Technologist Talk

Why are military veterans excellent candidates for jobs as IT support specialists? Is it the technical training they receive during service? Is it the work ethic they acquire during service? Or is it both? Listen as Stephen Padilla, an instructor for CompTIA Tech Career Academy’s IT-Ready Technical Support program – and a U.S. Air Force veteran – shares answers to those questions, because he’s lived them.

How does a technologist become Social Media Professional of the Year and Nonprofit Communicator of the Year? By thinking differently and thinking bigger about technology’s role in business challenges like the pandemic. A conversation with Kelly Stone, lead social marketing strategist for CompTIA, kicks off our November series celebrating the upcoming 10th Anniversary of WITS, the Women in Tech Summit.  Original Technologist Tales theme music by C. Ezra Lange

As pandemic distancing protocols push many of our business interactions into the virtual realm, we face an inconvenient truth: We just can’t replicate what we do in person, online. Or, can we? Listen as Ben Rohling, who leads development for CompTIA Tech Career Academy’s IT support specialist training curriculum, shares how he and his fellow instructors discovered that, in some ways, pivoting to virtual classrooms didn’t make training harder, it made it better. 

You’ve heard the rallying cry from Texas history, “Remember the Alamo,” right? Well, a lot of young job seekers in the San Antonio region surely will remember this slogan, too, because of a custom IT training program supported by CompTIA called Workforce Solutions Alamo. Listen as executives from CompTIA’s partner, C2 Global, tell the tale.  Original Technologist Tales theme music by C. Ezra Lange 

How can our nation’s public workforce system help narrow the tech skills gap in the U.S. job market? By removing barriers to learning new IT skills for displaced and disadvantaged workers. And with program support from CompTIA Custom Training. Listen as executives from workforce development agency C2 Global explain how they work with CompTIA to re-skill and up-skill workers in Texas and Florida.

Which is the one most critical success factor for landing – and keeping – a tech job? Technical training from CompTIA Tech? CompTIA certifications? Or, experience in customer service? The answer to this trick question may surprise you. Listen as Priyanka Neupane, a senior IT supervisor for international medical technology maker Medtronic, tells the tale of how she discovered the right answer for her tech career. 

Despite the pandemic, employers across all sectors of the U.S. economy continue to hire workers for tech jobs. That’s according to a recent analysis by CompTIA’s research team. But does this positive trend mean you, or someone you know, should consider launching a tech career during trying times? Listen to Adam Turner and Ben Rohling of CompTIA Tech Career Academy explain why the answer to that question is “Yes.”

How can IT Help Desk technicians narrow the distance between colleagues created by pandemic precautions? By understanding that IT support is about humans, not hardware. Listen as Priyanka Neupane, a senior IT supervisor for medical technology maker Medtronic, describes how she recruits, hires and trains specialists for the company’s U.S. IT support center from CompTIA Tech’s IT-Ready program. 

Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by the end of this decade employment in tech occupations is projected to grow much faster than the average for all other occupations. But how can our nation’s workforce rise to meet this demand when a tech skills gap already leaves about half a million positions working with technology unfilled at any given time? And, as our economy works to recover from pandemic conditions? Listen as Randi Parker, senior director at Creating IT Futures, shares advice for concerned technologists.

How does a workforce board help hundreds of thousands of people find jobs in the wake of a pandemic? One way is providing on-demand virtual IT training, with support from CompTIA Custom Training. Listen as Dr. Mardy Leathers, director of Missouri’s Office of Workforce Development, holds an audio “show & tell” session, explaining how his team helps workers develop digital skills that will last a lifetime. Original Technologist Tales theme music by C. Ezra Lange 

If the economic strain of the pandemic has you feeling the limits of your current job, consider launching a new career working with technology. Listen as Sue Wallace, VP of student & career services at the CompTIA Tech Career Academy, shares best practices for switching to a promising new tech job, starting on the IT Help Desk. Applying this summer can prep you to fill a technology position by the winter holidays.

In this latest chapter of our profile series complementing the WITS 2020 Virtual Summit, Val Haskell, Chair of CompTIA’s Advancing Tech Talent and Diversity Community, tells her tale of following a well-worn path to tech success. Well, not exactly the route some expect, but one that best predicts successful careers working with technology. One traveled by workers who enjoy solving problems and helping others.   Original Technologist Tales theme music by C. Ezra Lange   

In this episode of our series complementing the WITS 2020 Virtual Summit, Alicia Park, National Outreach Manager for TechGirlz, a program of Creating IT Futures, explains why volunteering to lead virtual TechShopz during the COVID-19 pandemic is vital to inspiring the next generation of women working in tech.

In this first chapter of our profile series complementing the WITS 2020 Virtual Summit, Mariah Sexton tells her tale of building a successful tech career through IT training, CompTIA certifications and, most of all, mentorship from the community of women working in technology.

The U.S. tech sector is still hiring – despite the pandemic – posting hundreds of thousands of ads for open IT positions. Where will these companies find qualified candidates to fill these jobs – especially when our nation’s tech skills gap remains a challenge? One source: Military veterans. Listen as Leila Melendez, CEO of Workforce Solutions Borderplex, a workforce board operating in El Paso, Texas, tells the tale of helping hundreds of Army veterans transition to new tech careers with support from CompTIA Custom Training.

Is it possible to Pandemic-Proof your career? If so, developing IT skills may just be the way to do it – despite your current job experience.  Join CompTIA vice president Amy Kardel and Charles Eaton, CEO of CompTIA Tech Career Academy and Creating IT Futures, for a conversation about how continuous learning, certifications and working for Managed Services Providers (MSPs) can help you transition or improve your career during trying times.

What is a workforce board? And how does one serve businesses, states, regions or local communities? Hear some answers in this technologist tale shared by Leila Melendez, CEO of Workforce Solutions Borderplex, a workforce board operating in El Paso, Texas, that helps hundreds of U.S. Army veterans transition to new tech jobs with support from CompTIA Custom Training. Original Technologist Tales theme music by C. Ezra Lange 

For more than a decade TechGirlz, a nonprofit program of Creating IT Futures, has been inspiring middle-school girls to explore the possibilities of technology to empower their future careers through TechShopz – free, fun, interactive workshops bringing young women face to face with tech mentors. Then, COVID-19 struck, making in-person events impossible indefinitely. Listen as Amy Cliett explains how this unexpected operational challenge evolved into an unanticipated deepening of TechGirlz’ value.

As our nation works to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19, the U.S. Congress is considering committing billions of dollars to workforce training programs for millions of Americans who have lost jobs during the pandemic. Great news! But, how does funding from acts of Congress work its way into workforce training? Listen as Mark Plunkett and Jason Mangold explain how CompTIA Custom Training helps. 

Why is a national pandemic a good time to consider your career options? The answer: Growth. Adam Turner, Chief Academic Officer of the newly launched CompTIA Tech Career Academy, explains why, if COVID-19’s economic impact has you feeling the limitations of your current career, a switch to the technology industry may provide the growth potential you seek.