How to Get a Google IT Support Professional Certificate

If you are willing to change your professional career or have just entered the job market, you may find information technology (IT) a rewarding niche. And in IT, Google IT Support Professional Certificate is an excellent way to find high-paying entry-level jobs.

IT support specialist is a fast-growing job field: almost every household and business use computers and related devices. Hence, there will always be a constant requirement for IT support specialists.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, there have been 844,600 job positions for computer support specialists. And the agency expects that the number will grow by 9% between 2020 to 2030. Each year the IT industry will add 72,200 new IT support specialists in the said period.

Therefore, by numbers, the IT support career shows job security in the current and future perspectives. And the best way to start is by acquiring a Google Certificate that most employers recognize. Let’s learn more about this course and get started right away!     

What Is Google IT Support Professional Certificate?

You can consider the Google IT Support Professional accreditation as the launchpad for a successful career in IT. Google has designed the course content so that a beginner-level candidates can make them job-ready in three to six months. Coursera is the course content delivery partner for this certification offered by Google. 

Securing an entry-level IT support job becomes easier when you obtain this 5-course certification from Google. The role includes remote and in-person IT help desk support for small, medium, and enterprise-level businesses. There are also examples of Google IT Support Professional Certified candidates securing jobs in Google.

The course is highly intuitive and persuasive to keep the learner sticking to the course without any distractions. You’ll learn through many contents like videos, widgets, quizzes, and hands-on labs.

Key benefits of the course are: 

• Get preferences when applying for the IT support role to top employers like Sprint, Walmart, Hulu, Google, Bank of America, etc.
• Get in-depth knowledge of IT hardware, software, and networking through theoretical and practical lessons.
• Learn the required soft skills to behave professionally in the workplace.
• It is highly affordable and requires fewer time investments.
• Get a Credly-issued digital badge.
• If you get CompTIA certification, you will also earn a dual badge.       

The certification is a part of Grow with Google program. Google has focused this initiative on creating job opportunities and self-employment opportunities globally. You can also opt for financial aid from Coursera, and an internal team will evaluate your application for financial grants towards your certification.     

Google IT Support Professional Certificate Overview

Eligibility

Anyone is eligible to sign up for this certification course by Google on Coursera. If you have previous experience with computer hardware, networking, and software, the content will seem more accessible. However, previous experience or computer literacy is not mandatory since this is an entry-level certification for the IT support specialist role.

The course content is available in 10 languages, including English. If your native language is not listed, you should possess basic English literacy to complete the entire course.   

Prerequisites

Becoming an IT support specialist means dealing with computers and allied technologies. Hence, owning a computer with standard hardware and software configurations and a good internet connection is perfect! 

However, you can also obtain the certification from a cyber cafe or any other place where you get access to a computer and the internet. 

Course Duration

The course should not take more than six months if you follow the standard learning pace of 10 hours a week. Here is a detailed breakdown of the course content-wise time investment:

Fees

You can access the course content by subscribing to a Coursera Plus plan. The Cost of this monthly plan is $39. You also get a 7-day free trial to evaluate the course content before starting monthly payments. 

Job Role and Salary Expectations

Job titles that you can expect are: 

According to a ZipRecruiter study, the national average (USA) salary for a Google IT Support Professional job role is $58,922/year. However, the minimum salary could be $24,500/year, and the maximum could be $112,500/year.  

Course Content of Google IT Support Professional Certification

Technical Support Fundamentals: Course 1

It is an introductory learning content for IT. You will go through the basics of IT, like hardware, software, networks, customer service, and IT troubleshooting. Key learnings will be:

• How does the binary system work?
• How to assemble a computer?
• How to install an operating system?
• What Is the internet?
• How does software development work? 

The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking: Course 2

This section of the Google IT Support Professional Certificate course will deal with everything about computer networking, connectivity protocols, and cloud computing in practical and theoretical content. Key learnings:

Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User: Course 3

The third-course concerns are operating systems, software management, and hardware configuring. Key skills you will learn are:  

• GUI and CLI for Linux and Windows
• Disk partitioning and filesystems
• Remote connection tools
• Resolve OS issues as an IT specialist

System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services: Course 4

This section is a bit advanced because you will learn to control multiple computers connected to a network. Business computing infrastructure services, server configuration, and cloud resources management are the topics that you will learn. Key skills that you will acquire are: 

• How to choose vendors, services, and hardware for your organization.
• Cloud infrastructure for businesses
• Active directory, directory services, and OpenLDAP
• Backup company data 

IT Security: Defense Against the Digital Dark Arts: Course 5

Here you will learn about threats to IT and they easy such threats could attack your company’s IT infrastructure. You will also learn the IT security best practices, concepts, and tools to respond to hacking and ransomware attacks. Key skills to learn are: 

• Network and data encryption algorithms
• Different authentication software and protocols
• Assessing risks and reducing risks
• Network security best practices
• Training general employees on data and network security   

Google IT Support Professional Certificate: Coursera

This Coursera course is the official platform to go through rigorous training on the various course content and earn a shareable online certificate. You will only get training on the in-demand and latest techniques and skills of IT support. And, in 5 to 6 months, you can become job-ready.

One of the best things about this Coursera certification is you can pursue the course even if you are working or enrolled in a full-time college degree. That’s because you only need to invest 10 hours a week, which is easily manageable alongside other professional or educational commitments.

Coursera’s framework for this certification is 100% online, and you can schedule the learning sessions conveniently. Furthermore, the course is also available in major foreign languages like French, Italian, German, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Portuguese (Brazilian and European).      

Google and CompTIA: Dual Certification

CompTIA is a prestigious IT certification, paving the way for top-level IT positions. CompTIA A+ is the gold standard in the IT industry if an employer needs to hire problem solvers for virtual computing, networking, and computation infrastructure security.

After you train yourself on the basics of IT tech support through Coursera on this Google Certification, you can prove your job readiness by acquiring the CompTIA A+ Certification. The course content of the Google IT Support Professional Certificate aligns perfectly with the objectives and skills covered by the latest version of CompTIA A+.      

After getting a basic IT support specialist certification, you can enhance your career and climb the ladder of success by acquiring more specialized IT certifications. 

For example, you can become an expert in cloud computing or Microsoft Azure. Find below some reliable Coursera courses that can help you:  

IBM Technical Support Professional Certificate: Coursera

Cloud Computing Basics (Cloud 101): Coursera

IBM Technical Support Professional Certificate: Coursera

Information Technology (IT) and Cloud Fundamentals Specialization: Coursera

Microsoft Azure Services and Lifecycles: Coursera

IS/IT Governance: Coursera

Introduction to Microsoft Azure Cloud Services: Coursera

Big Data Emerging Technologies: Coursera

Final Words

Google Certificates have always been a value proposition in professional training and accreditations. If you are genuinely considering a career as an IT support specialist, there is nothing like the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. And the only Google-authorized platform to obtain the certification is Coursera.

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