Failing Forward with IT Certifications

Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. 

Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills

Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.

― Jim Rohn

Failure isn’t so bad if it doesn’t attack the heart.

Success is all right if it doesn’t go to the head.—GRANTLAND RICE

I learn more through my failures than my successes and preparing for an Information Technology Certification is one of the most exciting ways to fail forward. It is very exhilarating with its twists and turns, scenario based questions, certification and re-certification, study guides, online video tutorials (Linkedin Learning, Pluralsight, Udemy,), braindumps, online forums, blogs, official certification blog etc.

Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose. – Bill Gates

The list of materials and the time involved in preparing for these exams is like life itself, you put in your all but you are not promised anything. Failing an exam is like not figuring anything out the first time is very painful but you have to keep pushing and not take it personal.

There is no doubt in my mind that there are many ways to be a winner, but there is really only one way to be a loser and that is to fail and not look beyond the failure.—KYLE ROTE JR.

What keeps me going is my WHY? Why am I writing the exams in the first place? Would it matter in the next 5 years? Maybe? Maybe Not?

Some exams you pass on the first try, others on the third try. What matters is the zeal to achieve your goal and not get discouraged because you failed an exam.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill

CompTIA Exams

Passed:

• CompTIA Cloud+ Certification | August 19, 2020
• CS0-001 | CompTIA CySA+ Certification | June 1st 2019
• SY0-501 | CompTIA Security+ Certification | May 25th 2018
• 220-901 | CompTIA A+ Certification | March 4th 2017
• 220-902 | CompTIA A+ Certification | April 8th 2017

People are training for success when they should be training for failure. Failure is far more common than success; poverty is more prevalent than wealth; and disappointment more normal than arrival.—J.WALLACE HAMILTON

Failed

• N10-006 | CompTIA Network+ Certification | July 1st 2017
• CV0-002 | CompTIA Cloud+ Certification } January 19 2019

Don’t waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It’s okay to fail. If you’re not failing, you’re not growing.—H. STANLEY JUDD

The difference between greatness and mediocrity is often how an individual views a mistake.—NELSON BOSWELL

Splunk

Passed

• SPLK-1001 | Splunk Core Certified User | December 28th 2019

A failure is a man who blundered, but is not able to cash in on the experience.—ELBERT HUBBARD”

Failed

• SPLK-1001 | Splunk Core Certified User | July 20th 2019
• SPLK-1001 | Splunk Core Certified User | August 3rd 2019

Errors become mistakes
when we perceive them and respond to them incorrectly.
Mistakes become failures
when we continually respond to them incorrectly. – John C. Maxwell “Failing Forward: How to Make the Most of Your Mistakes.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Passed

• CLF-C01 | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | February 24th 2020
• Amazon Web Services Solutions Architect Associate | June 24, 2020
• AWS Certified Security – Specialty | July 29, 2020

To succeed, you have to be open to problems. You have to be open to failure. And as you go up the ladder, you gain the right to get more problems.—DAVE ANDERSON

Failed

• SAA-C01 | AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate | February 8th 2020
• SAA-C01 | AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate | March 17th 2020

Not realizing what you want is a problem of knowledge.
Not pursuing what you want is a problem of motivation.
Not achieving what you want is a problem of persistence. – John C. Maxwell “Failing Forward: How to Make the Most of Your Mistakes.

ISC2

Failed

• ISC2 Systems Security Certified Practitioner | September 7th 2019

Passed:

• Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) | July 31, 2020

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.― Winston Churchill.

Microsoft

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals – November 2020

I will be writing a couple of IT certification exams in the coming months and this post is my scorecard/failure card as there would be some more stumbling in the process. The goal is to keep pushing no matter what and not give up.

All the best in your quest to get better. Don’t Settle: Live with Passion.