CompTIA Certification 101 Train Signal's Guide to understanding CompTIA's certifications

By the IT Pros from Train Signal

Who is CompTIA?

CompTIA is the Computing Technology Industry Association and this independent organization has mission of advancing the IT industry. Among their many goals is to further the education and careers of IT professionals and vendor-neutral certification is a big part of that. Today, CompTIA offers 12 different IT certifications and over 1 million people around the world have been certified by CompTIA.

What is a vendor neutral certification?

Most certification today are tied to a particular vendor and a particular product. CompTIA's certification is different in that it is not linked to a particular vendor but to a type of technology. There is good and bad in obtaining a vendor neutral certification. The good side of this is that you aren't locked into a particular vendor and their product. For example, you could tell an employer that you are certified to work on any type of network, not just a Cisco network. On the other hand, you aren't able to demonstrate that you have specific knowledge on a certain vendor's equipment and that may be what an employer is looking for. In the end, CompTIA certifications are all entry-level so, in the real world, you are going to want to go on and achieve a higher level and more specific certification after achieving your CompTIA certification. For example, when we talked about the Network+ certification, you would likely want to go on and achieve a Cisco CCNA or CCNP certification. That way, you could tell your prospective employer that you are certified to work on all types of network equipment (as you have a Network+) and you have chosen to specialize in Cisco equipment (which is why you achieved your CCNA).

Why would someone new to technology be interested in CompTIA certifications?

CompTIA offers a wide array of introductory-level certifications. For example, CompTIA's Network+ starts by covering networking at it's most best level such as answering the question "what is a network?" For those of you new to networking, the CompTIA Network+ is a great starting point. In some cases, other certification vendors will offer you credit for your CompTIA certification in their certification program to help you get started. Also, many CompTIA certifications can be reimbursed by the United States Government under the GI Bill. Overall, CompTIA certifications offer a solid foundation for IT Career growth.

What CompTIA Certifications might interest me, what is required, and how can Train Signal help?

While there are 12 different CompTIA certifications, some are much more popular than others. In our opinion, here are some of the best and more popular CompTIA certifications: