IT certifications - The first step in your new career

By Paul Hill


The Information Technology industry can be an extremely tough area to get in to. Many of the high paid jobs in this particular field need advanced technical understanding and more importantly, consistent experience with the enormous assortment of Hardware and Software along with their implementation within a live production network.

The amount of working experience needed to propel your I.T career forward may be a hard thing to come by and will definitely demand effort and determination over a long period of time. Each and every I.T specialist will tell you that the studying never halts and I.T is a continuous which will keep you aligned to most recent technological developments.

So how do you acquire working experience on I.T systems? And exactly how do you prove to your management that you'll be competent at managing multi-million pound computer networks as well as I.T infrastructures where availability is the difference between profit and loss? The answer for the majority of novices to the I.T community will come in the form of I.T certifications and for the remainder of this short article I'll be centering on the advantages of going after vendor specific I.T Certifications.

I am a self-employed I.T contractor and have worked within the I.T industry for nearly A decade; during this time period I have studied and passed several I.T exams from vendors including Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA and (ISC) . I.T is my sincere belief that obtaining these qualifications has hastened my career development and permitted me to work in a larger market. Now I am not saying that all you have to do is complete a test and you will get your perfect job because you almost certainly will not; I.T will take time and planning to build a prosperous career in I.T and getting certified is an excellent start. Directly below is my top 4 reasons on why it is beneficial to gain recognised I.T certifications.

1. Company Policy - Many major firms (the kind that you need to be looking to work for) have got set in stone regulations that all of their I.T employees will need to have base certifications in order to begin employment. If you don't fulfill these requirements then you will not even be selected for interview.

2. Product Exposure - Recognised certifications are based around day to day management or use of the products they govern. Carrying a certification in that industry instantly shows your future employer that you are product aware and capable. Admittedly it does not show your practical experience but it does provide proof of some product exposure.

3. Skill set Identification - Many I.T certification tracks range between entry level right through to expert. The level of certification you possess clearly identifies your technical understanding and comprehension. The levels of your certifications will also be a significant component on determining your job role, responsibilities and salary. It is also worth mentioning at this time that competition for jobs is as high as I have ever seen. That one accreditation maybe all it takes to set you aside from the rest of the competing job seekers.

4. Bonus Incentives - Many companies operate a system whereby successful completion of certifications will entitle you to some kind of reward, be it financial or otherwise.

While I cannot stress the value of I.T certifications enough, it is your own experience that will ultimately get you the job. In my opinion, working experience beats paper certifications every time. But if you are new to the industry and have little real life experience, certifications are your only option. The best piece of advice you can possibly get is to start small. Time and time again you hear of overqualified applicants with little or no real world experience. Obtain certifications to suit your degree of experience .




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