What can Information Technology Certifications Do For You?
When undertaking education in information technology, one has to consider which direction they intend to progress in. There are many paths to choose from and in order to stay on course, certain certifications may need to be acquired.
Information technology certifications are not exactly a necessity in order to have a career in IT, but they certainly do seem to help tremendously. From increasing your chances of scoring that dream job with a higher starting salary, to improving skills and boosting your resume, there are reasons why so many IT professionals opt for the acquisition of official certifications.
In this article, we explain what IT certifications are, along with some of the most common certs. Additionally, we dive into the five top benefits of getting an IT certification.
What Are IT Certifications?
IT certifications are essentially documents that confirm an individual’s competency or even expertise of a specific tech-related skill. It is possible to get far more than just one certification, and they are typically only acquired after a series of reviews, education, and finally examination or assessment.
Information technology certifications are not easy to obtain and do truly require a solid understanding of the presented curriculum, which is part of why they are so credible when placed on a resume for employers to view.
There has been a long debate as to whether certifications or experience are more important, but while experience can certain go a long way, it takes time to build which not everyone has collected especially at the beginning of a career in information technology.
For this reason, certifications are often a beneficial way for budding professionals to prove their skills. There are other benefits of getting certified as well, which we will soon explain in further depth.
What Are Some Common IT Certifications?
While there are a multitude of IT-related certifications to choose from, there are some that are more discussed throughout the industry and have become well-recognized standards.
Microsoft Office Certifications
While these aren’t specifically IT-related, Microsoft Office certifications are useful for a number of applications, including information technology.
Microsoft Office certifications are available in two groups:
● Microsoft Office 365 and Office 2019 certifications
● Microsoft Office Specialist 2016
If you would like to read more about the benefits and breakdowns of Microsoft Office certifications, this article explains your options in greater depth.
Cisco Certifications
Official certifications offered by the well-known American tech company Cisco, there are a number of ways these can boost your career. With five paths to choose from, Cisco certifications have become a popular way to prove skill sets in the IT industry.
Cisco certification paths that are available include:
● Cisco Entry
● Cisco Associate
● Cisco Professional
● Cisco Expert
● Cisco Architect
If you would like to learn more about the advantages and details of the Cisco certifications, this article will present what you need to know.
CompTIA Certifications
CompTIA is a trade organization based out of Chicago. On top of being highly reputable in the IT industry, the organization is also a non-profit, meaning that it keeps a lower bias. They intend to primarily educate specialists and professionals throughout the IT industry, and part of the way they do so is by issuing certifications.
There is a variety of certifications that can be obtained from CompTIA, some of which include:
● CompTIA Security+
● IT Fundamentals+
● CompTIA A+
● CompTIA Network+
● Cybersecurity specific certifications
● Infrastructure specific certifications
While this description only skims the surface of what CompTIA certifications are all about, this article goes into greater depth about these useful qualifications and which career paths they can benefit from.
What Are the Benefits of IT Certifications?
Now that you have a general overview of what IT certifications are, along with knowledge of some of the most prominent options available in the industry, it is important to take a gander at how these certifications can be of benefit to your career, or future career, in information technology.
1. Improve Your Resume
While many individuals have impressive skills written on their resumes, it is possible to fake abilities when they are written on paper without proof to back up any claims. Certifications are especially legitimate and it is difficult to falsify the possession of certs. That is because it is possible for employers to ask for proof and check for their legitimacy.
When an employer sees certain official certifications on a resume, they can rest assured knowing that you are actually capable of the claims you make. If two equally as experienced job applicants were to apply for the same position, chances are the ones with the right certifications would be more likely to score the work.
Obtaining certifications is an especially wise choice for those who are new to the IT industry and do not have much prior work experience. While work experience requires previous employment and time to acquire, certifications are examination, skills, and knowledge-based, so even those who have not been employed in information technology for long can express their professional abilities and impress employers.
2. Boost Your Employability
Employers are often delighted to hire employees that are already highly qualified for a specific position because this implies less initial training so that the individual can be brought up to speed with the ins and outs of the position. Those who are able to pass the examinations for a variety of IT-related certifications are certainly qualified for many information technology positions.
3. Gain Access to a Larger Variety of Potential Careers and Positions
While it is possible to acquire a variety of positions with an educational background in information technology, getting certified amplifies your employment possibilities. Some jobs altogether will not hire employees if they do not possess certain certifications. These positions are predominantly government and military I.T. careers, where certain skill sets must be proven.
4. Score a Higher Starting Salary
While salaries for jobs in information technology are already oftentimes reasonable and at other times substantial, teksystems.com reports that those who have added at least one certification to their resume are looking at an increase in 15%.
If you apply for your first information technology job and have some certifications under your belt, you are looking at an impressive starting salary, which is also a wonderful way to get your foot in the door with a career that is not only internally fulfilling but financially as well.
5. Unlock New Skills and Enhance Your Knowledge
There are so many directions one can go in when it comes to information technology, sometimes it is challenging to know which skills and knowledge would be best for employability. Certifications narrow down the knowledge a bit more, allowing you to focus upon some aspect of IT in more detail, which increases expertise and enhances skill sets.
5 Benefits of Getting an IT Certification: Our Final Thoughts
Have you decided yet whether or not obtaining an IT certification is right for you? If you have not quite made up your mind, worry not. The beauty of IT certifications is that you can secure them at any point during your career in information technology.
As this article portrays, there are many benefits of opting for further development of information technology skills and knowledge, but at the end of the day, you must decide what is in your best interest and what will best progress your career in the direction of choosing.
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