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CompTIA What happens now?

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I am a geek. I post here, I twitter, I read a number of tech sites. I also am a Network Engineer and have Microsoft certifications. Oh yeah, I have the CompTIA A+ and Network+ Certifications. I went with the CompTIA certifications because of the standard they are. They are entry level, and never need to be renewed, or at least that was the case for all but a few days this year.

While going through my tech news this morning, Ars Technica had an article up titled, “ Thought that A+ cert was good for life? Think again.” It talks about how CompTIA was making the entry level certifications renewable, and making it retroactive. Yes, you would have to pay a yearly fee to keep the certification plus do continuing education or take the exam over again every three years. Also if you had originally been certified over 3 years ago, you would have to take the newest version of the exam to get recertified.

The announcement was originally made back on January 11, 2010. The geek world went ballistic. Discussions on forum after forum popped up. Grass roots organizations started on Facebook. Finally, Ars Technica got a hold of the info and posted it. The embers of discontent were fanned into an even larger fire. CompTIA has backed down and made adjustments to when changes would occur.

The question is, how much has it hurt CompTIA in the computer world. Yes they are honoring the Lifetime Certifications as valid again, plus if you get the certification before the end of 2010 it will be lifetime still. The new rules take effect Jan 1, 2011.

The dropping of the ball on this was two fold. First off, CompTIA gave no forewarning that they were thinking of changing the terms of the 3 certifications (A+, Network+, Security+). The surprise factor of the announcement would have caused a large ruckus anyway, but then you had to add factor 2. They were revoking thousands, if not millions of people’s certifications. One of the first certifications most people get is the A+, because it shows a basic knowledge of the computer world. All of a sudden, the agreement we had signed saying we were getting a lifetime certification was null and void.

Don’t get me wrong, I can’t complain that they would make the exams renewable. It makes sense. Think of the people who will pass the A+ and then never use it. It is time for it to loose the lifetime certification. Cisco, Microsoft, and most of the other certifications out there expire and have to be upgraded or renewed. Time frames differ, but it makes sense. CompTIA though went about it the wrong way. CompTIA deals with enough certifications that it will survive this. The question is, will the exams affected by this PR disaster survive, and will CompTIA be looked at differently for a long time, or will this just pass into oblivion?

Pitfalls, Prepping, and Vindication

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So, being in the world of IT, there are many hats we all tend to wear. Sometimes many at once, sometimes at different times. Within all of the different hats there are certain things that stay the same, and can make each of us better. Here is the list of things I tend to do to try and make life easier, not only on me, but on my clients and company.

1) Plan Plan Plan! I can’t stress enough how important a good plan is for anything. Whether it is a move (physical or jsut moving shares), a new deployment, or even trying to fix a problem. Having a plan of attack will always make things go smoother.

2) Keep an open mind! We as techs tend to keep our sight narrowed, but this honestly is one of the worst things we can do. Closing your mind to the possibilities, no matter how far out they might seem, limits us, and can cause problems down the line. A great example was years ago when I was learning how to build machines I spent 6 months trying to figure out why I was getting no sound. The one thing I didn’t try until I was cleaning up my work area was making sure I had the jacks plugged into the right spots. Turned out I have the mic plugged into the speaker spot and the speakers pkugged into the mic. My narrow focus on a hardware problem cost me a lot of time and wasted energy.

3) Think of worst case scenarios! If you think of all the things that can go wrong, come up with what you would do if those things do happen, things will go a lot more smoothly. Not only will it save you time, but you will come out looking even better in the end because you thought things through. As a rule of thumb I always add time beyond what it should take when planning out a project as a standby in case things go wrong. As Scotty from Star Trek Said about multiplying his repair time estimates by 4, “How else do you think I got known as a miracle worker?”

4) GOOGLE!!! It never hurts to google thoughts and ideas. You can come up with both potential issues, find out if people have done things the way you are planning, and other ways to complete a project.

5) Check and Double Check everything before you start! Just to make sure you didn’t miss something. Ona recent in house project not only did I map everything out, but I went over the mapping 5 times to make sure I knew everything inside and out before I started.

Using these sorts of guidlines will not only help make you  a better IT guy, but in what can be a thankless job, will make you look great to your bosses and the people who count!