Make Your IT Go Even Without Help from Joe

Earlier in my career, when the Internet was aborning, I worked for a company that didn’t have a certified IT professional on staff. Instead, we had Joe, a shipping manager with an affinity for computers. Whenever one of us had a computer issue, we called him. Joe would graciously wander over to our offices, punch a few keys, and usually resolve the problem. He didn’t know everything. When he didn't have the answer right away, he would go figure things out and come back with a solution.

Joe was a great worker and teammate. His only problem was he didn’t get along with Andy. Andy was a wet-behind-the-ears recent college grad who thought he knew everything and rubbed everyone the wrong way — and also happened to be the son of our boss. One day Joe and Andy had a somewhat heated encounter about shipping — the kid was totally in the wrong — and before you knew it, the boss fired Joe.

For a day or two, Andy walked around like a big man, until a secretary accidentally downloaded a virus that messed up our shipping department. I suggested I call Joe for some quick “after hours” help, which he would probably have given, because Joe was that kind of guy. Andy refused and, after three days, hired an expensive outside consultant to clean things up. Things did get back to normal, but a lot of customers were angry and we lost a pile of money in downtime. Sadly, Andy failed to learn a lesson and continued tripping over his hubris.

I mention this story in hopes of convincing others to prepare for inevitable computer issues — they will come, and never when it’s convenient.

One simple way to help your organization be prepared is with the TestOut Client Pro certification. Client Pro gives IT workers the ability to install, manage, and troubleshoot both Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows 10 in a business environment. The course focuses on configuration tasks performed at the computer, including those performed by a desktop administrator for a small, medium, or large business.

The course and certification exam cover the following topics:

• Windows operating system installation and monitoring
• User and group access
• Applications and services
• Hardware management and optimization
• Data storage
• Networking
• Printing
• System Protection

Client Pro is great when you don’t have a large IT budget, but do have continuous computer challenges. It’s fairly simple to train yourself, or a few staff members, with the hands-on skills required to solve most basic computer issues. The course is also affordable: students can get it for $125, non-students $349 or just $79 per month. As an added bonus, the Client Pro Certification Exam is included in the cost of training. In addition to getting industry leading instruction, labs, and assessment tools, students authorized for a TestOut Client Pro product qualify for a free Client Pro exam voucher.  

The exam itself isn’t too onerous: It consists of up to 16 performance-based simulation questions to be completed within two hours. When you complete the Client Pro course, you’ll not only be prepared to take the Client Pro exam, but also the following Microsoft certification exams for:

• Configuring Windows Devices (70-697)
• Installing and Configuring Windows 10 (70-698) 

Including 70-697 and 70-698 certification training in Client Pro product will help you get more experience with Windows 10, and, if you’re so inclined, give you a single resource to train for the MCSA: Windows 10 certification.

There are a lot of great reasons to be prepared for IT issues and you may not always have “Joe” around to help you out of a jam. Don’t be an “Andy.” Prepare yourself and your organization with Client Pro.

About the Author — Calvin Harper is an associate editor for GoCertify and a veteran of the publishing industry. Calvin's middle name is ... not Joe, but the guys at the office do sometimes call him J-Cal. He is definitely the kind of guy who go back to a former place of work and clean up someone else's mess.