The Google IT Support Professional Certificate program is a comparatively new training course that teaches foundational IT skills. It’s available on Coursera (link at the bottom of this page) and is an excellently-prepared video course designed for beginners who are wanting a comprehensive introduction to the world of working in IT.
That said, the question on a lot of minds will be: “How does it stack up against the more popular, and common, Comptia A+ certification?”
The video below will answer this question, giving an overview of the course and content, an idea of where it stands in comparison to Comptia’s offerings, and a discussion of who this course is ideally appropriate for. However, if you are short of time, you’ll also find a summary of the key points below the video, as well.
What Are The Main Points You Need To Know About The Google IT Support Professional Certificate?
- The content is not A+ specific – so it’s not ideal as a prep course for the A+ exam.
- The material is a lot more in-depth than is needed to successfully write the A+ exam.
- A lot of the Google material is covered in Comptia’s Network+ and Security+ programs, which are more intermediate level, and because of the more challenging material, some may find it a bit discouraging if they are just starting out.
- The best use of the course is for getting general knowledge of IT infrastructure (PC hardware, software, networking and security) in a low-cost and no-exams offering, as opposed to looking for employment-ready certification.
- It’s also an excellent way to get your feet wet and see if a career in IT is something you really want to do, as Google spends considerable time discussing the pros and cons of working in IT, different career paths in IT, and much more.
- A potential drawback is that there are no proctored exams, so its value to potential employers is an open question.
- The course is very low cost ($48 Canadian per month when I took it) so it’s a low-risk way to try something new that may be of interest to you.
- The quality of the course material and instruction is very high.
Where To Find More Information
The Google IT Support Professional Certificate program is offered only via online learning through Coursera. More information can be found here: https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-it-support
Google has further information on the course and their rationale for developing it, which can be found here: Google IT Certificates – Grow with Google
Final Thoughts
This IT training program is an excellent (and very accessible) option for many people looking at either starting a career in IT, or looking to transition from an existing career to IT. I personally received a lot of value from it and I’m glad I took it. However, I would not look at it as a replacement for some of the more common IT certifications out there if your primary focus is to be employment-ready as soon as possible.
