18 21st Century Information Certifications Worth Having

by | May 19, 2022 | Education | 0 comments

I just ran across this post listing the 18 21st Century information certifications worth having.

 

Obtaining a professional certification is an indication that you’re an expert. It’s proof to employers, peers and even yourself that you speak and think in a specific language. It comes with the expectation that co-workers and decision-makers will call on you for advice and insight. Your experience and expertise will be key to a business’ growth in the face of internal and external changes.

Basically, a certification is confirmation that you provide value. And in a competitive and crowded industry like IT, it’s often not easy to stand out.

This is your chance.

Deciding to get certified is one thing. Selecting a certification is another. What do you want out of it? A promotion? A higher salary? Viable skills?

With hundreds of certifications to choose from, how do you know which one is the best fit for you? Which ones are popular? Which ones have staying power?

In terms of standing out, just one certification may not be enough. In the field of network infrastructure and data center, for example, 88 percent of professionals are certified. As for Cisco-certified professionals, 82 percent are already working on their next certification. Now that’s some competition.

Whether you’re wading into the waters with a foundational credential or pulling all-night study sessions to prep for your six-hour CISSP exam, a lot of time and energy goes into certification. Here are 18 options, in no particular order, that are worth your effort based on site searches, feedback from instructors and data in the Global Knowledge 2017 IT Skills and Salary Report.

 

1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

2. CCNA Routing and Switching

3. PMP® — Project Management Professional

4. CompTIA Network+

5. CompTIA Security+

6. ITIL® Foundation

7. CCNA Security

Looking to combat and mitigate security threats in a Cisco network? Then this is the certification for you. CCNA Security validates your skills in developing an infrastructure and recognizing vulnerabilities in your network.

CCNA Security is in the top 20 of highest-paying certifications and is also a necessary requirement when working toward a CCNP Security credential, which has an average salary of over $100,000.

Just like all Cisco certifications, this credential is valid for three years. A CCENT certification or ICND1 v3.0 – Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices, Part 1 is recommended before pursuing your CCNA Security certification.

How to prep for the exam:

 

8. MCSA: SQL Server 2012/2014

High salaries and popularity make this certification a double threat. Microsoft certifications are widespread in general—36 percent of our IT Skills and Salary Survey respondents are Microsoft-certified. Of that group, 44 percent hold a SQL Server certification. MCSA stands for Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate.

MCSA: SQL Server 2012/2014 is for individuals interested in data management. It confirms the essential skills needed to manage Microsoft’s SQL Server and is the first step toward earning the MCSE: Data Platform or the MCSA Business Intelligence certifications.

If you’re aiming for a position as either a software or database developer or perhaps a database analyst, this is a good place to start. It also pays well—MCSA: SQL Server is ranked 15th ($90,303) in our top-paying certifications.

How to prep for the exam:

 

9. MCSA: Windows Server 2016

Microsoft launched Windows Server 2016 in September 2016 with several new features, including:

  • Nano Server
  • Containers
  • Storage Spaces Direct
  • PowerShell enhancements
  • Hyper-V enhancements

An MCSA: Windows Server 2016 certificate provides you with the skills necessary to reduce costs and deliver better business value. It’s ideal for professionals in positions of a network administrator, computer systems administrator or computer network specialist.

It currently ranks 16th ($89,941) on our list of top-paying certifications. Last year, interest in Windows Server certifications trailed only CCNA Routing and Switching, CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Security+ in terms of popularity.

How to prep for the exam:

 

10. VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization (VCP6-DCV)

Demand for VCP6-DCV is growing as organizations increasingly virtualize their data center and infrastructure. Data center managers are scrambling to hire specialized IT professionals to fill all of the needed roles. Getting certified in VCP6-DCV is a great chance to stand out as a virtual infrastructure specialist.

VMware-certified professionals make over $92,000 in the U.S. and Canada. That number rises to $96,309 for professionals certified in VCP6-DCV.

For those professionals who want to gain experience with VMware’s vSphere 6.5 (released in late November 2016), there’s also a certification for VMware Certified Professional 6.5 – Data Center Virtualization.

If you’re interested in virtualization, VMware has cornered the market. Learn how to build a scalable virtual infrastructure using vSphere including installation, configuration and optimization.

How to prep for the exam:

 

11. Certified in Risk Systems and Control (CRISC)

If you’re looking to get paid, CRISC has been the top-paying certification in three of the last four years. According to our IT Skills and Salary Report, CRISC average salaries include $127,507 in the U.S. and Canada, and $108,271 worldwide.

This ISACA cybersecurity certification is designed for IT professionals, project managers and other individuals whose job is to identify and manage IT and business risks through Information Systems controls. As the struggle continues in the search for experienced security professionals, ISACA has been out front by helping those in the cybersecurity field get more out of people already in the fold.

This certification is designed for driven professionals who work hard to keep up with evolving cybersecurity skills. ISACA-certified professionals are typically highly-motivated as 80 percent trained in some form in the past year.

How to prep for the exam:

 

12. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

Completing the CISSP certification is like earning your master’s degree in IT security. This (ISC)2 certification is so essential that it’s often a security staff requirement by organizations.

The average salary for professionals holding this certification is $118,179, which is fourth highest in the U.S. and Canada. Worldwide, CISSP-certified pros have an average salary of $103,981, which is second highest.

Released in 1994, CISSP has staying power. CISSPs are responsible for defining the architecture, design, management and controls that ensure a secure organization.

Prerequisites for CISSP includes five years of work experience and recertification is required every three years. Attaining this credential is validation of your years of security experience. And if you earn it, you’ve really earned it—the exam is a six-hour doozy.

How to prep for the exam:

 

13. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

This advanced security certification puts you in the mind of a hacker. It’s your best opportunity to gain access to frequently-used hacking tools so you’ll possess the skills to spot vulnerabilities in your own network.

The most acclaimed of EC-Council’s certifications, CEH is vendor-neutral and is modeled for any IT professional who is concerned with the integrity of network infrastructure. It also covers threats to the cloud, which is a growing challenge.

The CEH exam puts your hacker skills to work by grading the test-taker’s ability to find weaknesses and holes in an organization’s network defense.

To defend against hackers, you have to think like a hacker. CEH puts you in the best position to do so.

How to prep for the exam:

 

14. Citrix Certified Associate – Virtualization (CCA-V)

Training is paramount for Citrix-certified professionals. They’ve noticed a bump in salary and are often pursuing new skills and knowledge.

For IT operators and managers who oversee XenDesktop 7 solutions, CCA-V is their starting point. It had the 10th-highest salary ($96,100) among all certifications in 2017. And if an IT professional continues on to earn the Citrix Certified Professional-Virtualization credential, their average salary increases to over $102,000.

Salaries of Citrix-certified professionals really stand out. They earn roughly $14,000 more than their peers who lack Citrix credentials. If you’re a systems engineer, a Citrix certification can result in a 5 to 8 percent bump in pay.

How to prep for the exam:

 

15. Red Hat® Certified Engineer (RHCE)

RHCE is known for two things: it’s real-world exam and its reputation as the most rigorous and acclaimed Linux certification.

RHCE is for senior Linux administrators seeking to prove their ability to configure networking services and security on servers running Linux.

As for the exam, it measures actual competency on a live system. There are no multiple-choice questions. Instead, candidates are tested on how they perform and carry out tasks.

An RHCSA credential is a prerequisite. If you’re a Linux administrator, this certification is for you. It proves your senior-level expertise and real-world capabilities.

How to prep for the exam:

 

16. COBIT

With virtualization and the cloud moving many components outside of the physical IT department, IT governance has become one of the biggest challenges in the industry. But it pays well. Salaries for governance certifications are the highest both in the U.S. and Canada ($115,521), and worldwide ($92,766).

COBIT, in particular, is a premiere governance certification from ISACA that puts IT professionals in a unique position to align business objectives with IT.

It pairs well with ITIL by focusing on the capability of a process and whether or not it achieves its objective. A COBIT certification validates your knowledge of COBIT’s five basic principles:

  • Meeting stakeholder needs.
  • Covering the enterprise end to end.
  • Applying a single integrated framework.
  • Enabling a holistic approach.
  • Separating governance from management.

How to prep for the exam:

 

17. MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure

MCSE, which stands for Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert, is an expert-level certification that replaced MCSE: Server Infrastructure in March 2017. Understanding how to deploy Windows is critical and this certification prepares for deployment both on-premises and on the cloud.

All Windows Server and Azure exams can be found in this portfolio. It provides expertise in the modern data center, cloud technologies, identity management, systems management, virtualization, storage and networking.

Cloud administrators and architects are paid well too. Professionals certified in MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure have salaries 10 percent above the global norm.

If you hold other Microsoft certifications, this one builds on the foundation of MCSA: Windows 2012, MCSA: Windows 2016, MCSA: Cloud Platform or MCSA: Linux on Azure.

How to prep for the exam:

 

18. Six Sigma

Six Sigma certifications aren’t IT-specific. Six Sigma is a business methodology that uses data and analysis to improve business performance with the goal of eliminating mistakes, waste and rework.

There are three levels: Six Sigma Green Belt, Six Sigma Black Belt and Six Sigma Master Black Belt. All have average salaries ranging between $103,000 and $128,000. Six Sigma-certified professionals are paid well and their value is reflected in improved business performance.

Each candidate is required to have a leadership-approved project prior to certification training. It’s also unique in that there is no standard certification exam. Some organizations can even certify an employee for simply taking a course or completing a project.

How to prep for the exam:

 

Know your goals before selecting your next certification

If you want to drive change, make sure you train with a goal in mind. Don’t just randomly select a certification from this list. Training for the sake of training isn’t enough. Map out your objectives and work toward them.

Just because a certification is popular doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for you. These 18 certifications are tried and true, but do they match your desired career path? Will they help you provide immediate value and drive change in your business?

Also, make sure you understand the value of cross-certification. For instance, Microsoft, CompTIA and ITIL credentials pair well with Cisco certifications. Broadening your expertise across multiple vendors can be a great way to distinguish yourself in the workplace.

According to our IT Skills and Salary Report, nearly 50 percent of respondents say they train specifically to prepare for certification. Ten years ago, that number was 9 percent. The value of certifications are no longer questioned. The only question is which one is right for you?

 

We can help you deliver results

This list is a good place to start, but make sure to peruse our entire certification training portfolio to start mapping out your pathway today.

 

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A certification is more than a gold star. It’s more than a pat on the back or a “job well done.” Obtaining a professional certification is an indication that you’re an expert. It’s proof to employers, peers and even yourself that you speak and think in a specific language. […]