Northern Virginia Technology

The Northern Virginia Technology landscape is very broad in terms of the types of positions that require some minimal level of IT certification.  The 3 general areas where these certifications are most applicable, and pretty much essential, are in Networking, Security, and Systems Admin.  That said, these classifications of IT overlap significantly, and job descriptions and requirements are asking for potential employees to have exposure to it all.  The most efficient way to gain these skills and certifications is to take hands-on, instructor-led, certification training classes at a local career school.  You will get expert instruction by a certified professionals who know how to teach the skills necessary and also teach to the exam objectives. 

For career changers, unless you know exactly what job you will be getting and what specific skills your employer wants you to have,  you will need to be able to demonstrate that you have some versatility.  That versatility will set you apart from the others like you who are attempting to break into the IT field. 

The most common method of securing an entry level IT job (Help Desk or Jr. Network Associate, for example) is to first obtain your A+ and Network+ certifications.  Once again, these certs pave the way and provide the framework on which you will build your career path in IT. 

To add a significant edge and versitility to your IT resume, a Security+ certification is the perfect complimentary certification to A+ and Net+.  With these 3 certifications in hand, you will have no problem meeting the criteria of any entry level job in the industry, in addition to having the advantage of a well rounded base of knowledge.  Another bonus to obtaining these certifications is that you will meet the criteria of the DoD-8570 which has become a mandatory requirement for a large portion of IT positions in the government and for anyone contracting with the government.

Despite economic downturn, employees with knowledge and certification in IT and Network Security have still been in demand, moreso than in other areas of the industry.  That is directly attributed to the importance of up to date experts in the field.  No matter the state of the economy, businesses still need people to fill these positions and perform the vital functions that keep their sensitive data safe.  Being able to bring that skillset to the table will look great to any company you apply for.

The most important thing to take away from this is that you need to have IT certifications on your resume to have a real chance at starting a career AND succeeding in the IT/Computer/Networking technology fields.  A+ and Network+ certifications will get your foot in the door; add in the Security+ certification though, and you’ll be kicking that door down!

In a relatively surprising and abrupt fashion, one of Northern Virginia’s most prominent and successful IT Training companies has closed its doors.  Vigilar’s Intense School, which is based out of Atlanta, GA but also held a strong position in Northern VA, has had to shut down because its parent company went belly up.

Intense school was well known for its IT training and certification programs in the areas of CCNA, Security+, CISSP, CEH, and other upper level IT certification programs.  For more information on Vigilar’s situation, visit this post on ittrainingblog.com. 

However, the good news for businesses, students, and teachers in the area that used to partner with Intense School, is that there are other training schools in the area that can and do provide the same level of knowledge and training that Vigilar’s customers have come to expect.  One of those, most notably, is Academy of Computer Education (ACE).  ACE, much like Intense School, was recognized by and awarded the Circle of Excelence award by EC-Council for being a Top 5 training school for classes such as CEH, CHFI, and ECSA-LPT.  These classes were offered by Intense School and are currently offered at ACE.

The Northern Virginia Technology Business community is one of the largest and most influential in the country. Factors such as the stability of its federal government, its penchant for innovation, and its international relations gives its technology corridor a strong one-up versus other tech areas of the country. At the helm of the tech community in Northern Virginia is the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) which was formed in 1991 and has a membership of around 1000 companies, with a formidable number of employees. Cisco Systems is one of the many companies whose influence has spread throughout the region because of its membership in the NVTC.  Cisco is undoubtedly a world leader when it comes to the way the world communicates and their associations within Northern Virginia have only served to increase the sturdy foundation of the Technology Business community here.

Cisco’s networking solutions are meant to connect people, computing devices, and computer networks worldwide. They are also all about allowing people to access or transfer information irrespective of time zone and hardware capabilities. They have a variety of products that are related to switches of LANs and WANs, access servers that are dial-up and routers. Companies in Northern Virginia utilize network management software that CISCO IOS® Software has brought together enabling to link to physically separated LANs, and WANs.

Most of Northern Virginia’s business growth is the result of a resilient Cisco network. The intelligent routing from Cisco’s routing portfolio along with its innovative high-performance switching gives companies an upper hand. They are able to connect through reliable, scalable Cisco IOS® Software innovation. Networks are maintained via automated, integrated management that is offered by the Cisco network management portfolio. What you get is an adaptable infrastructure that delivers the best of performances in a secure environment.

Members of the Northern Virginia tech community have seen that Cisco network systems facilitate acceleration of deployment of new technologies. This makes employees more valuable and effective and reduces the learning curve. Added to this is Cisco’s international standing.

Giving a boost to the employment market, Cisco has the CCNA and CCNP Certification Programs. The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification shows that an employee has the expertise to handle everything related to a medium-size route and a switched network. This also includes the implemention and verification of remote site connections in a WAN.  A Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification builds on the CCNA certification; it equips one with the skills that are needed to handle the installation and configuration of converged LANs and WANs. Besides this it also teaches proficiency in troubleshooting of LANs and WANs that are between 100 to 500 or more nodes.  The availability, and demand for, these training courses and certifications in  Northern Virginia continue to advance Cisco’s presence and influence on the region.  Cisco’s technology and products will continue to shape and define the Northern Virgina technology business community and those individuals who can keep up with and maintain certifications in the Cisco product lines and certifications stand to be very successful around here.

Welcome to the blog dedicated to two things, Northern Virginia and Technology. Outside of that, there are no rules.

In this blog we will discuss trends such as the items and toys that are hot to techies in the area, the newest computer software and hardware trends, the latest and greatest in telecom technology, networking in the area, training in the area and much more!