
Which of these top IT certifications will help you upskill in your career?
IT certifications are an excellent way to boost your career and climb the ladder as they prepare you for a range of jobs within your expertise and skillset.
Certifications also help you demonstrate to prospective employers that you have the dedication and expertise in a particular IT niche, making you a valuable asset to their organisation.
Job competition in IT fields is high, so getting certified gives you an edge over the competition and helps you stand out among the pack when sending in a job application.
During the process of getting certified, you also improve your skills so that you can be a more efficient and productive employee.
With technology moving so rapidly, IT certifications are also a beneficial way to upskill or reskill in a particular area so that you don’t get left behind in the digital age.
Once you know you want to get a certification, the next step is deciding which certification is right for you. You don’t want to invest money and time into a certification that will not pay off in the end, so make sure you’re choosing the right one for your career goals.
Here are four of the most popular IT certifications to consider:
Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
Offered through the Scrum Alliance, this certification verifies that you understand and can implement the Agile Scrum methodology effectively.
Scrum is an agile framework for developing, delivering, and sustaining complex products, with an initial emphasis on software development. It has also been used in other fields including research, sales, marketing and advanced technologies.
According to Indeed, “This certification is ideal for project managers, Scrum masters, product developers, program managers and project leads. In addition to the certification, the CSM will also provide you with a two-year membership with the Scrum Alliance.”
You must first complete a Certified Scrum Master workshop course to get this certification. Once you have obtained the certification, you will need to complete 40 Scrum Education Units every two years to maintain it.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
According to Indeed, the AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification “demonstrates a person’s ability to create and use scalable systems on AWS”.
This certification is suitable for those who have at least a year’s experience as a solutions architect designing and implementing effective scalable AWS systems.
Your abilities to effectively demonstrate knowledge of how to architect and deploy secure and robust applications on AWS technologies, define a solution using architectural design principles based on customer requirements, and provide implementation guidance based on best practices to the organization throughout the life cycle of the project will be validated by this certification.
To prepare for the examination to get certified, you can join a free virtual exam readiness webinar as well as enrol in an AWS Certification course.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
With so many companies working remotely these days, cybersecurity is becoming of utmost importance to organisations.
If you’re working as a cybersecurity or information security professional, you can become a Certified Ethical Hacker, offered through the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants, to validate your ability to find and fix any vulnerabilities in applications and implement anti-hacker initiatives.
According to Indeed, this certification is ideal for administrators, security officers and security auditor, and it is recommended to brush up on general security knowledge, tools and programs used to implement information security and regulation and policy to prepare for the exam.
Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
Offered through ISACA, this certification demonstrates your knowledge and skills regarding risk management and the development and implementation of information systems controls, and is a good choice for IT professionals in nearly every industry.
You will gain expertise in IT risk identification, IT risk assessment, Risk response and mitigation, and risk and control monitoring and reporting.
After passing the CRISC exam, you will need to have relevant full-time work experience in the CRISC Job Practice Areas and submit the CRISC Certification Application including Application Processing Fee to get the certification.
Taking an online course will help you prepare for the exam with on-demand and instructor coaching, practice exams, case study activities, and more.