The Night Shift. The Right Shift.
Welcome!
This is my first official blog post! I’m starting fresh in IT and want to share everything I learn along the way. My journey began back in 2016 with Code Louisville, where I learned full stack development. In 2024, I finally left the factory floor and landed my first IT job as a technician in the mail room. Six months later, I moved into the data center, where I started learning about servers, networking, and infrastructure.
Now I’m leveling up again by working toward the CompTIA A+ 220-1101 (Core 1) certification. Each post will cover a section I study, so I can reinforce the concepts and hopefully help other beginners too. Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll join me on this journey as I work toward becoming A+ certified!
Safety and Professionalism
The way I teach myself new IT concepts and keep up with trends is by buying courses on Udemy.com. I really enjoy this site and have learned a lot from it. Right now, I’m working through a course specifically for the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) certification.
This first section was about Safety and Professionalism. It was short — just two videos and a quiz — but packed with useful info. I learned about the tools of the trade and something called troubleshooting theory, which is a big part of how IT techs solve problems.
Tools of the Trade
One thing I learned is that most of the time, I’ll need a #2 Phillips screwdriver and a smartphone. A lot of systems and components can be opened with that screwdriver, and if I need to look up a manual or error code, my phone is perfect for quick research.
Other common tools IT technicians use include:
- Voltage tester – checks if bad power is causing issues
- Volt-ohm meter (multimeter) – tests household electrical circuits
- USB thumb drive – loaded with repair tools to boot and clean infected systems
These tools help techs troubleshoot and fix problems faster and safer
Troubleshooting Theory
I also learned about CompTIA’s troubleshooting theory, which is a six-step process that helps techs figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it:
- Identify the problem
- Establish a theory of probable cause
- Test the theory
- Establish a plan of action and implement the solution
- Verify full system functionality
- Document everything
To help remember it, the instructor gave a phrase:
“I Eat Toast At Very Dumb-hours.”
I think this method will really help me in my IT career when I run into problems.
That’s it for now! Stay tuned for my next blog post where I’ll cover the next section: Introduction to Computers and Operating Systems. Thanks for reading!
