Industry certification is critical for IT workers. It is important to have three main things when you graduate from college:

1. Education. Your degree is the most important item that will separate you from the people who took a short cut and went right to work. No matter how good short-cut takers are at their job, people who made education their life's priority show that they have what it takes to succeed. Your degree will help you get the job and continue to rise through the ranks. Never give up on your education and keep getting more of it as you go.

2. Certification. Industry certifications show that your education has paid off. The education you earned is verified by an independent organization. In this case, you have an opportunity to earn 2 certifications from one effort. Your CIS 106 class is the first half of the CompTIA A+ Certification. In addition, TestOut offers a free certification exam to all our students as part of the class. You will be taking the TestOut exam as your final exam here in CIS 106. When you pass it and the exam you'll take next in your CIS 312 class, you will have the TestOut Desktop Pro certification under your belt and you can immediately put this on your resume. Also, you will be ready for the A+ Certification with CompTIA.

3. Experience. Experience is needed for even entry-level jobs in today's marketplace. You don't have to get a job now, but you should keep the job you have, and volunteer on the weekends with a local charitable, religious, or government organization. Any experience you have on your resume will do you a whole lot of good. If you think about it, you already have real experience due to the immersive student experience you've just had in this class. If you were a hiring manager, and you had three resumes on your desk; one with a degree, another with experience and a certification, and then one with a degree, a certification, and experience, which would you hire? Exactly! The most qualified candidate has a degree, certification, AND experience.

Based on the paragraph above, in a few sentences discuss the following:

• Have you signed up for the CompTIA A+ 220-901 exam? If so, when? If not, why?
• Do you have any other industry certifications? Which certifications do you want?
• What do you think you'll have to do to keep them current? Find a standards organization website and describe what you'll have to do to keep your current or desired certification up-to-date.
• How will having your degree, certifications, and experience help you?
• What experience do you already have, and what will you do to get more by the time you graduate? Remember, if you work as a volunteer once a month for 2 years, you have 2 years of experience volunteering once a month. You have a degree and certifications. You're marketable! Tell us how it will feel!
• Tell us about a really cool use for 3D printers. What is hybrid printing?