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In the dynamic world of Information Technology (IT) it’s easy to focus solely on technical skills. However, the often-overlooked success of gaining an IT job are the soft skills – those interpersonal qualities that elevate a tech professional from being good to being exceptional. I want to talk about the vital role of soft skills in IT jobs and why they are crucial for career success.

1. Communication: Effective communication is the success in IT. Whether you’re explaining complex technical concepts to a non-technical stakeholder, collaborating with team members, or providing support to end-users, the ability to communicate clearly and concisely is how to set yourself apart from other techs. Soft skills like active listening and adapting your communication style to your audience can bridge the gap between technical jargon and understandable information.

2. Problem-Solving: IT professionals need to be the unsung heroes in problem-solving. Beyond coding and technical troubleshooting, the soft skill of problem-solving involves analytical thinking and the ability to approach challenges with creativity. The best IT professionals don’t just fix issues; they identify root causes, anticipate future problems, and implement solutions that prevent recurrence.

3. Teamwork: In the collaborative landscape of IT projects, teamwork is not just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. Soft skills related to teamwork include effective collaboration, conflict resolution, and the ability to contribute positively to a team. Whether you’re part of an development team or leading a project, your ability to work harmoniously with others is a key determinant of success.

4. Adaptability: IT is synonymous with change, and adaptability is the sail that helps professionals navigate through it. Adaptability and flexibility enable IT professionals to embrace new technologies, methodologies, and evolving project requirements. Those who can pivot with ease are better positioned to thrive in the ever-changing IT landscape.

5. Customer Service Excellence: Many IT professionals interact directly or indirectly with end-users or clients. A customer-focused mindset, and effective communication contribute to superior customer service. Understanding the end-user’s perspective is not just about fixing technical issues but also about ensuring a positive experience with IT services.

6. Time Management: Juggling multiple tasks and deadlines is the norm in IT. Time management, prioritization, and organization are essential. Being able to efficiently manage your time ensures that critical tasks are completed promptly, contributing to project success and client satisfaction.

7. Leadership in Every Role: Leadership skills extend beyond formal managerial roles. Even as a team member, you can exhibit leadership qualities such as initiative, influencing positive change, and taking ownership of projects. Soft skills in leadership contribute to a proactive and empowered IT culture.

In the ever-evolving landscape of IT jobs, soft skills are the glue that holds together technical expertise, creating a well-rounded and effective professional. As you navigate your IT career, remember that your ability to communicate, collaborate, problem-solve, adapt, and provide exceptional service is just as crucial as your technical prowess. Investing in and honing your soft skills will not only set you apart but will also propel your IT career to new heights. After all, in the fast-paced world of IT, it’s not just about the code; it’s about the people who make technology work seamlessly.

Don’t miss Richard Chapman’s daily Cybersecurity Awareness Tips during the month of October!

Live 8-week CompTIA Security+ training for only $500!

 US and International Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.

Interactive simulations: TotalSims for A+, Network+, and Security+, hundreds of online simulated labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn technical concepts covered on the exams.

E-books are available: Check out our e-book titles. Available 24/7 for immediate access on the Total Seminars Training Hub

We are continuing with Cybersecurity Awareness month, don’t miss our daily Cybersecurity Tips.  Last week we talked about the different cybersecurity certifications that can take you into a cybersecurity career, today we are talking about getting those certifications.  Studying to pass any certification exam is scary thing no matter what time of year! In times like these you need sage advice.

So here it is: Like we’ve said for literally decades, you need three things to maximize your certification preparation:

(1) Training, (2) Reference, and (3) Practice.

Training: You need a way to systematically be introduced to new concepts and understand how they relate to each other.
Reference: Nobody can hold all this information down this long, so a good book is a great reference of knowledge as you build your knowledge; and
Practice: All humans learn by doing, and for exams, practice (tests/questions) makes perfect

For those of you considering cutting corners on this, let me tell you, some do pass the exam without having all three learning resources. But I’ve known many aspiring techs that don’t pass blame it on their lack of resources or preparation.

The truth is, most people need all three: (1) Training, (2) Reference, and (3) Practice resources for success.

How you go about getting training resources is up to you, but for those of you who are serious about passing certifications exams, here’s some advice. Know yourself, your abilities, and be honest with yourself.

First, ask yourself if you are ready to commit your time and resources?

If you are ready to commit, choosing Online Instructor-Led vs Self-Study Training for resources is your next question. Again, being honest with yourself is important!

Second, can you create your own structure, and follow it?

If you can, self-study is a great path. If you need the structure set for you to follow, consider instructor lead resources.

A wise man once said, best time to start was yesterday; the second-best is today.

If you really want to be a “new you” in the new year, you can be, start now!

Don’t miss Richard Chapman’s daily Cybersecurity Awareness Tips during the month of October!

Live 8-week CompTIA Security+ training for only $500!

 US and International Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.

Interactive simulations: TotalSims for A+, Network+, and Security+, hundreds of online simulated labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn technical concepts covered on the exams.

E-books are available: Check out our e-book titles. Available 24/7 for immediate access on the Total Seminars Training Hub

With cybercrime on the rise and vulnerabilities constantly being exposed, it is imperative that organizations take a proactive stance to protecting assets and employing skilled cybersecurity professionals. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of information security jobs will increase 33 percent from 2023 to 2033, making it one of the fastest-growing fields.Employers, from government to Fortune 500 companies, value CompTIA as an authority in cybersecurity certifications.

• 96% of managers use certifications as recruitment criteria.

How to Get into Cybersecurity

The CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway helps IT pros achieve cybersecurity mastery, from beginning to end. The centerpiece is the CompTIA Security+ certification. It establishes the foundational knowledge required of any cybersecurity role and provides a springboard to intermediate-level cybersecurity jobs. With performance-based questions, it emphasizes the hands-on practical skills used by junior IT auditors, systems administrators, network administrators and security administrators.

After earning CompTIA Security+, cybersecurity professionals can take the next step by pursuing an intermediate skills-level cybersecurity certification, such as CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) or CompTIA PenTest+.

The CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst certification assesses the skills needed to apply behavioral analytics to networks to improve the overall state of IT security. The certification covers tools such as packet sniffers, intrusion detection systems (IDS) and security information and event management (SIEM) systems.

While CySA+ focuses on defense through incident detection and response, CompTIA PenTest+ focuses on offense through penetration testing and vulnerability assessment. It involves launching attacks on systems, discovering the vulnerabilities and managing them and is intended for cybersecurity professionals tasked with identifying, exploiting, reporting and managing vulnerabilities on a network.

As of 2024 the average annual salary for Penetration Tester is $119,895*.

The Average Salary for Cybersecurity Analyst for 2024 is $99,400/year (ZipRecruiter).

This career is in one of the fastest-growing job markets**.

The progression from CompTIA Security+ to CompTIA CySA+ and/or CompTIA PenTest+ is logical because Security+ assesses the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) an IT professional demonstrates after two years of cybersecurity field work, and CySA+ and PenTest+ assess three to four years of cybersecurity field work.

The Building Blocks of Cybersecurity

But how do you get into cybersecurity with no experience? If you have limited experience in IT and aren’t quite ready to start with CompTIA Security+, then you’ll want to start earlier on the pathway.

CompTIA A+ validates the skills employers look for in new and aspiring IT support professionals. In addition to covering today’s core technologies in operating systems, cloud, data management and more, the new CompTIA A+ Core Series covers baseline security skills at the end point device level, including malware detection and removal, privacy concerns, physical security and device hardening.

Where CompTIA A+ considers connectivity from the perspective of the user and their device, CompTIA Network+ focuses on the connections from (and between) the core systems to the endpoint devices. It validates the essential knowledge and skills needed to design, configure, manage and troubleshoot wired and wireless networks. To best support and ultimately secure the systems that exchange information on your network, you must first understand how the network functions.

CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ follow a progression consistent with the KSAs an IT professional exhibits as they move from an early career technical support role with 9 to 12 months of general IT experience to one with 1 to 2 years of general IT experience, and with a significant part of that specific to network support and administration.

CompTIA Network+ is also an important and strongly recommended prerequisite to CompTIA Security+. Before you can secure a network, you must understand how it functions. In other words, you shouldn’t skip algebra to start with calculus. Otherwise, you are learning security skills and applying them to a network you don’t understand.

Don’t miss Richard Chapman’s daily Cybersecurity Awareness Tips during the month of October!

Live 8-week CompTIA Security+ training for only $500!

 US and International Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.

Interactive simulations: TotalSims for A+, Network+, and Security+, hundreds of online simulated labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn technical concepts covered on the exams.

E-books are available: Check out our e-book titles. Available 24/7 for immediate access on the Total Seminars Training Hub

Now that you are on track studying, don’t forget to start thinking about your upcoming job search.  These days job searching is not just looking at the “want ads”.  From resume writers to resume analyzers, it is important to get your resume top shape and know what employers are looking for in the position for which you apply.  It is important to start looking at the market now and become familiar with your local market.

Watch Mike Meyers with Gemini Sanford, Director of Student Operations, talk about how to get the job you want, leveraging tools you may have forgotten about or never used.  They talk about the “The 3 Foot Rule”; Best answer to the dreaded interview question “Tell me about yourself; a free browser extension tool called Jobalytics that helps you modify your resume to the job description, and more! 

Remember when you are ready to take your exams, set the date and stick to it. Finally, never pay full price for your certification exams.  Save on the cost of certification exams with Discount Exam Vouchers.

Mike

Live 8-week CompTIA Security+ training for only $500!

 US and International Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.

Interactive simulations: TotalSims for A+, Network+, and Security+, hundreds of online simulated labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn technical concepts covered on the exams.

E-books are available: Check out our e-book titles. Available 24/7 for immediate access on the Total Seminars Training Hub

In September we have been talking about IT careers and Cyber careers.  I hope you are moving forward in your studies for a successful career.  Studying for certification exams requires a systematic approach to cover the exam objectives to gain a solid understanding of the concepts and skills tested.  Don’t miss study tips in my study blog.

Prepare to pass your certification exams with study materials. Everyone has a different way of learning, it is hard to say what the is the best product for an individual to learn, you have assess that for yourself.

Determine what you need to seat the concepts in your mind  (Do you learn by reading, listening, or doing, or all of the above).
Don’t go in without a plan, plan to succeed!
Plan your studies, study your plan.

For students who learn better in more of a classroom based learning with an instructor explaining topics, utilize computer based learning video series where an instructor teaches the concepts.

For those who learn well by reading, look to exam guides.  You can find a complete understanding  to prepare for a certification in an all in one book that will cover your from the basics to passing the exam.  If you are an existing tech, looking to pass the exam, I like to call you “swiss cheese” knowledge techs.  You know what you work with well, but need to fill in the “holes” to pass your exams, and don’t want a book that covers the basics. You are looking for the exam facts.

Get your hands dirty, practice, practice, practice.  Whether it is working with setting up the hardware or configuring the software, get some time working on your skills.  Use online interactive simulations to help you learn technical concepts and practice. Hands on labs help ensure a seamless and coherent learning experience for you.

Certification practice exams are expensive, prepare to pass the first time.  Practice exams are a great way for you to know when you are ready to take the actual exams.  You can use them at the end of your studies to see if you are ready to take the exams.  If you are using as a final check, don’t just trust that one pass is good enough, be certain to take several exams and ensure your scores are consistent.  If you choose to use practice questions as an integral part of their study, be certain to use a larger pool of questions.  More questions help ensure that you are learning the concepts, and not just memorizing the answers to the questions in the database.

Mike

Don’t pay full price.  Save on the cost of certification exams with Discount Exam Vouchers.
Ready more study tips for passing certification exams

Live 8-week CompTIA Security+ training for only $500!

 US and International Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.

Interactive simulations: TotalSims for A+, Network+, and Security+, hundreds of online simulated labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn technical concepts covered on the exams.

E-books are available: Check out our e-book titles. Available 24/7 for immediate access on the Total Seminars Training Hub