• Home
  • Courses

    About Courses

    • AGILE & SCRUM
    • BIG DATA ANALYTICS
    • BUSINESS ANALYSIS
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
    • CHANGE RISK & BENEFITS
    • CLOUD COMPUTING
    • CYBER-SECURITY
    • DATA & DATA SCIENCE
    • IT GOVERNANCE & SERVICE
    • PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    • SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
    Agile Scrum Developer Bootcamp

    Agile Scrum Developer Bootcamp

    €499.00
    Read More
  • Certifications
    • BUSINESS ANALYSIS
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
    • CLOUD COMPUTING
    • CYBER-SECURITY
    • DATA & DATA SCIENCE
    • DEVOPS
    • PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    • IT GOVERNANCE & SERVICE
  • Events
  • Solutions
    • Blended Training
    • Individual Training
    • Live Classroom
    • Virtual Classroom
    • Private Group Training
    • Self Study
    • Organisational Solutions
    • Special Offers
  • Resources
    • FAQs
    • Webinars
    • Resource Library
    • Trending Articles
  • Company
    • About Us
    • Accreditation’s affiliation’s & Partnerships
    • Careers
    • Partner With Us
    • Contact
FutureThis IT Training & ConsultancyFutureThis IT Training & Consultancy
  • Home
  • Courses

    About Courses

    • AGILE & SCRUM
    • BIG DATA ANALYTICS
    • BUSINESS ANALYSIS
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
    • CHANGE RISK & BENEFITS
    • CLOUD COMPUTING
    • CYBER-SECURITY
    • DATA & DATA SCIENCE
    • IT GOVERNANCE & SERVICE
    • PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    • SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
    Agile Scrum Developer Bootcamp

    Agile Scrum Developer Bootcamp

    €499.00
    Read More
  • Certifications
    • BUSINESS ANALYSIS
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
    • CLOUD COMPUTING
    • CYBER-SECURITY
    • DATA & DATA SCIENCE
    • DEVOPS
    • PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    • IT GOVERNANCE & SERVICE
  • Events
  • Solutions
    • Blended Training
    • Individual Training
    • Live Classroom
    • Virtual Classroom
    • Private Group Training
    • Self Study
    • Organisational Solutions
    • Special Offers
  • Resources
    • FAQs
    • Webinars
    • Resource Library
    • Trending Articles
  • Company
    • About Us
    • Accreditation’s affiliation’s & Partnerships
    • Careers
    • Partner With Us
    • Contact

Trending Articles

Home » Blog » Trending Articles » Selecting The Right Certification

Selecting The Right Certification

  • Posted by admin
  • Categories Trending Articles
  • Date January 20, 2016
  • Comments 0 comment

Understanding the value of certifications

Understanding the value of certifications before you make a selection is vital.

According to our IT Skills and Salary Report, 9 out of 10 professionals possess at least one certification. That’s a ton of competition in the industry. And the general consensus is the more certifications, the better.

So why are so many IT pros and decision-makers putting such an emphasis on certifications? Why is so much investment devoted to training?

Well, it’s simple—the added value is substantial.

The merits of certification can be separated into two categories: value to individuals and value to organizations.

Value to individuals:

  • Professional credibility—it tells co-workers and supervisors that you possess the skills needed to succeed, and you were willing to put in the time and effort to get certified.
  • Personal satisfaction—have you ever felt like an expert in something? You’ll have the knowledge to enter your workplace with confidence and assert yourself as a subject matter expert.
  • Salary—according to our IT Skills and Salary Report, the wage difference between certified IT professionals and non-certified is $15,913, or 22%.
  • Job search—certifications give you an advantage during the hiring process and help you stand out in a competitive market. Some employers won’t even consider candidates unless they possess a certain level of certification.
  • Professional growth—career advancement often requires you to learn new technologies or enhance the skills you currently possess.

Value to organizations:

  • Job essentials—with technology constantly evolving, there’s a need for all organizations to have subject matter experts on new and updated topics.
  • Filling skills gaps—IT decision-makers say that skills gaps can put a strain on many departments and the best way to fill those gaps is with training. Certified employees can lead to greater productivity and increased workforce morale, as well as knowledge share across the department.
  • Employee retention—job satisfaction results in greater staff retention. Employees who are fulfilled are less likely to pursue other employment.
  • Partner relationships—certain vendors incentivize their partners to maintain competencies on their products. For instance, IBM benchmarks these competencies using certification and badging programs.

Choose your certification path

Now that you understand the value of certification, it’s time to pick one.

It may seem simple, but rushing your selection could waste time and money. There are four things you should consider when making your choice.

Answer this question: What do I want to accomplish?

Is your ultimate certification goal to make more money? Is it to advance in your profession? Maybe you just want to learn a new skill? You shouldn’t start evaluating your options before you have a definitive answer.

If your primary goal is to boost your salary, check out our article on the 15 top-paying certifications for 2018.

If you want to establish yourself as a subject matter expert, get certified in new or recently-updated technology. It’s a great way to showcase your value to the organization because few others will be certified in this area.

Answer this question: What am I interested in?

The principle is the same with certifications—unless it’s a requirement, why would you choose one that doesn’t interest you? You don’t want to snooze through training. And you don’t want to snooze on your career. If you’re particularly passionate about a unique skill set, take as many certifications in that area as you can. This is especially important if it’s a topic your company has been looking to implement.

With that said, it’s always a good idea to be well-versed in multiple technologies too. Especially for those hoping to advance into a new job role, being adept at changing technologies is a must.

Pick a certification that will keep you invested.

Do your homework

Would you buy new servers for your company without doing proper research? Or would you do a hardware refresh without exploring all options? Of course not. You probably wouldn’t even go out to dinner without looking at a few restaurant reviews first.

The same goes for certifications. Make sure you do your homework and know what is expected with each one. Some have more prominence while others are stepping stones. Speak with co-workers, read IT blogs and even join online forums to find out which ones are most valuable.

When perusing your certification options, make sure to keep the following questions in mind:

What are the requirements?

How much time will you need to invest?

Is it industry-recognized?

How does it link to your career path?

Will you have to get recertified?

Are there retake vouchers for exams?

When comparing certifications between different topics and brands, you’ll notice many distinctions and variations. This is why research is vital.

Think about the future

Ninety percent of IT professionals hold at least one certification. With so much competition, it’s not uncommon to see people prepping for their next certification, often years ahead.

Plan beyond a single certification. You’ll want to know your next steps as soon as you’re completed.

Also, know what you need to do to stay certified. For example, Microsoft’s MCSE and MCSD certifications do not expire, but you still have the opportunity to re-earn the certification every year and show your continual investment in this technology area.

Several other certifications can expire. The popular Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification is valid for three years and requires 60 professional development units (PDUs) during each renewal period to maintain your credential.

Another way to ensure you’re thinking about the future is to devise a certification calendar both for the short term and long term. Maintain a calendar to make sure you’re staying on track to finish your current certification. A post-certification calendar is also vital when it comes to continuing your training and keeping track of when your certifications will expire

Remember, certifications show your value to co-workers, managers and future employers. Beyond the skills you’ll gain, seasoned IT professionals respect certifications because they understand the time and effort needed to acquire one. It’s a great way to differentiate yourself from peers.

Tag:Certifications, corporate training, Course, IT Skills, Skill Upgrades

  • Share:
author avatar
admin

Previous post

IT skills gaps will continue to be a problem
January 20, 2016

Next post

Top 15 Highest-paying IT Certifications
January 20, 2016

You may also like

course-4
Challenges Facing IT Professionals
20 January, 2016
blog-5
IT skills gaps will continue to be a problem
20 January, 2016
blog-3
The Value of Automation
20 October, 2015

Leave A Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Search

Categories

  • Business
  • Resources
  • Solutions
  • Trending Articles

All quoted prices are VAT- Exclusive for consumers who pay no VAT or can recover VAT. The current rate of VAT is 21% for consumers that are required to pay VAT
* * All course bookings are subject to availability, the website is updated periodically due to the dynamic nature of our business. Course availability can only be confirmed when you have received a course confirmation email containing your joining instructions and once payment has been authorized and collected. To check on latest availability real time please call +31 (0)62 289 5592

Registered KvK 72161264 VAT Number: NL002523990B11

Connect us

+31622895592

Info@futurethis.org

PostBus 10111, 7301GC, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands

Delivery Methods

  • Self Study
  • Blended Training
  • Virtual Classroom
  • Live Classroom
  • Private Group Training

DISCOVER

  • News
  • Webinars
  • Special Offers
  • What We Do
  • News and Updates

SHOP POLICY

  • Shop Security
  • Returns and Cancellations
  • Delivery and Availability
  • Direct Marketing Notice
  • Cookies Policy

LEGAL

  • Code Of Conduct
  • Direct Marketing Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Website Terms of Use
  • Terms and Conditions

FOLLOW US

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Copyright ©2018- 2019 FutureThis IT Training Center

[miniorange_social_login shape="longbuttonwithtext" theme="default" space="4" width="240" height="40"]

Login with your site account

Lost your password?