Overview
Get ready for a rewarding career in Information Technology (IT) - no experience or degree is required to get started. With over 400,000 US job openings and an average entry-level salary of $52,000¹ Computer Support Specialists are in high demand with opportunities for career advancement. This Professional Certificate program from IBM was built by experts to prepare you for an entry-level job in Technical Support. When dedicating a few hours per week, you can complete the program in 3 to 6 months, and develop job-ready skills employers look for. Whether you are just starting out your career or changing jobs, this program enables you to develop a strong foundation in IT fundamentals, networking, cybersecurity and cloud computing, which are also required skills for many other technology jobs including Software Engineer, Data Analyst and Data Scientist. When you successfully complete the program you’ll receive dual credentials, a Professional Certificate to showcase your job readiness to potential employers, as well as an IBM Digital Badge that will help your profile stand out. You will also gain access to career and job placement resources upon completion, which will guide you with developing your resume, promoting your new skills, and help you in your job search.
¹US Burning Glass Labor Insight Report salary data (median with 0-5 years experience) and job opening data. Data for job roles relevant to featured programs (4/01/2021 - 3/31/22).
Syllabus
Course 1: Introduction to Hardware and Operating Systems
- Offered by IBM. If you're ready to enter the world of Information Technology (IT), you need job-ready skills. This course enables you to ... Enroll for free.
Course 2: Introduction to Software, Programming, and Databases
- Offered by IBM. There are many types of software and understanding software can be overwhelming. This course aims to help you understand ... Enroll for free.
Course 3: Introduction to Networking and Storage
- Offered by IBM. Gain skills that keep users connected. Learn how to diagnose and repair basic networking and security problems. Designed ... Enroll for free.
Course 4: Introduction to Cybersecurity Essentials
- Offered by IBM. Build key skills needed to recognize common security threats and risks. Discover the characteristics of cyber-attacks and ... Enroll for free.
Course 5: Introduction to Cloud Computing
- Offered by IBM. This course introduces you to the core concepts of cloud computing. You gain the foundational knowledge required for ... Enroll for free.
Course 6: Introduction to Technical Support
- Offered by IBM. Gain the daily work skills and knowledge you’ll need for IT Technical Support career success. This course, part of the IBM ... Enroll for free.
Course 7: Technical Support Case Studies and Capstone
- Offered by IBM. Apply your IT Technical support skills to real-world scenarios. You’ll review case studies that call for the use of IT ... Enroll for free.
- Offered by IBM. If you're ready to enter the world of Information Technology (IT), you need job-ready skills. This course enables you to ... Enroll for free.
Course 2: Introduction to Software, Programming, and Databases
- Offered by IBM. There are many types of software and understanding software can be overwhelming. This course aims to help you understand ... Enroll for free.
Course 3: Introduction to Networking and Storage
- Offered by IBM. Gain skills that keep users connected. Learn how to diagnose and repair basic networking and security problems. Designed ... Enroll for free.
Course 4: Introduction to Cybersecurity Essentials
- Offered by IBM. Build key skills needed to recognize common security threats and risks. Discover the characteristics of cyber-attacks and ... Enroll for free.
Course 5: Introduction to Cloud Computing
- Offered by IBM. This course introduces you to the core concepts of cloud computing. You gain the foundational knowledge required for ... Enroll for free.
Course 6: Introduction to Technical Support
- Offered by IBM. Gain the daily work skills and knowledge you’ll need for IT Technical Support career success. This course, part of the IBM ... Enroll for free.
Course 7: Technical Support Case Studies and Capstone
- Offered by IBM. Apply your IT Technical support skills to real-world scenarios. You’ll review case studies that call for the use of IT ... Enroll for free.
Courses
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This course introduces you to the core concepts of cloud computing. You gain the foundational knowledge required for understanding cloud computing from a business perspective as also for becoming a cloud practitioner. You understand the definition and essential characteristics of cloud computing, its history, the business case for cloud computing, and emerging technology usecases enabled by cloud. We introduce you to some of the prominent service providers of our times (e.g. AWS, Google, IBM, Microsoft, etc.) the services they offer, and look at some case studies of cloud computing across industry verticals.
You learn about the various cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and deployment models (Public, Private, Hybrid) and the key components of a cloud infrastructure (VMs, Networking, Storage - File, Block, Object, CDN). We also cover emergent cloud trends and practices including - Hybrid Multicloud, Microservices, Serverless, DevOps, Cloud Native and Application Modernization. And we go over the basics of cloud security, monitoring, and different job roles in the cloud industry.
Even though this course does not require any prior cloud computing or programming experience, by the end of the course, you will have created your own account on IBM Cloud and gained some hands-on experience by provisioning a cloud service and working with it.
This course is suitable for a large variety of audiences - whether you are an executive / manager / student who wants to become familiar with cloud computing terminology and concepts, or someone who wants foundational grounding in cloud computing to start a career in this field or become a cloud practitioner - such as a cloud engineer, developer, analyst, etc.
The completion of this course also makes you eligible to earn the Cloud Computing Core IBM digital badge. More information about the badge can be found here: https://www.youracclaim.com/org/ibm/badge/introduction-to-cloud-computing -
There are many types of software and understanding software can be overwhelming. This course aims to help you understand more about the types of software and how to manage software from an information technology (IT) perspective. This course will help you understand the basics of software, cloud computing, web browsers, development and concepts of software, programming languages, and database fundamentals.
After completing this course, you will have a better understanding of software processes, and you'll be more confident in your understanding of using and securing your applications.
In this course, you'll learn about software that ranges from the operating system running on your mobile phone to the applications that run databases on your computer at work. You'll also begin to understand more about installing and managing web browsers, using extensions and plug-ins, and keeping web browsers secure and updated.
Additionally, you'll see how cloud-based technologies can help businesses create and deploy applications more quickly. This course will also teach you about the development and delivery of software and applications. By the end of the course, you'll understand simple programming concepts and types, and you'll become more familiar with the fundamentals of database management. -
If you're ready to enter the world of Information Technology (IT), you need job-ready skills. This course enables you to develop the skills to work with computer hardware and operating systems, and is your first step to prepare for all types of tech related careers that require IT Fundamental skills.
First, learn about the essential software brain of a computer—its operating system software when you explore Microsoft Windows. Next, discover internal key hardware computer components, including motherboard components, central processing unit (CPU) memory, hard drives, expansion slots, and more. Become skilled at identifying the various hardware connections, including categories of ports, add-on peripherals such as mice, and other hardware components. Learn the essentials of basic workstation setup, commonly used operating system settings, screen capture commands, and job-essential good troubleshooting practices.
Now you're ready to combine your hardware and operating systems knowledge to set up and troubleshoot malfunctioning computer systems.
This course is for anyone new to IT and computer hardware or who wants to start an IT support-related profession as a Help Desk Support Specialist, IT Support Specialist, Virtual Customer Service Agent, or Technical Support Representative. Showcase your analytical and evaluation skills via online labs to be job-ready with real-world skills. -
Build key skills needed to recognize common security threats and risks. Discover the characteristics of cyber-attacks and learn how organizations employ best practices to guard against them.
Designed specifically for beginners and those who are interested in a Cyber Analyst I or an entry-level Cloud & Security Engineer role, this course dives into the world of cybersecurity to give you the critical skills employers need. This course also supports the needs of technical support roles, who can find themselves on the front lines of defense for cybersecurity issues and is part of the IBM Technical Support Professional Certificate.
Learn about malware and explore methods for securing and managing confidential information. Then, discover how to configure browsers to help reduce security breaches. -
Gain skills that keep users connected. Learn how to diagnose and repair basic networking and security problems.
Designed for beginners, this course is designed for anyone new to networks and storage and develops the skills needed to diagnose and repair basic networking and storage problems.
This course Is for you if you are kickstarting an IT Support role, network technician role, or building your base knowledge for system administration.
Using videos and virtual, online hands-on labs, you'll learn about network types and standards, discover how to set up wired and wireless connections. Learn to identify common network storage and network sharing options including local, hosted, and cloud storage options.
Taught by
Rav Ahuja and Skills Network