Best IT Certifications for Today

The Information Technology field is rapidly growing in terms of people who aspire to have a career in IT. This is a positive sign that individuals are embracing in the IT sector. As the IT field is very wide and offer career prospects, individuals need to be competitive, tech-savvy and own top skills, that makes the demand for IT certification courses. These certifications influence on the salary scale and the difference can be significant. So, the more certified you are the better salary you get. That is why it is crucial to know which certifications have a higher chance of success in the employment field. Below are the best certifications in 2018.

AWS Solution Certification

Amazon Web Services certification is provided by Amazon corporation. It instills the skills to build and deploy services using AWS platform. This certification is popular because, in the time of rapid tech development, most companies are moving their services to the cloud. The AWS controls a big part of the cloud services thus ensuring that AWS certified individuals will always be in demand. With cloud computing being touted as the future of computing, it would be wise for an individual to do AWS certification.

This certification is the best for you to achieve as it makes enormous impacts in the cloud computing arena. However, the professionals are only accredited after passing the SAA-C01 exam. It has 60 multiple choice questions and done at a relative price of $150. As for the income, AWS certified professionals get annually $125,149.

Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)

There are a lot of risks concerned with the implementation of IT infrastructure in a business setup. CRISC aims at instilling trainees with the ability to assess the various risks that are encountered in integrating business with IT. Most companies are moving towards using IT thus there is a higher demand for CRISC certified individuals. CRISC is one of the best certifications available in terms of analyzing risks and their solutions. The average salary of CRISC certified professionals is $131,150.

Microsoft Azure Certification

Cloud computing is a new advancement in IT that is really gaining recognition daily. Most companies are moving towards having their businesses in the “cloud”. This means that there is a huge demand for people who are experts in cloud computing. The Azure certification is a global standard for professionals in the cloud business. It is one of best as it is provided by such giant in IT as Microsoft and the fact that most companies are migrating to the cloud should also be taken into consideration.

Microsoft Azure certification has various courses which include the following:

-Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate(MCSA)

-Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)

-Microsoft Certifies Solutions Developer(MCSD)

According to itcareerfinder.com, the average salary for Microsoft certified individuals ranges from $89,952 to $107,647.

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

Nowadays, you won’t find a company that creates its business without using IT infrastructure.

All the data of clients, customers, owners contained should be secured. Information security failure can cause damage to organizations, customers and can have serious implications. It means that there is a very high demand for individuals to secure these infrastructures. CISM certification proves that a person is well versed in terms of computer security. Having this certification adds value to the candidate as well as to the organization.

Provided by ISACA, the certification aims at individuals who are in the top levels of management. The salary for individuals who have this kind of certification ranges from approximately $ 120,000 to $ 200,000.

Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT)

The way Information Technology assets are managed in an organization can show the difference between the organization turning a profit or a loss. CGEIT involves proving that an individual knows how to advise, manage and or provide assurance services around enterprise IT governance at the top level. Individuals who are CGEIT certified are responsible for informing various firms on how to properly govern their IT infrastructure. The job positions a certified candidate can apply for include Risk Management Officer, Assistant IT Controller, then one can raise up to Security Manager or Senior Information Assurance Manager. The annual income of such specialists is $108,500.

Project Management Professional (PMP®)

In the day to day operations of a company, conducting a project at all stages is an important part of any business plan. Individuals who handle these projects should be real professionals at their workplaces. PMP is a certification that proves an individual to conduct projects till its completion at the high level. PMP certification was created by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Project managers will always be in demand because companies will be embarking on new projects.

Certified Scrum Master

This is another project management certification that has gained its popularity recently. SCRUM used by most people due to its longevity. Scrum Master is an individual who applies agile methodology of the project management. CSM certification is managed by the Scum alliance. Individuals are required to attend the two-day workshop course before sitting for their CSM exam. This certification qualifies an individual to be a project manager or a project group leader. The annual salary for this certification is $111,000 and the responsibilities are also very high.

Certified Ethical Hacker

This is one of the most interesting certifications available in the IT sector specifically in security. CEH entails learning of how to breach systems and using this knowledge to secure them. Its main audience is mainly IT security officers and also auditors. CEH has become popular with the increase cyber attacks. The demand to secure information from the leakage requires individuals who can actively thwart hackers. EC-Council is the certification provider of CEH. The average salary of Ethical hackers is about $ 106,000, though it’s not the top.

Cisco Certified Networking Professional (CCNP) Routing and Switching

Networking has always been a critical part of computing. CCNP R&S focuses on networking and instills the skills required to install, manage and repair networks. This certification by Cisco is popular because most firms have computer networks which should be of top quality. It is required that students have at least a year of experience in networking. The average salary for this certification is $100,000. The job opportunities that CCNP R&S provides include Network Specialist, Network Engineer and Network Analyst.

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

Accountability is a crucial part of business success. Therefore, there is a high need for individuals who ensure that systems applied are accountable and function as they are supposed to work. CISA certification ensures that individuals are well prepared in auditing of Information Systems. This means that both the system and individuals concerned must be accountable for their actions. The job opportunities that CISA certification offers include Surveillance Specialist, Threat Intelligence Officer and Auditor. The annual earnings of certified individuals is $85000 according to infosecinstitute.com.

Conclusion

The field of IT has a lot of certification programs. Which one to choose depends on your skills, experience and goals you set. Moreover, it depends on the field you have passion for. The clear thing is, that in order to succeed in IT, one needs to be certified.