Microsoft Office Certifications Can Boost Your Value
In every career field now, the competition is fierce. Resumes need to stand out to get noticed by employers, even in work forces with high employment opportunities such as information technology.
For those on the IT job market, certifications are often the best way to prove your skill set to grab the attention of potential employers. There are a number of certifications you can achieve to boost your resume including CISCO and CompTIA, but as it turns out Microsoft Office certs are some of the most important and valuable, for they have become somewhat of an industry standard.
In this article, we discuss Microsoft Office certifications, along with a description of what they are and how they can actually be of benefit to your career in IT.
What Are Microsoft Office Certs?
Microsoft Office certifications are much as their name would imply. Microsoft offers official certifications to professionals who have undertaken courses to master their programs, which requires passing designated examinations.
While many professionals these days have knowledge of the various Microsoft Office programs and how to utilize them at the workplace, having an official certification makes you stand out even more and expresses to employers the professionalism of your expertise.
Obtaining Microsoft Office certifications is not only helpful for professionals throughout the IT industry, but far beyond that as well. Microsoft’s official website describes the benefits of achieving these certifications as “get hired, demonstrate clear business impact, and advance your skills.”
The available Microsoft Office certifications are categorized into two variations, and depend upon the version of Office being operated.
Office 365 and Office 2019: Microsoft Office Certifications
These are the first of the two possible certification. They are a series of exams available for those who wish to acquire the Office 365 and Office 2019 certifications.
Exams available:
● Excel Associate
● Word Associate
● Word Expert
● PowerPoint Associate
● Coming soon: Access Expert, Excel Expert, and Outlook Associate
Any exam passed leads to a certification which can be included on a resume.
Additionally, as of July 2019, those who pass three Associate exams are then awarded the title of Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate.
Microsoft Office Specialist 2016
For those desiring to prove they possess further comprehensive experience to employers, this selection shows that you have the required knowledge and professional abilities to successfully operate one or more Microsoft Office programs, along with an understanding of Microsoft Office hybrid and cloud solutions.
This is a brilliant starting point for those who intend to achieve certifications in the next level up, known as the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE): Productivity certification.
Some of the primary technologies utilized throughout the Microsoft Office Specialist 2016 category includes:
● Skype for Business
● SharePoint
● Microsoft Office 365
● Exchange
● Microsoft Office
The direction you choose regarding Microsoft Office certifications is completely up to you, but it is often important to take into account what your future goals are and how the certs offered can best be in support of those achievements.
Reasons to Acquire Microsoft Office Certifications
Aside from increasing your employability and boosting your resume, the biggest reason why you may want to consider getting your Microsoft Office certs is because they are universally recognized and can complement other skills no matter where you intend to apply for jobs. Professionals from countries all over the world rely on certifications such as those offered by reputable organizations like Microsoft to prove their proficiency and knowledge of certain skills.
Come Out on Top in a Competitive Market
If an employer is faced with the decision of hiring you and one more individual with the same work experience, the person that possesses certifications such as Microsoft Office will most likely receive the job offer.
This is because, while many are familiar with the various Microsoft programs and how to use them, it is easy to write on a resume that the knowledge is there without this actually being true. With a certification, this proves to employers proficiency in Microsoft Office, which in turn means less time spent training an employee to get up to speed with the ins and outs needed to fully conduct their daily tasks.
Those with Microsoft Office certs tend to come out on top in a highly competitive job market, merely because employers can believe their accreditations written on a resume since they can be easily checked for legitimacy.
Boost Your Qualifications and Increase Your Value
As it turns out, Microsoft Office certifications are considered the most important for potential employers in a number of fields. Microsoft reports that “23% of Microsoft certified technologists reported receiving up to a 20% salary increase” upon receiving a certification.
Additionally, they claim that “Microsoft certified developers are 90% more productive and nearly 60% more efficient” when compared with their coworkers and piers.
Although we are not positive exactly how Microsoft generated these statistics, the company is a reputable one and has been respected for years, so this is what makes their numbers more believable.
Taking these numbers into account, Microsoft Office certifications seem to be benefiting individuals in the IT industry as well as many others.
Our Final Thoughts on Microsoft Office Certifications
While there are many ways to boost your resume with certifications and increase your chances of impressing employers, Microsoft Office certs are somewhat of an industry standard, beyond merely the IT industry.
With that being said, Microsoft Office certifications are not immensely time consuming to achieve, especially if compared with other IT-specific certifications such as CompTIA and CISCO, yet they do greatly impact employability. Obtaining Microsoft Office certs may not be for everyone, but if you intend to work in the technology sector, they are highly recommended and beneficial.
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