Dream About Career in IT? Top Certifications to Start With

There is no doubt that Information Technology is among most desirable careers today. Having the desire is not enough. You need to obtain several certifications to launch your career in technology. With these, you will land employment opportunities fast and rise steadily in the career ladder.

IT is an exciting, challenging and highly rewarding career. People perceive you as the geek that solves their internet, computers and IT problems. We checked nearly half a million job postings in IT’s entry level. The following are the 5 leading certifications that employers specified from prospective employees. Go for these to launch a successful career.

    Comp TIA A+ Technician

    Network +

    Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

    Certified Information Systems Security Personnel (CISSP)

    Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)

Certifications are important in introducing you to the world of technology. You need to gather the right skills, expertise and knowledge to install, connect, troubleshoot, maintain and repair IT hardware and software. Add a certification in your C.V and effectively increase your worth in the eyes of employers.

CompTIA A+ Technician

This is an entry level certification in information technology. You will learn how to install, maintain and operate ordinary technological equipment. Examples are computers, network hardware, printers and mobile devices among others. These are things that you already know how to use, so certification should take you a very short time.

In most cases, you only need to sit and pass two examinations to be certified. One of the exams is a simple multiple-choice test that the ordinary high school student should pass. The other exam is a practical test. An examiner takes you through a series of tasks that you must practically accomplish. These range from installation, troubleshooting and maintaining IT hardware.

Our research shows that there are more than 7,500 current jobs in need of people with this certification. You will need to pay an exam fee of approximately $200 to sit the exam. Once certified, you will be referred to as a help desk technician, desktop support technician or in-home support specialist.

Network +

So you want to be a network engineer or connection geek? Discover the Network + certification that justifies your ability to create, manage, troubleshoot and maintain internet and computer networks. While it may sound basic, this is a globally respected certification that can help you work from anywhere across the world.

The exam tests your knowledge of common network protocols. In just 90 minutes, you are expected to configure wired and wireless computers and mobile devices. Your supervisor might intentionally switch off connections and ask you to troubleshoot them. Prepare to part with nearly $300 for this examination and certification.

If you pass, you could fill one of the 4,700 current job listings that require your services. Some titles that come with the certification are information technology specialist, networks administrator and information systems technician among others.

Prepare for this exam by gathering working knowledge of leading network devices, equipment, bandwidths and software. It pays to seek solution to problems. For this reason, you could start with a professional internship at a typical office or workplace that employs network connectivity.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

The Cisco Certified Network Associate is a basic certification. It confirms your knowledge of everyday network switches and routers. Prepare for the test by arming yourself with practical installation, operation, configuration, troubleshooting and solving common connectivity challenges.

Ensure you are able to use modern tools to detect and solve voice, security and wireless problems. The exam itself is a 90-minute test. You will need to answer at least 50 questions on computer networking.

Once you have been certified, your colleagues will then call you a network engineer, systems admin or network admin. You will need to pay nearly $300 for this certification. Currently, there are 5,500 jobs that need CCNA professionals. So hurry up and obtain this certification and launch your IT career fast.

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)

Are you prepared to create solutions for challenges to information systems? Obtain this certification and establish your career as a systems admin, systems engineer or systems technician. Our research findings indicate that more than 1,500 current job listings need people with this certification.

Ensure that you have the basic skills before attempting this mid-level certification. You will need to show expertise in server infrastructure, computer intelligence, communication/messaging, private cloud, data platform and enterprise apps/devices.

Choose a particular specialization and then go for the relevant certification. In general, it requires both theoretical and practical applications to problem solving. An average examination and certification fee of $150 applies almost universally. More than 1500 entry level job vacancies currently list this certification as a requirement.

Certified Information Systems Security Personnel (CISSP)

Organizations around the world need to keep information secure. Examples are hospitals, banks, educational institutions and corporate companies among others. As this information is stored in computers and on the internet, it is vulnerable to attacks, theft and compromise. This is where the skills of a certified information systems security personnel come in.

Just as the name suggests, you will be responsible for installing and maintaining competency and security of all data. The certification equips you with solid managerial as well as technical ability. The exam consists of more than 250 questions and take approximately 6 hours. You might have to pay around $600 to be certified.

The 250 questions test your ability in asset security, identity management, security operations, engineering, network security, software development security and testing and assessment among other topics. It is one of the advanced certifications, it accounts for more than 4,400 job listings currently in the market.

Conclusion

The information technology field is very wide. Your ability to launch your career successfully may depend on your proficiency in more than two concentrations. Obtain basic and mid-level certifications and then hit the job market.

Once you have established yourself, you can study and qualify for more certifications. Most of these specializations pay well. You can find a job at a top organization or IT firm. With years of experience, you could set up your own business and solve IT challenges for numerous organizations.