Gregory Childers said:

In the last few years, I haven't seen anything from CompTIA that appears to be a comprehensive strategy at all.

If I were running things, I would focus on improving the brand of the current suite of certifications, not adding continuing ed courses that you can get anywhere for a fraction of the price.

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I agree with this perspective. There is an increase in quantity, but the quality is starting to fray. The separation of the training group from the certification group is evident of that. To use the business analogy, where are the 'bolt-ons' that enhance the business. Simply eliminating competition doesn't improve the status quo.

precious said:

Huge thanks to @Stephen Schneiter for the incredible support and resources. The journey was challenging but incredibly rewarding!

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Perfectly stated and in 100% agreement!

Congrats on passing the challenging exam. Cheers

The most disturbing thing is that this is only making the talent pipeline worse. Systems will be run by LLMs with little to no human intervention.

When something breaks, we're all screwed.

Rick Butler said:

Well done! Congrats!

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Weldone and congratulations

Rick Butler said:

Well done! Congrats!

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Congratulations

Greetings!

could you please share the recording link for this if it is still available.

thanks

One of these days, I'll perhaps retire myself. When I do, I shall take off my fedora, go into the country, and write Japanese haiku...

...without the aid of a laptop or ChatGPT.

/r

Well done! Congrats!

Rick Butler said:

Given your background and experience, I don't think you're going to have much of a problem with 006. Pretty sure you brushed up on containers (Docker/Kubernetes/etc) and all the fun that entails, as well as AI topics. I think you'll be fine.

Good luck and have fun with the exam.

/r

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Wait a second... there are IT topics in Linux+?? I must have missed that

Rick, I appreciate your honest assessment. These are challenging times, with dramatic changes on the horizon. I'm appreciative of my "Retiree Role ", as I have the ability to watch from the sidelines.

Given your background and experience, I don't think you're going to have much of a problem with 006. Pretty sure you brushed up on containers (Docker/Kubernetes/etc) and all the fun that entails, as well as AI topics. I think you'll be fine.

Good luck and have fun with the exam.

/r

Shea Bennett said:

OMG...this is a constant headache I deal with. They think I'm supposed to be Jim Rohn or Les Brown the motivational speaker every class. It's partly why I focus on online instruction via video now. It's soul draining at times with some students. I actually had a few students ask why videos can't be under 5 minutes and why training has to take over 30 days (so they can go pass the exam and get their $100,000 job). I mean...you can't make this stuff up.

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We had a training house here in Colorado Springs that promised A+, Net+, and Sec+ in 20 weeks. I laughed out loud, but was a little angry because unless the student is remarkably astute or has had prior training, there's no way you get all that in 20 weeks. That company is no longer in business in the Springs. Over promise, under deliver. Our school takes 18 months for an AoS degree, and few students even make the effort to actually certify when we give them every opportunity.

We had a career college here back in the 90's that would waive $65,000 salaries if you would show up for an 18 month program to get your MCSE. I see it all the time in higher education - because they're all trying to get their share of that phat Title IV or VA tuition money.

Finally, I had a student come to me, one time, and wanted me to cheat for him to get his CCNA. He didn't want to put in the hard work. I told him to "F" right off. I couldn't believe the level of insult that he would ask that of me.

And nope, you definitely cannot make this stuff up.

Maybe this is an overly intense example but Tom MacDonald wrote a song called God Mode, where he talks about all the hard work and sacrifice he had to put in, despite the adversity he created for himself and the adversity around him, to make it big as an independent artist in the rap/hip-hop industry. The way I see it, if students aren't willing to leave every excuse at the door and realize that NO ONE is going to hand them the certifications, training, knowledge, and wisdom through sweat labor to reach those goals, then simply do not deserve to be in the field. I believe this with every fiber of my being.

But isn't that our society though? No one wants to watch full YouTube videos when Shorts will do. Students want to be able to doomscroll their training or get it through ChatGPT. I know kids that want me to validate them after about a year in the classroom as being on par with me. I don't think I'm all that and a bag of chips, but I have been doing this for over 35 years now. I may not be the best, but that doesn't stop the kids of wanting instantly what it took me decades to get. I didn't deserve it, I didn't earn it. God gave me the ability, I took those gifts and used them. That's the ONLY way it happens, IMAO.

Many of us old-tymers are the same way here. But that's the overly entitled way of it and I have zero patience for students who aren't hungry and believe in hard work to make their dreams happen.

Gregory Childers said:

I read it on Reddit all the time. They want to watch some prerecorded videos like those from Messer or Dion at 1.5X speed and take a battery of practice exams so they can put another cert on their resume for a job that they will never get.

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Dude, I keep telling you...get the heck off of Reddit - you're only going to give yourself an aneurysm.

Gregory Childers said:

In the last few years, I haven't seen anything from CompTIA that appears to be a comprehensive strategy at all.

If I were running things, I would focus on improving the brand of the current suite of certifications, not adding continuing ed courses that you can get anywhere for a fraction of the price.

Click to expand...

Well, the challenge is that, frankly, they're a business and they have to at least make enough revenue to pay their people, even if it focuses on marketing the brand into the industry. I think it's easy to armchair quarterback the problem, but none of us know, truly, what goes on in the executive suite with respect to the company's direction and how to keep that brand going, even in the face of all those other certs out there trying to claim market dominance. We're all speculating. Meanwhile, I think CompTIA is trying to figure itself out, post divestiture.

Since CompTIA stays neutral in the certification sphere, this means it doesn't have all that corporate backing (like Microsoft, Amazon, and so forth, since they have their own cert programs). The divorce of the membership organization from the certification brand was good for all those MSPs that didn't really care about the certification branding and probably thought the training/partner side was an anchor. I saw that dynamic when I went to ChannelCon and Partner Summit. Always felt like the partner side were the redhead stepchildren. The fact that there was no partner summit this year led me to believe this dynamic.

In business, no one is going to give you money for just existing. And no one cares about what you did yesterday - it's always about what you're doing now that matters. Maybe the courses aren't all that great, but I guess the question to you is, how can CompTIA "improve the brand" in a way that equates to short term revenue? Right now, I don't think that's enough to sustain CompTIA into the long term, depending on how much money they have on hand. Revenue is life in business.

Again, this is all annoying speculation at the end of the day.

Tess Sluijter said:

I was quite happy with Linux+ XK0-005 / v7. But v8 / 006? Not at all... there's changes in there that I really dislike.

But for my students, unfortunately L+ is the only choice that will work as they would deal very badly with the remote proctored exams of LF and RH. ... and I really don't like LPIC either.

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What don't you like about the new v8 exam?

Rick Butler said:

I'm afraid a lot of things adjusted over the last few years, with the acquisition of LabSim, the divestiture of the training business from the membership organization and the like.

Such is the nature of business. Those of us in Higher Ed, particularly in the For-Profit side of the house, see it all too often. I've learned to trust what I see, not give credence to speculation, and build relationships with people that transcend all that. It's tough, but I think that's a better strategy for my own self.

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In the last few years, I haven't seen anything from CompTIA that appears to be a comprehensive strategy at all.

If I were running things, I would focus on improving the brand of the current suite of certifications, not adding continuing ed courses that you can get anywhere for a fraction of the price.

Gregory Childers said:

What happened with the Tech Trainer options that were discussed in 2023? Did they disappear with the new ownership group of the for-profit CompTIA?

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I'm afraid a lot of things adjusted over the last few years, with the acquisition of LabSim, the divestiture of the training business from the membership organization and the like.

Such is the nature of business. Those of us in Higher Ed, particularly in the For-Profit side of the house, see it all too often. I've learned to trust what I see, not give credence to speculation, and build relationships with people that transcend all that. It's tough, but I think that's a better strategy for my own self.

Congratulations!

Assuming you could get the PowerPoint presentations, you would still have less than 24 hours to prep. Postponement can be justified IMO.

Soneka Kamuhuza said:

Have you checked your email? Let me know if you are not receiving my emails.

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I got it. I've responded to the emails.

Ozidi Odunze said:

I'm interested. I'm A+ Certified, and has been a Trainer with IDC

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Have you checked your email? Let me know if you are not receiving my emails.

Gregory Childers said:

I find the list to be highly suspect because it includes the Certified Data Professional (CDP), but doesn't include the CISSP, CISM, or CCIE.

A+ won't get you a higher salary. It's a minimum requirement for entry-level jobs.

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Perhaps they picked them out of a hat...

Gregory Childers said:

I find the list to be highly suspect because it includes the Certified Data Professional (CDP), but doesn't include the CISSP, CISM, or CCIE.

A+ won't get you a higher salary. It's a minimum requirement for entry-level jobs.

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Certified Data Professional (CDP). Never heard of it. Guess I need to get out of the house more