CompTIA Blog

The CompTIA Advancing Women in IT Community webinar was entitled"Be Strong … Stand Up … Stand Out - Quiet Women Never Changed History" but before unveiling her tips, presenter Pattie Grimm explained she hoped to help participants avoid or stop what she called "The Fall"— that soul-drying, health-endangering exhaustion that comes from working too hard while trying to be Superwoman and/or Super Mom. "The myth of doing it all is truly a myth," said Grimm ...

Use the power of technology to make government more responsive and effective, and understand the significance of high-skilled immigration to our national economy – both themes dominated our May 7th agenda when nearly 50 tech executives met in Newark, N.J., to hear from Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Robert Feldstein from New York Mayor Bloomberg’s office.  This was the official kick-off of the Tri-State TechVoice Chapter, a collaboration between CompTIA, the New Jersey Technology ...

The only thing on this planet you can control is you: How you think, how you feel, how you react to situations and how you show up. Pattie Grimm, president and change leader, Advantage Performance & Training Ltd. The CompTIA Advancing Women in IT Community webinar was entitled "Be Strong … Stand Up … Stand Out - Quiet Women Never Changed History" but before unveiling her tips, presenter Pattie Grimm explained she hoped to help participants avoid or stop what she called "The Fall"— that ...

Yesterday, the Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act (“MFA”) by a vote of 69-27.  The MFA compels online and catalog retailers ("remote sellers"), no matter where they are located, to collect sales tax at the time of a transaction and remit to states where the customer resides. States are only granted the authority to collect these taxes after they have simplified their sales tax laws. This legislation (S. 743) now moves to the House, where its fate is less certain. &n ...

College of DuPage Professor Clyde Cox coaches students during CIT 1111, the college's Computer and Internetworking Technologies course that corresponds to the CompTIA A+ 220-701 exam. Ten years ago, the College of DuPage, in Glen Ellyn, Ill., began to redesign its computer hardware and networking curricula to embed the goals of IT industry certifications into the program. The college sought to grow the program by offering clearly defined ways for its diverse student population to gain IT ...

This week, CompTIA’s CEO Todd Thibodeaux had the distinct pleasure of participating in a White House event hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden (also attended by their supportive spouses, the President and Vice President) to celebrate the success of a program they spearheaded called Joining Forces.  CompTIA has played an important role in Joining Forces since its inception.  To date we have certified nearly 12,000 transitioning troops, putting them on a pathway to s ...

It has never been easy to find and retain quality employees. Regardless of how much people complain about today’s challenges with recruitment and retention, world history is filled with HR stories that would make finding an IT tech seem like a walk in the park. In the Stone Age, for example, the Greek economy relied heavily on fishing and trading, so those with sailing skills and great physical strength were highly desired employees. Those with the most exceptional talents often became mer ...

CompTIA was honored to take part in two White House events this week aimed at spotlighting the need for industries – IT included – to heighten their efforts to recruit and employ the nation’s veterans. Yesterday, as part of the Joining Forces initiative, President Obama, Vice President Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, reported that the program has already hired or trained 290,000 vets or military spouses – well ahead of the goal and the end of 2013. Bu ...

I hear over and over from employers that they love to hire veterans because they are disciplined, focused and often more mature than peers of a similar age. Charles Eaton, executive director, Creating IT Futures Foundation When I signed on with the Creating IT Futures Foundation in 2010, I knew that veterans were among those we helped train for information technology careers. But I knew very little about military veterans' experiences, especially veterans of our recent wars. Where I live i ...

When I signed on with the Creating IT Futures Foundation in 2010, I knew that veterans were among those we helped train for information technology careers. But I knew very little about military veterans’ experiences, especially veterans of our recent wars. Where I live in Northern Virginia, a number of my neighbors are current military, but they are officers — not the enlisted majority. So I began to do research, talk to people, attend events, and pore over relevant articles. And as ...

Earlier today, CompTIA moderated a panel sponsored by the Congressional Small Business IT Caucus that included Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), who founded the Congressional Small Business IT Caucus in 2011 and introduced “Startup Act 3.0,” a bipartisan bill that provides tax incentives that help small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). David Brown, policy advisor of Third Way, started the morning with a discussion on the need for research and development (R&D) and research and exp ...

Several CompTIA exams now contain performance-based questions, which test an IT professional's ability to solve problems, in addition to the traditional multiple-choice format. We asked CompTIA authorized training and content partners how they're integrating this new format into their training, and how all students can best prepare for the new questions. Here is their advice. Know What to Expect Performance-based questions are included along with multiple-choice questions in the CompTIA Advanc ...

It’s late April, and if you reside anywhere in the country where spring hasn’t fully sprung, we probably don’t have to twist your arm to book a trip to sunny Orlando, FL, to attend ChannelCon – the premier training and partnering event for the IT channel – July 29 to 31. And even if you’re lucky enough to live in one of those states where sunshine and warmth is plentiful year-round, keep reading to learn about some of the discounts and freebies CompTIA is offe ...

How can you differentiate your business from your competitors? The suite of CompTIA Trustmarks answers that age-old question. Whether your business follows a managed services model or a managed print model, CompTIA’s MSP Partners Trustmark and Managed Print Trustmark, respectively, illustrate a commitment to quality service. Holding these credentials shows potential customers that your business follows a code of conduct, provides customer references and meets criteria identified in the cre ...

If advertising is any gauge, everyone is selling cloud now. Even though some of the most hype-filled promotions don’t specifically spell out for their intended audience the benefits of this thriving technology delivery method, the frequency of their pitch is likely encouraging prospective clients to conduct their own research. That’s good news for those in the channel, as long as they have the confidence and capabilities to provide a superior service. While some industry professional ...