You may be following the trends in the Information Technology industry and the explosion in Internet usage. Advances in technology and consequent reduction in component prices have brought down the cost of computers, resulting in a tremendous increase in the proliferation of personal computers. It is not uncommon to find a home with more than one computer connected in a Local Area Network (LAN).
The number of computer buyers is increasing, but very few computer owners are tech-savvy, and once they run into problems with the functioning of their computer, they need a trained professional who can troubleshoot their PC.
You may have decided to follow a career as a computer technician by recognizing this need in the market. You may have either trained yourself or studied to become a computer technician. However, this is not enough. What you need to recognize is that the industry wants certified professionals to meet their requirements.
Certification ensures a certain level of expertise and a company can be secure in the knowledge that their problems are being taken care of by trained professionals. For you, professionally, certification means that you can command a higher salary in the market compared to an uncertified professional and have many more options available.
How can one obtain certification? There are online certification exams you could opt for - Brainbench is one such certifying agency. Many of these certifications can be viewed by an employer online but a hard copy of the certification would probably have to be paid for. Alternatively, you could go to professional bodies like CompTIA that award certifications to professionals. These are much valued in the industry and could give you the winning edge over your competitors in winning a contract or a project.
Before you go in for a certification exams, make sure your basic knowledge is in place - it might be better to revise your knowledge of:
- Computer hardware components
- BIOS, Power supplies, ports and expansion slots
- IDE, SCSI and Bus architectures
- Processor - Interrupts, memory
- Basics of PC Repair
- Display cards and other peripherals like printers
- Computer vendor-specific design features
Once you have these fundamentals in place, you are ready to take that certification exam!
Ms. Pinky is a Computer Support Specialist for more than 25 years. Has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering, MS Research work in Systems Engineering.
Get more free computer tips on her blog at http://www.computerhelpdeskandsupport.com/
