Are you interested in becoming a network engineer and wondering if you need a CompTIA certification to get an IT job? The short answer is yes, but CompTIA certification is not the only thing that employers look for in an IT candidate. Education, prior work experience, professional references and certifications are some of the elements that employers consider when hiring for an IT position.

There are four main certifications that CompTIA offers including A+, Network+, Security+, and Linux+. CyberTex focuses on these CompTIA certifications as part of our comprehensive Network Engineer program.

What is CompTIA?

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a vendor neutral IT certification provider. CompTIA has developed training and certification exams for computing support, networking, security, development, cloud, and mobility. They provide forums for collaboration, mentorship, and best practices. CompTIA also provides skills validation with their training and certification offerings.

Is CompTIA Certification Enough to Get a Job?

Again, while not the only thing that employers look for in an IT candidate, getting CompTIA certification shows proficiency in the knowledge and skills you will need when performing an IT role. Plus, becoming CompTIA certified is a great way to start a career in information technology. CompTIA is widely accepted as the industry standard qualification to begin a career in IT. Getting certification is also a way for those already established in the IT industry to level up their skills.

What are the Benefits of CompTIA Certification?

There are many benefits to having a CompTIA certification. They include:

A Competitive Advantage

Although IT professionals are in demand, it can be a competitive market. Those with certifications like CompTIA are at a competitive advantage during the hiring process. Many employers  will do a basic search of resumes to make sure the word “CompTIA” is included, possibly weeding out the resumes that do not have this keyword. Since CompTIA is an industry standard certification, many employers require candidates that have passed these certification exams.

Confidence

Not only are certified IT professionals more confident in their own abilities, coworkers and supervisors also build confidence in those that have CompTIA certification. Professionals that are confident are more likely to proactively anticipate issues and solve problems before they become a significant issue.  CompTIA Security+ certified professionals are 85% more likely to believe they have the knowledge and skills needed to perform their job successfully.

More Knowledgeable

Experienced IT managers rely on the validated knowledge of certified professionals to make good decisions and correctly perform essential tasks. CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Security+ professionals have more core domain knowledge than uncertified professionals with the same amount of experience.

New hires with CompTIA certification also reach job proficiency quicker than uncertified professionals. Plus, certified IT professionals have a better understanding of the environment, are quicker to identify issues and opportunities, and can offer more value quicker than uncertified professionals.

More Reliable

CompTIA certified IT professionals provide better levels of performance. They are more reliable and consistently complete tasks. Further, certified professionals outperform non-certified professionals in critical, job-related activities.

Career Advancement

Those employees with experience and CompTIA certification are more likely, all things considered, to have more opportunity for advancement. Getting CompTIA certified shows supervisors that you are serious about your job and want to advance in your career.

Improved Performance

Organizations rely on IT staff to provide essential services, maintain crucial infrastructure, and secure business systems. Plus, CompTIA certified IT professionals offer improved performance to these organizations.

What CompTIA Certifications are Offered at CyberTex?

CyberTex focuses on the standard CompTIA certifications. There are many more specialized CompTIA certification available for those that want to expand on their IT knowledge. The CompTIA certifications that the Network Engineer program focuses on include:

CompTIA A+

A+ is a foundational certification provided by CompTIA. It covers the fundamental elements of IT. This includes desktop, server, and mobile devices. It also covers basic aspects of networking and network security.

CompTIA Network+

The CompTIA Network+ certification builds upon the basic networking covered on the A+ exam. The Network+ certification prepares you for more advanced network design. It also provides a deeper look into networking hardware, virtualization, and network security.

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA Security+ goes into more depth on the subject then the Network+ certification to provide advanced techniques to harden networks and proactively protect networks from threats. It also covers hybrid environments, the Internet of Things, and cloud systems. Additionally, Security+ covers real-time network monitoring to analyze and neutralize threats.

CompTIA Linux+

IT professionals leverage CompTIA Linux+ related skills to work with a server’s operating system. The Server+ certification covers many popular operating systems used in enterprise-level servers. However, Linux+ puts additional emphasis on this open-source operating system used in both traditional and cloud-based servers. This includes working with Linux kernel modules, shell scripting, automation, and the use of git for code management.

Final Thoughts

CyberTex is a CompTIA authorized academy and offers IT training for 10+ certifications in the Network Engineer program, including Microsoft Azure, AWS, and other CompTIA and Microsoft certifications. If you are looking to work as a network engineer, CyberTex is ready to prepare you for IT certification. A stepping-stone to a life-long career in Information Technology.

Want to Learn More?

IT careers have become essential not just in Austin but globally, and there is no better time to pick up than now. In 2019 Austin was ranked #1 in Best Tech City for IT jobs by CompTIA, and the demand is only growing.

CyberTex Institute of Technology, under the supervision of our expert school instructors, takes excellent care of every college student by providing hands-on training and necessary support to start a new career in the information technology field. The Network Engineer training program is designed to be completed in 45 weeks and prepares students for entry-level positions in businesses and organizations.