Breaking Down Google Career Certificates: IT Support Professional Certificate
Coach Nadia! What is the deal with these new Google Career Certificates?
I can’t tell you how many people have asked me about Google Career certificates this past year. So we are going to be answering all your burning questions about Google certificates right here on the blog! In this multi-part series, we are breaking down everything you need to know about Google’s 5 most popular Career certificates including:
IT Support
Digital Marketing & E-commerce
Data Analytics
UX Design
Project Management
The first certificate I’m breaking down is Google’s IT Support Professional Certificate. I chose this certificate first because I (Coach Nadia) completed this one myself this past year and want to share my experience as a very not-technical person, doing a very-much-so-technical certificate. Let’s get into it.
How Are Google Career Certificates Structured?
The first thing you should know about this certificate (and any other Google certificates you do) is that it’s 100% online, asynchronous learning. That means you need to have a strong internet connection, a dedicated space at home or in a place you feel comfortable learning and a semi-modernish laptop that won’t overheat from hours of watching videos.
You’ll also need to create a system of accountability as you will be going through this certificate alone and at your own pace. Asynchronous learning means you can access the content from anywhere (with an internet connection) at any time. Whether you are studying at 2 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon, that’s up to you.
For many learners, this modality is ideal. If you have a lot of competing interests like a job, family, life commitments etc. having the increased flexibility of studying when you can/want is a nice to have or for some, an absolute necessity.
For other learners, this modality can seem boring, not very engaging and if you don’t have a strong sense of self-discipline, you can easily fall behind in this certificate very quickly. The key to succeeding in this type of education is:
Making a plan that is reasonable (don’t over commit how much you can get done in a week)
Executing the plan (self-discipline and scheduling go a long way here)
Keep reviewing the plan (progress is not always equitable- some weeks will go faster or slower than others so keep on top of where you are with your studies and adjust your plans accordingly)
What Am I Learning In The Google IT Support Professional Certificate?
Ok, so we’ve covered how the Google certificates are taught, now let’s get into what the heck we are actually learning. According to the Google website, “this online training program provides the skills you need for an introductory-level job in IT support, with no relevant experience required”. More specifically, you’ll learn:
Troubleshooting and customer care
Networking
Operating systems
System administration
Security
There are 5 Courses that make up the certificate and I have to admit, as a professor, I very much enjoyed some of the names of the courses as they are decently witty. They include:
Course 1: Technical Support Fundamentals
Course 2: The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking
Course 3: Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User
Course 4: System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services
Course 5: IT Security: Defense Against The Digital Dark Arts
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While Course 1’s name left a little to be desired, as a non-technical person, the fundamentals covered in this course were essential for me and served as the basis for every other course. Course 5’s content on the other hand seemed more familiar to me as it covered more about internet safety, how to protect your smartphone and common phishing scams I was familiar with as a non-technical person.
Based on your experience (and perhaps age generation?) you might find some of the information entirely new or a simple review. These courses scaffold or build on each other so I do recommend you start with course 1 and don’t jump around. Trust me.
How Fast Can I Finish This Certificate?
Many learners taking this certificate are either unemployed, underemployed or looking to make a career pivot or transition quickly into IT. They are not interested in going to a university or college for years on end and time to completion is a strong consideration when deciding to start this certificate.
Since all Google Career Certificates are pre-recorded online videos and assignments, how fast you complete the certificate is mostly dictated by your own limitation of time, discipline, learning style and ability.
Google advertises the certificate should take about 6 months with under 10 hours of study a week. I did the certificate in about 3 months by upping my weekly study hours to 15-20 depending on my schedule. As someone who is fully employed in a 9-5 job and runs a private coaching business (and this blog) 15-20 hours a week seemed like a lot of time to dedicate to a certificate I really didn’t need. For an unemployed person who wants to spend 40 hours a week studying, you can bust through this certificate pretty darn quickly.
The most important questions you need to ask yourself are 1) how much time do you have (realistically) to spend on this certificate and 2) how fast can you learn? That will determine how fast you can get through this certificate whilst also learning enough that you feel confident applying and interviewing for IT jobs (should that be your end goal).
How Difficult Is The Google IT Support Professional Certificate?
I can only share my perspective on this based on my learning experience and my background. For context, a little more about me:
I’m 38 years’ old and grew up with a computer in my home as a child.
My computer class at school consisted of typing and Oregon Trail.
I have three master’s degrees- none in technical fields.
I’m savvy enough to know I should not give my bank account number to the email sweepstakes person saying I won a million dollars, but I also don’t know how to troubleshoot why my printer isn’t working with my laptop and now sits desolate in a donation pile somewhere.
All to say, I’m not entirely new to technology but yet, I found this certificate pretty darn hard. I had never coded in my life or used PowerShell or Bash to execute commands. I knew Linux was a thing tech people who didn’t want to use Microsoft used but I had no hands-on experience with it. Cybersecurity? Forget it.
In my full-time job, I teach career education to IT and Cybersecurity students. I did this certificate with them as part of a class. The elements of the course I struggled with, most of my students did decently well to fully exceling. They also grew up in a time where they learned more than typing in their middle school and high school computer classes. They also were majoring in the tech field so of course they had a bit of a one up on me.
If understanding technology beyond the user end is entirely new to you- like it was for me- you may find elements of this certificate hard, new, unfamiliar, and downright intimidating. For me, I took my time with it, watched and rewatched many of the videos several times, asked a few people for help and when all else failed, I turned to Google help articles to get unstuck.
This certificate took me time, energy and resolve to finish but it didn’t feel hopeless or never-ending. I approached it with a beginner’s mindset and leaned into the fact I was stretching myself into a new area that I knew would be hard- and it was.
Can I Get An IT Job With The Google IT Support Professional Certificate?
The short answer is yes. Yes, you can get a job with a Google Career certificate in IT. And, there are loads of employers that are connected to the program that want to hire you when you are done! Which is great!
You do still need a good resume, strong LinkedIn profile and practiced interviewing skills to close the deal on a job so take some time to get job search ready once you finish the certificate up. Just as with a college degree, just simply having a qualification does not guarantee a job.
Work your networks, apply to jobs often and everywhere and remember, job searching is about making progress, not about perfection. All progress is good progress.
Final Thoughts…
I’ll be honest with you- I did this certificate as a bit of a dare from my students on learning more about the majors I advise and career coach for in my full-time job. I can say for certainty my understanding, awareness and appreciation of Information Technology and Cybersecurity has increased and as a life-long learner, I thoroughly enjoyed learning something pretty off my usual beaten path.
If you are considering this certificate as a tool to help you transition into the tech field, or someone like me, who is just wanting to have a deeper understanding of modern technology, this is an exceptional upskilling opportunity for you.
In terms of price, I did this certificate for free through my university, however, many university programs are open to folks from the community in the state you live in for free as well. So, I would recommend you look around your local area universities or libraries to see if they have free certificate vouchers for you to use!
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Meet The Writer!
Hi! My name is Nadia Ibrahim-Taney and I help people design happy and fulfilling careers through authentic career coaching. My expertise includes career exploration guidance, resume writing, interview prep and LinkedIn profile optimization. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I focus on how diverse identities impact and influence folks holistically and professionally. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at Nadia@beyonddiscoverycoaching.com
