Google IT Support Certificate
Title – Google IT Support Certificate
This certificate by Google is a series of five courses, made up of different units that cover a range of IT related subjects. It is assumed that anyone taking this course does not have any prior knowledge, or very little knowledge of IT systems, and is in effect a beginners course.
Having said that, the level of detail it goes into over all its subjects is extensive. It is ideal for anyone looking for a course that will enable them to get into any entry level job in technology, and also specialise inside in areas such as networking or cyber security.
Coursera
Google offer this course through Coursera, an online educational platform, which makes it easy to access on any device, and allows people to learn the course at their own pace and when they are able to access the internet.
It is estimated by Coursera that it would take someone approximately six months at 10 hours a week to complete the course.
Cost – Coursera has a fixed cost planning basis for all its courses. It offers a 7-day free trial, which allows people to look through all the course content and see if it is appropriate for their needs.
After that there is a fixed monthly fee of $49, which is payable every month until the course is finished. How long the person takes to complete the course will determine its overall cost.
Google IT Support Certificate Course Content
The structure of the certificate is 5 separate courses, each course containing a number of modules, examples of which are given below.
Technical support fundamentals
- Introduction to IT
- Hardware
- Operating systems
- Networking
- Software
- Troubleshooting
The bits and bytes of computer networking
- Introduction to networking
- The network layer
- The Transport and application layers
- Networking services
- Connecting to the internet
- Troubleshooting and the future of networking
Operating systems
System Administration
- Network and infrastructure services
- Software and platforms services
- Data recovery and backups
IT security
- Understanding security threats
- Cryptology
- Securing networks
- Company cyber security culture
There is also a final module which focuses on helping people prepare themselves to get a job in IT support. This brings together the learning content and skills gained throughout the course, as well as the developing a resume and some tips on practicing for job interviews.
Google IT Certificate Reviews
Most people find reviews of some type helpful, and Coursera has a significant number of them for all these courses It is worth checking out any negative comments in case they flag up issues which the person thinking of taking the course may not have realised.
Mostly negative reviews tend to be on issues such as finding the course content to difficult, or not liking the way it is presented.
The seven-day free trial should be fully used to look at all modules in the course to check on the level of knowledge required and the comfortability of how it is delivered
IT Support Jobs and Salaries
One of the real benefits of this certificate is not only the name Google, but once completed it shows that the individual has acquired a significant level of technical knowledge which is needed in a wide range of IT support roles.
These can be entry-level jobs, more specialist IT roles, and can lead to being able to specialise in highly valuable areas such as cyber security.
Jobs in this area are normally referred to as things such as IT Specialist, Tech Support Specialist or IT Support Specialist –
Coursera indicate a medium us salary of $56,000 for an IT support role. This of course can vary significantly depending on the type of job, the company, the industry, the location and whether or not the job is hybrid. The above figure should probably be taken as a baseline.
Certificate Value
Aside from the monetary value of what it costs a person to complete the certificate, this certificate is very much about using the expertise of Google to build one’s own career in a field of related to technology and the internet.
Any type of IT support role has to be about both technical knowledge, but also about the ability to problem solve, communicate with other employees and having a lot of patience !
