Google IT Support Professional Certificate Course Review | Should You Take It In 2025?

Summary

Shane Hummus reviews the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, which promises to land high-paying tech jobs without a college degree. He highlights its affordability, flexibility, and recognition by major employers like Google and Walmart. While not a magic job guarantee, the certificate can open doors in the IT field as part of Google's growth initiative. It offers practical experience through hands-on labs and interactive assessments, but also requires self-motivation for success. Shane advises supplementing this certificate with additional study and portfolio building to increase job prospects.

Highlights

• Shane's career transformation from pharmacy to YouTube success underscores the power of online certification. 💼
• The certificate is part of Google's initiative to educate the workforce with in-demand IT skills. 🖥️
• Google's certificate offers hands-on labs and experiences for practical learning. 🧑‍💻
• Some students complete the course in as little as two months. 🚀
• At $49/month, it is an affordable option compared to traditional degrees and boot camps. 🌟
• Shane emphasizes the importance of further self-study and portfolio-building for job success. 📈
• Recognition by major companies boosts the value of the certificate on a resume. 📄
• Online learning demands discipline, but offers engaging, interactive experiences. 🎓
• Community interaction through forums and peer reviews enriches the learning process. 🤝
• Drawbacks include occasional dry content and challenging peer-graded assignments. 📝
• Alternative IT certifications like CompTIA A+ are more expensive but respected. 💵

Key Takeaways

• Google IT Support Certificate is a potential entry route into tech without a college degree. 🎓
• Shane Hummus values online certifications as a means to escape traditional 9-to-5. 💪
• Course structure includes five comprehensive modules that build IT support skills. 📚
• The program is self-paced with hands-on labs, making it flexible and practical. 🤹‍♀️
• Recognized by major employers such as Google, Walmart, and Bank of America. 💼
• Affordable at $49/month, with financial aid available for eligible learners. 💰
• The course provides community interaction through quizzes, peer reviews, and forums. 🗣️
• It's not a job guarantee, but it significantly enhances your resume and employability. 📝
• Potential students should also consider alternatives like CompTIA A+ for different needs. 🔄

Overview

The Google IT Support Professional Certificate offers a promising path for individuals looking to break into the tech industry without a traditional college degree. Shane Hummus, a former pharmacist turned successful YouTuber, reviews this program, sharing insights on how online certifications helped him pivot from student loans to six-figure earnings. The course, part of Google's initiative, is designed to build job-ready IT skills through a series of five modules, covering everything from networking to IT security. Importantly, it allows learners the flexibility to progress at their own pace, supplemented by practical labs and interactive assessments.

The certificate's affordability at $49 per month, alongside its strong employer recognition, makes it a compelling choice for many. Recognized by industry giants like Google, Walmart, and Bank of America, it serves as a credible addition to any resume. Shane highlights that while the certificate alone isn't a guaranteed job ticket, it significantly enhances employability and can open doors in the IT sector. He advises learners to use it as a stepping stone, encouraging additional study and the creation of a robust portfolio to showcase their skills.

While praising its benefits, Shane also points out potential drawbacks such as occasionally dry content and the need for considerable self-motivation due to its online nature. However, he notes the value of community engagement features like forums and peer reviews, which help enrich the learning experience. Finally, he compares this certificate to other certifications like CompTIA A+, noting the importance of aligning educational choices with personal goals and career aspirations. Whether opting for the Google IT Certificate or another path, the emphasis remains on continuous learning and strategic career building.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:30: Introduction to Google IT Support Certificate The chapter introduces the Google IT Support Certificate, a course that offers a pathway to a high-paying tech job without requiring a college degree. It raises the question of whether this course is a game-changer for entering a remote tech career by 2024 or merely an overhyped online course. The narrator revisits the course to determine its current value and relevance.
• 01:30 - 03:00: The Value of Online Certifications The chapter titled 'The Value of Online Certifications' features Shane, a former pharmacist, who shares insights into the transformative power of online certifications. Shane describes his personal journey from being entrenched in student loan debt to achieving significant financial success through YouTube, emphasizing the role online certifications played in this transition. He explains how acquiring online certificates enabled him to break free from traditional work schedules and work remotely, thus escaping the typical 9-to-5 grind. Shane's experience has fueled his passion for alternative education and his commitment to helping others explore similar opportunities through online learning.
• 03:00 - 04:00: Course Structure and Content The chapter discusses the structure and content of a Google certificate program. It critiques the prevalence of false promises in online education before delving into the specifics of the Google certificate. This certificate is part of the 'Grow with Google' initiative, aimed at preparing individuals for entry-level IT support roles. It's designed to be accessible without prior experience, and Google claims it can make a person job-ready in about 6 months. The chapter emphasizes that while 6 months may seem extensive, it's relatively short compared to traditional education paths, like pharmacy school, which can take several years.
• 04:00 - 05:00: Hands-On Labs and Real-World Application The chapter titled 'Hands-On Labs and Real-World Application' discusses the accelerated pace at which individuals complete a particular certification program, often within two months or even weeks. It delves into the structure and content of the program, which is divided into five courses. These courses include technical support fundamentals, computer networking basics, operating systems, system administration, and IT security. Each course is designed to build on the knowledge gained from the previous one, providing a comprehensive learning path from technical support basics to advanced IT security concepts.
• 05:00 - 06:30: Cost and Financial Aid The chapter emphasizes the value of flexible learning, especially for individuals struggling with traditional education methods. It highlights the importance of real-world application through hands-on labs and practical experiences, making the course stand out by offering not just theoretical knowledge but also over 120 hours of interactive assessments and practical work using virtual machines.
• 06:30 - 08:00: Job Prospects and Career Paths The chapter discusses the motivation behind companies like Google creating their own training programs. These initiatives emerged due to a shortage of individuals with specific skill sets that are in high demand. Companies were frustrated with the slow pace of traditional educational institutions, which often teach skills that aren't directly applicable in the job market. As a result, companies began to offer their own education to ensure a workforce equipped with top-tier, relevant skills. This approach underscores the importance of practical, job-oriented learning over traditional education routes.
• 08:00 - 09:00: Employer Recognition and Online Learning Experience This chapter discusses the cost-effectiveness and accessibility of online learning experiences, particularly through Coursera. It highlights that courses can be as low as $49 per month, with potential financial aid options for qualifying individuals. The chapter contrasts the affordability of such courses to traditional college degrees, boot camps, and certifications, which can be significantly more expensive. It encourages skepticism and suggests exploring available options to ensure these opportunities suit individual needs.
• 09:00 - 11:00: Potential Drawbacks and Alternatives The chapter titled "Potential Drawbacks and Alternatives" discusses the reasons behind re-releasing their content, emphasizing that the market wasn't providing sufficient education. Google's primary focus isn't to profit financially from their courses, but to create a skilled workforce in demand by them and similar companies, essentially shaping a recruitment pool. The chapter addresses "job prospects and career paths," pondering the effectiveness of the certification in securing employment. Google asserts that about 75% of their certificate holders experience positive career changes within half a year, implying significant value and pathways to jobs.
• 11:00 - 12:30: Final Verdict and Additional Resources In this chapter titled 'Final Verdict and Additional Resources,' the speaker provides a candid assessment of the value of a certificate in the IT field. They emphasize that while the certificate can open doors and provide opportunities, it is not a magic guarantee of employment or promotions. Instead, it should be seen as a valuable starting point that, when combined with additional study and a strong portfolio, can improve job prospects in the IT industry. The chapter encourages individuals to view the certificate as a stepping stone that needs to be complemented with personal effort and growth.

Google IT Support Professional Certificate Course Review | Should You Take It In 2025? Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 what if you could land a high-paying Tech job without a college degree sounds too good to be true right well today we're going to be diving into a course that claims to do just that and it's backed by one of the biggest names in Tech and it might just change your career trajectory maybe I'm talking about the Google It support professional certificate now is this your golden ticket to a remote Tech Career in 2024 or is it just another overhyped online course well stick around because we're about to uncover the truth and this is a certificate that I did review a few years ago but it is it still good now
• 00:30 - 01:00 now I know what you're thinking Shane you're a YouTube guy what do you know about it well let me tell you a little secret before I was making six figures on YouTube I was a pharmacist drowning in student loan debt but I learned the power of online certifications and they can open doors that you never knew existed and by taking classes certification certificates and online learning in general I was able to work remote and escaped 9 to-5 heal and because of that I became incredibly passionate about alternative education and helping others to do the exact same
• 01:00 - 01:30 thing but there's a lot of false promises in the online education world so let's go ahead and break down this Google certificate and see if it's worth it all right so let's start with the basics this certificate is part of the Google's grow with Google initiative and it's designed to prepare you for entrylevel it support roles no prior experience no problem Google claims this course can get you job ready in about 6 months now I know 6 months might sound like a long time but trust me in the grand scheme of things it's a blink of an eye for instance I spent almost 6 years in pharmacy school to get a good
• 01:30 - 02:00 job as a pharmacist and additionally almost everyone who talks about this certificate online says that they finished it in 2 months or less sometimes even just a matter of weeks now when it comes to the course structure and content the certificate program is divided into five courses technical support fundamentals the bits and bites of computer networking operating systems in you becoming a power user system administration and it infrastructure services and it security defense against the digital dark arts and each course builds upon the previous one so you'll learn everything from
• 02:00 - 02:30 basic it terminology to complex networking concept and the best part you can learn at your own pace and as someone who struggled with traditional education I can't stress enough how valuable this flexibility is but the truth is real world application is key and that's why they also have Hands-On labs and practical experience and this is where this course really shines it's not just Theory you get hands-on experience and the course includes over 120 hours of interactive assessments Hands-On labs and virtual machine
• 02:30 - 03:00 experiences and keep in mind the reason why Google and other companies like this came out with these Sears is because they simply did not have enough people who had these skill sets and they were tired of waiting for colleges and traditional education to educate the market and so they decided to educate the market themselves so these skills are top tier skills that companies actually want people to have unlike College which 95% of the stuff you learn is not going to be useful in the job market and this practical approach is crucial in it next let's talk about cost
• 03:00 - 03:30 and financial aid now the course is about $49 per month through corsera and by the way you can check it out down the description and the pin comment below sometimes it's cheaper in some areas sometimes it's cheaper at certain times of the year and then they also do offer financial aid for certain people as well if you can't afford it so definitely check that link out and I know what you're thinking chain $49 a month that sounds too good to be true and you're right to be skeptical after all college degrees cost hundreds of thousands of dollars boot camps typically cost tens of thousands of dollars and certifications usually cost thousands of dollars but keep in mind the reason they
• 03:30 - 04:00 released this content again is because the market wasn't properly educating people Google probably isn't making very much money off of these Sears but the value that they are getting is they're getting a bunch of people who actually know the in demand skills that they want them to know so it's basically like a job pipeline to work at Google or other companies like that now let's talk about job prospects and career paths and this is the million-dollar question will this certificate actually land you a job well Google claims that about 75% of certificate graduates report a positive career impact within 6 months that could
• 04:00 - 04:30 mean a new job promotion or a raise but here's my take this certificate can definitely open doors but it is not a magical job guarantee however it's a foot in the door of the IT world from there it's up to you to kick that door wide open so I don't think this certificate just purely on its own is going to get you a job you're going to have to do some supplemental study outside of it and it's really going to be a good idea to build up your portfolio however this certificate is going to give you a puncher chance of getting a job and it's definitely going to help you land a job and for the value
• 04:30 - 05:00 that it offers where you only have to pay about $49 a month it's an absolute no-brainer value-wise there's nothing else on the market that even comes close to it now let's talk about employer recognition and this is one of the biggest selling points of this certificate because it is recognized by major companies simply because Google is one of the biggest companies out there but it's not just Google it's recognized by Walmart Sprint Hulu Bank of America Etc but does this mean you'll automatically get hired by these companies no but does it mean your resume is more likely to catch their eye
• 05:00 - 05:30 likely and there have been people that have reported back to me in my comments that companies actually found them because they put the certificate on their LinkedIn so recruiters and hiring managers definitely do respect these certs and this certificate could be your way of showing value to potential employers now let's talk about the online learning experience cuz let's be honest online learning is not for everyone it requires discipline and self motivation but if you can Master it the benefits are enormous trust me I built my entire business around online learning and the course is designed to
• 05:30 - 06:00 be engaging and interactive you'll have quizzes peer reviews and forums to connect with other Learners so it's kind of like having a virtual study group at your fingertips now let's talk about the potential drawbacks because we need to keep it real for a minute this course is not perfect no course is some Learners have reported that the content can be dry at times and others have found the peer graded assignments a little bit frustrating but here's the thing in my experience these challenges are part of the learning process and sometimes obstacles are just redirections to better opportunities now let's talk about about some alternatives to
• 06:00 - 06:30 consider because the Google It support certificate isn't the only game in town there are other options such as CompTIA A+ or the Microsoft certifications and each has its pros and cons those certifications for instance are quite a bit more expensive than the Google CT and those CTS are going to be quite a bit more difficult and take a lot longer to obtain as well but there are some companies who respect those CTS more so each does have its pros and cons but the key is to choose the one that aligns with your goals and learning style it's kind of like when I was trying different YouTube niches I had to EXP experiment to find what worked best for me so don't
• 06:30 - 07:00 be afraid to explore your options so let's talk about my final verdict should you take the Google It support professional certificate well here's my take if you're looking to break into it especially in a remote role this certificate is definitely worth considering it's affordable flexible and recognized by Major employers but just remember that it's not a Magic Bullet it's a tool a powerful one but it's still just a tool your success will ultimately depend on how you use it and like I said before you will likely need to learn from other sources and you'll
• 07:00 - 07:30 also likely need to build up a portfolio to prove that you have the skills that you say you have now if you want to know what Google certificates I personally think are the best I actually did an entire video where I ranked the Google certificates from s tier which is the best to f-tier which is the worst and you can check that out by clicking right here