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Best Of
Re: HELP! Novice needing some help
hi @Alexbunn89, my recommendation if you're struggling with the A+ is to branch out - in addition to the skillsoft videos, buy a book! i find it helps to have some non screen-based study materials. Also I recommend checking out the Professor Messer A+ series on youtube, he's great and holds live online study groups every now and then, plus it's all totally free. Stick with him for the Net+ and Sec+ courses too.
I found the best way to remember stuff like how a laser printer works is to write up your own materials on it - reference other materials and rewrite it in your own words and draw your own diagrams. I rarely revisit everything i write, but simply writing it in your own words is sometimes enough to retain the knowledge. For port numbers (can't remember if these are part of A+) and acronyms I wrote flash cards I would carry with me, they're a great way to remember associations and small nuggets of info.
If you find yourself consistently failing the practice exams, note which sections you seem to be struggling in and focus on them, always refer to the comptia exam objectives PDF for what you need to be learning under each objective. the PDF is king!
jason
Re: Introductions
I'm Steve, I am an Information Security Analyst in the finance industry, I have over 10 years of experience in IT, I have achieved over this time CompTIA A+, N+, Security+, CySA+. I also hold the EC-Council CEH and looking at upgrading that to the CEH Masters by the end of the year.
I have recently signed up for the CompTIA PenTest+ and CASP+ as well as (ICS)2 SSCP. My end goal is to become CISSP within the next 4 - 5 years.
If anyone needs any advice or help, please let me know and hopefully I will be able to share some of my knowledge and experience with you all.
Happy studying,
Steve
SSwan
Re: Inspire others with your career journey
Operational Team Manager Turned Web Developer
Why a new skill and career change?
Since I was old enough to work, all my roles had been in the Customer Services sector - it wasn't something I actively chose because I was passionate about or anything, it was just the the first thing that came up when I was job hunting. I studied Biomedical Sciences at Uni, with the ultimate goal of becoming a Dentist. However, after graduating from Uni and while applying to Dental Colleges/Universities, I got my first full-time job as a Customer Services Advisor at Vodafone, just to get some steady income. Before I knew it, days turned into years, and what was supposed to be a stop-gap at the time ultimately turned into what I thought would be my career.
Over the course of the next 11 years, I moved to a couple of different companies and progressed to Operational Team Manager, still within the Customer Services sector. This felt like a natural progression in an industry that I 'fell into', but I always felt that there was something missing that was preventing me from being completely satisfied with my job. Towards the end of my previous role, I just felt like I was going through the motions each day, ticking each day off, and just 'working for the weekend', which prompted me to evaluate my career choice two years ago.
When doing this, I realised that I had always been technically minded, and a couple of projects that I had worked on previously had stoked the fire for me wanting to learn more about how software was built. Following this discovery and some chats with a couple of friends within the tech industry, I decided to change careers into software/web development. After deciding this, I enrolled in Code Institute's Full Stack Diploma in Software Development course via The Learning People.
Value in getting certified?
For me, the value in getting certified was having an official qualification, along with a portfolio of assessed projects that I could present to potential employers to demonstrate my hands on experience and skills that I had picked up during the course. Additionally, the extra value for me was the career support that The Learning People offered once I graduated from the course. The career support helped me to develop my CV and cover letter, and provided me with useful information about the tech interview process. This was invaluable in helping me secure my first Junior Web Developer role.
How my career has developed since enrolling?
I enrolled in the course in January 2019, graduated in November of the same year, and I started my first Junior Web Developer role at J B Cole UK in March 2020. Through the course, I had learnt HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Python, and since graduating I've also learnt React. In my day to day role, I mainly work with React for frontend development, and Python/Django for backend development. The role has allowed me to develop my existing skills, while also working with plenty of new technologies along the way. The company works on a lot of different and interesting projects, which provides plenty of variety in my day to day role and ensures that no two days are the same. I'm now 7 months in and each day so far has confirmed that I made the right choice to change careers into something that I'm really passionate about. I finally found a job and career that I look forward to and really enjoy each day, rather than just going through the motions and waiting for the day to be over!
My advice to a career changer?
Do it! A career change is a daunting experience, but once it pays off it's so rewarding! Be prepared to immerse yourself in it and soak up as much knowledge as you can. Don't understimate the importance of practice - the more you do/repeat, the more you learn and the more it sticks! Also, never stand still. The tech industry is constantly evolving with new technologies coming out all the time, so keep your knowledge fresh. There will be times when you feel that you're not 'cut out' to be a developer (imposter syndrome), but be patient and confident in your abilities. You will consistently be out of your comfort zone as a developer, as you'll come across problems that you've never faced before, which require research and learning on the go, so even the most experienced developers still get imposter syndrome - you're not on your own. When you overcome any problems, though, it is so satisfying and rewarding. For me, changing careers was the best decision I ever made, and was totally worth it!
hebs87
Getting started with ranks, badges and points
To make the most of our Alumni community, and generate valuable discussion and insight into the tech industry, we’ve introduced a ranking system.
When you first join the Alumni, you’ll start as a Beginner, before moving through to Novice, Pro, Expert and Thought Leader.
To level up, simply gain more points by reacting to posts. You can Like, Agree with, add Insight, or Up Vote on what others are saying. The more you react and engage on the platform, the more points you'll get.
By reacting more and engaging with more content, you'll also be eligible for badges which show just how engaged you are with the platform.
Plus, our moderators will award members with bespoke badges to anyone we think is making an effort to demonstrate and share their skills with other members. Look out for Project Management Pro, Coding Pro, IT Pro and Cyber Security Pro badges.
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