Marco Grimaldi

L2 Managed Services Engineer @ NTT DATA · Language Teacher

6 minute read

🚀 My Journey into IT: How the Google IT Support Professional Certificate Paved the Way

Just a heads-up: This review reflects my personal experience only.

ℹ️ Intro

Hello everyone! If you’re anything like I was a few years ago — a professional considering a major career change, or just someone curious about the world of IT — then this post is for you. Back in 2021, my career path took a significant turn from language teaching into the dynamic world of IT. It was a leap of faith, even though I had prior IT training from high school and from my university days. This experience made me confident in the courses included in this certificate, but it is not required for a great learning experience.

The single most crucial first step I took was earning the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. This wasn’t just my first Google certificate; it was my first IT certification, period, and it laid the foundation for everything that followed. Today, I want to share my tips and insights to help you get started on your own journey, especially for those of you who want to gain not only conceptual, but also practical awareness to land an IT Support job.

The Google IT Support Professional Certificate is a fantastic entry point for anyone with little to no prior experience. It’s a comprehensive, self-paced program that goes far beyond just theoretical knowledge. It’s designed to give you a genuine feel for what a career in IT support is like, and while having some background in the IT world may ease things a bit, it’s absolutely not required to get the best from the courses included in this certificate.

📚 The Six-Course Curriculum: A Comprehensive Overview

The program is now divided into six core courses - it was five earlier, but now a sixth one covering AI has been added -, each outlining different pieces of the puzzle that compose the IT landscape. I found this modular approach incredibly effective because it covers all the critical aspects of the curriculum, from IT architecture and system administration to the essential fields of networking and security. In today’s IT world, foundational knowledge in these areas is a must-have, and this certificate ensures you get it.

The six courses are:

  • Technical Support Fundamentals: This is your introduction to the world of IT. You’ll cover the basics of computer hardware, software, networking, and the crucial soft skills like troubleshooting and customer service. It’s an essential primer that ensures you have a solid foundation.

  • The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking: This course delves into the backbone of modern technology. You’ll learn about network models, protocols like TCP/IP, and practical applications for network troubleshooting. Understanding how data travels is fundamental to solving problems in any IT environment. It goes pretty deep and might also be a good starting point for future and more in-depth network-related certifications, such as CCNA.

  • Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User: This is where you transition from a basic user to someone who understands what’s happening “under the hood.” The course focuses on the inner workings of operating systems like Windows and Linux, teaching you about managing files, processes, and user permissions.

  • System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services: This is where the curriculum gives you a taste of what it’s like to manage multiple computers and an entire IT infrastructure. You’ll learn about managing servers, cloud infrastructure, and essential services like DNS and DHCP. This course provides practical insights into the job itself, preparing you for more than just a single machine.

  • IT Security: Defense Against the Digital Dark Arts: In today’s world, security is paramount. This course covers the fundamentals of IT security, from understanding common threats and attacks to implementing security protocols and best practices.

  • Accelerate Your Job Search with AI: This brand-new course - when I took the certificate back in 2021, this was not included - helps you leverage the power of artificial intelligence to streamline your job search. You’ll learn how to craft a compelling resume and cover letter, practice for interviews, and optimize your professional profile using AI tools.

💡 More Than Just Multiple Choice: The Power of Hands-On Learning

One of the things that sets this certificate apart is the variety of its assessments. The program doesn’t just rely on multiple-choice questions to test your knowledge. It’s a mix of multiple-choice questions, practical sandboxes, and interactive labs that solidify your learning experience. The amount of significant learning they imply is huge. Instead of just reading about a concept, you’re actively engaging with the material. You’ll be using tools and performing tasks in a virtual environment that directly simulates real-world IT scenarios.

This course equips you with practical, demonstrable skills that employers highly value. At the same time, the hands-on experience deepens the learning process, making it more meaningful and impactful.

These exercises are crucial, in particular for retaining and consolidating what you have been learning through a comprehensive and significant experience. They go beyond simple knowledge checks, forcing you to apply what you’ve learned in a real-world context. They are the true testament to the curriculum’s commitment to giving you a practical, job-ready skill set.

To sum up, if you want to get closer to the IT world and its support-related jobs, this certificate is a fantastic starting point. For me, it was a great help in understanding what to expect from the field, and its takeaways were instrumental in helping me land my first job as a Service Desk Analyst.

📦 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

The course is hosted on Coursera, one of the most widely known online learning platforms. Typically, enrolling in the courses requires a monthly fee. However, if you want to get a feel for the content or aren’t interested in the official certificate, you have the option to audit the courses for free.

When you audit, you won’t be able to submit graded assignments, take quizzes, or earn a certificate. This means you’ll miss out on the crucial hands-on projects, which are a vital part of the program’s value.

Nonetheless, it may be worth investing time in exploring whether your country and/or its local institutions have a partnership in place or scholarship opportunities that allow you to enroll free of charge.

Especially for those of you who are based in Spain, the Spanish institution Experiencia Fundae offers grants to enroll not only to the Google IT Professional Certificate, but also in other Google Professional Certificates for free. To apply for a scholarship, click here.

To summarize, these can be seen as the main takeaways from this course:

  • Hands-on learning: A strong focus on practical application that leads to meaningful learning.

  • Comprehensive curriculum: The course covers everything you’ll need for an entry-level IT job.

  • Career readiness: It provides an overview of what to expect in an IT role and the soft skills you’ll need to succeed.

On the flip side, it’s worth mentioning that while Google Professional Certificates equip you with valuable knowledge and skills, they might not be seen as prestigious as an AZ-104 certification from Microsoft or a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) one. This has been my personal experience. Nonetheless, the time you spend on them is definitely a great advantage, especially if an IT Support skillset is what you’re after.

Disclaimer: This article is solely based on my personal account. I have not received any endorsement from Google or any related party. I aim to share insights that may help others assess whether the Google IT Support Professional Certificate aligns with their own objectives and needs. Whenever possible, I also encourage you to look into available scholarships or community resources that may foster lifelong learning for a more accessible educational experience.

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