IT is constantly evolving as new technologies are implemented. Certifications are one way IT professionals can keep up with current trends in IT technology, build their IT resume and open new doors of opportunity.
Which certifications are right for you depends on your career path. A certification in your current line of work will validate your skills and enhance your value in your present position. If you are looking to move into other areas of IT a certification can give you the skills and knowledge you need to make the jump.
Certifications should be looked at for what they can do for you now and in the future. If you look at your career plan as a roadmap a certification is just one stop on the way to your next destination. If you do not already have a career plan read “How To Develop Your IT Career Plan and Why You Should Do It”.
10 Career Building Certifications
Below in no particular order are 10 certifications that can validate and improve your present skills and add valuable stops on your IT career path.
ITIL V3 Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management
ITIL v3 is a best practice framework for IT Service Management that is being adopted by IT departments around the world. There are four levels of ITIL V3 certification. The Foundation certificate is the entry level certification that shows general knowledge of the key parts of ITIL V3. ITIL V3 certifications are most beneficial to managers and leadership.
For more information on ITIL V3 certifications visit the ITIL website.
CCA – Cisco Certified Architect
Cisco offers a wide range of certifications from entry-level to master. The Cisco Certified Architect is the highest level of accreditation achievable within the Cisco Career Certification program. This certification is intended for experienced Cisco network professionals and puts a very large gold star on your resume.
For more information about CCA visit the Cisco Certified Architect website.
MCTS – Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist
MCTS offers a wide variety of certifications you can specialize in. MCTS certifications prove your ability to successfully implement, build on, troubleshoot, and debug a particular Microsoft technology, such as a Windows operating system, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SQL Server, and Microsoft Visual Studio.
For more information about MCTS certifications visit the Microsoft MCTS website.
CompTIA Security+
Network security will always be an important part of IT. The CompTIA Security+ certification is an international, vendor-neutral certification that proves competency in system security, network infrastructure, access control and organizational security.
Although not a required, it is recommended that you have at least two years of technical networking experience, with an emphasis on security.
For more information visit the CompTIA Security+ website.
VCP – VMware Certified Professional
Virtualization is a hot topic in IT and will continue to grow in the future. The VMware Certified Professional Program is designed for individuals who want to demonstrate their expertise in virtual infrastructure and increase the potential for career advancement.
For more information visit the VMware Certified Professional on vSphere 4 website.
PMP – Project Management Professional
Since so much of what IT does today is project related a Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute is a valuable certification for project managers. The PMP certification shows you have demonstrated the knowledge and skills in leading and directing project teams and in delivering project results within the constraints of schedule, budget and resources.
For more information on PMP certification visit the PMI PMP website.
CompTIA Strata Green IT
CompTIA’s Strata Green IT certificate is designed to enhance an IT professional’s experience, knowledge, and existing IT credentials to incorporate emerging technologies shaping the global green IT industry today.
This is one of CompTIA’s newest certification programs. It is designed to show that a candidate is schooled in power management as well as virtualization techniques. The certification also includes training on developing and calculating ROI for green IT initiatives and knowledge of environmentally sound waste disposal techniques.
For more information visit the CompTIA Strata Green IT website.
CCNA – Cisco Certified Network Associate
CCNA has become the standard for network and IT professionals who work in network related areas. Cisco Certified Network Associate prove your ability to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot route and switched networks, including implementation and verification of connections to remote sites in a WAN.
For more information about CCNA certification visit the CCNA Certification website.
MCITP – Microsoft Certified IT Professional
Microsoft Certified IT Professional certifications are Microsoft’s newest lineup of specialized certifications. Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certification enables IT professionals to demonstrate comprehensive skills in planning, deploying, supporting, maintaining, and optimizing IT infrastructures.
For more information about Microsoft Certified IT Professional certification visit the MCITP website.
MCPD – Microsoft Certified Professional Developer
For those who create and maintain the software solutions in IT the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) credential validates a comprehensive set of skills that are necessary to deploy, build, optimize, and operate applications successfully by using Microsoft Visual Studio and the Microsoft .NET Framework.
For more information visit the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer website.
Not One Linux Cert. {Disapproving Stare}
Timely comment. In an article today on Network World “Red Hat Tops List of Hottest IT Security Certifications” the Red Hat Certified Security Specialist is a hot certification right now with a 70% growth. “This certification is aimed at senior network administrators and is designed to prove that a person has deep skills related to running Red Hat Enterprise Linux in a secure fashion.”
I have my eyes set on a Linux-based cert. I should be beginning it nearer the end of year 12. Linux usage worldwide is climbing dramatically wouldn’t you agree? Especially over the past few years.
If your primary job or the job you want to get in involves Linux it is certainly a certification worth pursuing. Linux will certainly see increased growth, but don’t stop with Linux. A broad range of knowledge and skills make you more valuable in your present position and gives you more opportunities for your future.
I’m afraid I’ll have to disagree with you here. I don’t believe it’s about certification anymore, rather, can you actually do the job. I know plenty of “certified” techies, and wouldn’t trust any of them.
I know where you are coming from, but I would not discount the value of certifications because of a few bad apples. I know those types as well. They study (or cheat), get a certification and then can’t do the job. These people do not last long. Most people who obtain certifications are seeking to validate that they do have the and skills and knowledge to do the job. During the time spent studying or taking classes to pass the certification they increase their skills and knowledge which increases their value.
Certifications, continuing education and training show someone is actively engaged in improving themselves. These are the people hiring managers and HR are looking for and those most likely to advance their career. When you have 5 people applying for a position and all appear equal in skills and knowledge, but one has a certification in the area you are hiring for, which one do you think will get the job?
why is A+ not on this list?
A+ is considered an entry-level certification. If you are a technician it is a great certification to start with. If you want to build your technician skills you can also pursue vendor specific certifications. A+ is a good start because some vendor specific certification require you to have A+ first. The main point is to keep building your skills and knowledge and showing your employer that you are actively improving yourself.
Good list. As mentioned above, I’d suggest a Linux certification – and what about some web-based certs?
Linux is a good certification if it is used in your job or if you are looking to move into that area. The same would apply to web certifications. Which certification you should pursue is dependent on what you can improve your position in your current job and what can improve your position in an area you would like to move into.
It’s great list, but what about oracle cert .
If you work with Oracle then an Oracle certification would help improve your career.
Thanks for the list and the links. It is a good read. Also I like how you actually answer peoples questions in the comments section. I got here from Stumble and spent some time checking out the rest of the site.
Thanks Adam. I am glad you found it useful. I try to answer all questions, but life/work keeps me pretty busy. Stumble on! It’s a great way to find new and interesting sites.
Certs are BS. So are degrees. Wanna jump-start your career in IT? Be smart and learn things quickly. The field changes too fast for any of these certs to mean anything. Period. This is coming from one of the primary thinkers and a senior programmer behind my.army.mil, http://www.army.mil and the CMS that supports them.
I have no certs, and a AA in Game Design from a degree mill.
I am glad your approach has worked out for you. I would disagree that certifications and degrees are useless. Read some IT job postings and look at the required or desired education, training and certifications. Talk to HR representatives and find out how they factor into salaries or even having your resume read by a hiring manager. While on the job experience is invaluable, add to that a degree and field specific certifications and you will find more opportunities and more money.
I would include cissp.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) would be a big boost to your resume and your salary. For IT security professionals CISSP would be a logical choice to pursue, in particular for DoD and National Security positions.
I’m taking CISSP next week!
Outstanding. Good luck!
Useful list.. Wondering why any Java certification is not in the top 10
This is not intended as a top ten list. IT would be impossible to nail down a top ten list as diverse is IT has become. Instead the post was meant to encourage people to think about how they can use certifications to improve their career. Certifications should be specific to the area one is in or is interested in getting in. A Java certification would be an excellent choice for a programmer, but a poor choice for a network engineer.
The best certifications for a career in IT are ones in an industry you support to show you have business skills in addition to technical. All t he ones above lock you into the tech stuff and brand you accordingly Cool if you want to be a techie forever but if you ever hope to advance into management and definitely into other corporate functions you must have some business skills you can document.
Absolutely, management and soft skills are essential to being a good manager. ITIL is a good example of a non-technical certification for a manager. A lot of management positions in IT require a great deal of technical knowledge. A manager needs to stay on top of currently technology and continue to build technical skills. I see your point though. A CCNA certification is going to be less valuable to a manager that some good courses in communications skills.
I have been considering a degree in networking for a long time now. I have been fooling around with computers since I was about 10 yrs old and am mostly self taught.
This is right up my alley of interest, but I can’t decide which route to take. Should I go for a degree or are certifications the way to go? Degree’s take a long time. Certifications focus on the main area of interest and seem like a more practical route to take.
What would you recommend???
It really depends on where you are now and where you want to go. While it is true a degree can take a long time it can give a big boost to your career and your resume. Also you do not need to pursue a degree to benifit from continuing your education. Specialized courses can help fill in gaps. Also courses that prepare you for higher level certifications can be benificail depending on your knowledge. Overall I would lean towards certifications as a quick and relatively easy way to have a positive impact on your career. Many find even after obtaining a college degree they still need certifications to further their career.
In my opinion PRINCE2 should be in the list
I agree!
Hi
good article i’m sure people can find this information useful.
if any of your readers are in Maryland / Virginia and looking for training I found this school to be very helpful
http://www.phoenixts.com
hope this can help somebody out there.
have a nice day