yeah , that's going to be one of my next goals , guys
¶ Importance of Degree vs Certification
. I want to do a research on what the employers look for . Do they look for certification or they look for degree ? My opinion is Is it depends Right , most of them will take you . My opinion is if you are , if they just want you to do one specific job , they'll take the cert Right , but if they want you to do multiple jobs , they'll .
They'll take the degree . Multiple jobs , they'll take the degree . And the problem with the cert is the cert will make you stay at the job longer . This is a psychological approach , right , and I'm a psychology major , that's my undergrad .
It would make you stay there longer than probably you should , where if you had the degree , you would probably stay in a place for a year and then quit and get the experience and quit . And if you look at some of these onboard messaging stuff , message boards , you see that a lot of people , especially with degrees , they do that .
They find a job , they'll suck it up for a year and then they quit and then they get another job paying more money , so , um , because now they have the experience . So , um , you know , that's that's my opinion . But I want to do like a survey . Uh , you know , you know a really good study .
I did kind of one informal a couple of years back , but I kind of want to do one like really in-depth , you know , and you know , interview some people , maybe like a mixed method , surveys and interviews and see what people think . But I'm leaning that way , that's like that .
Plus , I think , as good as it might be , the certification will not get you in most cases . Most cases it's going to be hard for you to move up . Not every time , uh , every time , not every time , but I think in most cases .
You know , if you have two people and they both have , you know one of them has a degree and the other one just has certs and they're both equally the same right as far as work and all that , they're going to take the guy with the degree . I'm sorry , they will take the guy . Most companies will take the guy with the degree .
Yes , even though that guy might be really good , I think at the end of the day the employers still value the degree . So for people who say , oh , the degree means nothing , I kind of disagree . You know , I kind of disagree . I think it's important . You know , they pull far . They pull far . Not saying that you cannot get a job with a cert .
No , absolutely you can . But I'm just saying the . You know , let's see somebody who has a degree , or we could do a study of somebody who has only the degree and somebody who only has a cert and let's say , like , let's see the last 10 years how much they made each one of them made .
I'm pretty sure it's going to be the guy with the degree who's made more . That's what I mean about how important the degree is , right , yes , you could still make good money not having a a degree , but I think you can make more money with the degree and you could move up . You know management wise , if-wise , you know they're going to want .
You know they're going to want and let's be realistic you know you could be there . If you apply for a job as a manager of , you know , mis manager , right , and then somebody else has a master's degree in information management , right , who do you think they're going to take ?
And you both have the same experience , the same amount of experience who do you think they're going to take ? They're going to take , they're going to take the master's degree guy . So , but you know , again , that doesn't mean that you cannot get a job in IT without a cert . That does not mean that at all . I'm not trying to say that you can get a degree .
You can , you really can , but the degree helps you enormously , enormously . So , and again , I kind of want to do a study on that .
That's one of my goals I don't know when , but that's one of my goals is to do a long , you know on that , because I think I think that's something that that you know , I think something that you guys actually will be interested in in in , uh , uh , you know , finally , put it to bed , right , what's more important cert or degree ?
And I think it's going to be degree and it and I think a lot of you are going to be a little bit disappointed when , when they say it's it's the degree um , you know the degree is going to be a little bit disappointed . When they say it's the degree , the degree is going to help you .
The degree does not hurt you , neither does the cert , but the degree does not hurt you at all . It actually helps you more than anything . Now people are going to say , oh , but you got to borrow money , blah , blah .
Yeah , but I'm of the belief that you make more , especially the higher you go right , and I'm saying that you should go for a doctorate because don't go crazy .
But I think the master's degree , if you're going to work in IT , is what you should reach for , because a master's degree will change your whole trajectory and give you confidence and you'll start making more money . You know , once you find your niche Right , my niche is what ? Teaching , comptia Right , that's my niche . I've I've been doing for like seven years .
People call me Schools , call me all the time hey , can you do a bootcamp ? Hey , can you do a bootcamp ? I've gotten hundreds of people to pass their CompTIA certifications Right , so that's my niche . Well , once you discover your niche and you have a master's degree , you're going to make a lot more money than you're making if you just had a cert .
I guarantee you that just goes without saying . That will happen . But I know there's a lot of people there who say , well , I know so-and-so who makes $130,000 . He doesn't have a degree . Yeah , you're going to find those . You're going to find those . Yeah , but those are rare . Those are rare .
Is you know , without it's , it's you know you could find somebody working as a ? Uh changing the tracks , right , for mta new york , new york city transit , right , who ? Who ? Uh , you know the guy there changing the track track supervisor .
He probably makes you know six figures and he probably doesn't have a college degree on cert , right , what he has is longevity , right , he's probably been there a while . You ask him how long he's been there . You know , I'm sure he , you know it's going to be at least 10 years that he's been there .
But you could make more quickly right going in there and it all depends on where you work and stuff . You know , let's not , let's not go too crazy . They're not going to pay you . You know 160 000 coming out coming out of college .
But yeah , maybe you get , possibly you can get half of that , you know , coming out of college , uh , and you know it's very difficult for a company to give that to somebody who just , oh , I have my Security Plus , pay me $80,000 . No , they're not doing that .
So that's why I get upset by people who recommend people , by people who recommend people for Security Plus as the first CompTIA , right ? No , tech Plus , especially somebody who's never done IT , put them in Tech Plus . Don't make them go to Security Plus because they're going to hate it , they're not going to understand it .
There's an expectation that you know stuff , right . So tech plus came out . If you have your brother-in-law or your cousin who wants to get into computers , tell him to take tech plus . That shirt never expires and at least he who gets some knowledge of it and then he goes . You might not get a job with it , honestly .
You might not get a job with it , honestly , you might not get a job with Tech Plus , but that would you know . If he gets it , then I'll leave him confident to take the A plus .
¶ Personal Responsibility and Encouragement
So , again , it's all up to you . You know you have to put in what you want , right ? You know it's up to you . I can do only so much . You have to be able to do stuff on your own like study and and being and actually taking the exam . So , but I have faith in you . So , all right , that's going to put a ball on this episode .
All right , that's going to put a ball on this episode . Thank you all for listening to my tech plus , not tech talk , right , and we'll see you on the other side . This has been a presentation of little cha-cha productions art by Sarah and music by Joe Kim . If you want to email me , you can at ProfessorJRod , that's J-R-O-D at gmailcom .