IT certifications - see the most valued in the market!
It is a fact that all IT professionals need, more than any area, to stay up to date. The best way to keep up to date knowledge is through the most recent IT certifications available on the market.
It is essential to understand which IT certifications are most valued and in demand in the market in order to achieve better positions and remuneration at work.
After all, professionals with weighty documents in their resumes tend to get incredible opportunities and earn more than their co-workers.
In addition, all the knowledge acquired and proven through certifications becomes a differential to improve the critical, creative and specialized perspective on the career.
So, if you want to know the main IT certifications and understand how to choose the one that best suits your area of activity, continue reading this article, with tips and updated details about the market. Follow up!
What to consider when choosing a professional IT certification?
Photo: Pexels | Choose the IT certifications that are right for you. Before choosing which professional IT certification to undertake, it is necessary to consider points such as:
- international recognition;
- current market scenario and existing “gaps”;
- advantages and benefits of taking it in the short, medium and long term;
- reputation of the test;
- validity of the test;
- amount of investment;
- locations held (whether online or in person) and others;
After all, a certification that requires a high investment value, for example, does not guarantee its quality and status in the market.
Likewise, it’s not enough to choose the most famous exam in the IT area if it doesn’t directly influence your work or future goals.
For this reason, much more than knowing the available certifications, it is essential to stay focused and select those that correspond to your work model and career plan.
Also, when analyzing the labor market scenario, it is necessary to verify which certifications are being required by IT companies and which would become a differential, adding value to your profession.
Beginners and recent graduates, for example, need to “pursue” basic certifications, which all other professional colleagues already have, and only then seek differentiation.
Otherwise, there will be a risk of losing great opportunities due to the lack of documents certifying your skills, which the competitors already present.
The same is true with the most experienced managers and workers - in this case, it is necessary to reinvent and remain modernized, seeking to add value to the companies that pass by and obtain evidence of their expertise.
Top IT professional certifications
Photo: Pexels | The IT market is very broad and there are many certifications. Although there are many certifications for the IT area, there are always those that stand out and deserve more attention and interest.
After all, just like any other area, there are everything from the most well-known and important tests to the most basic and expendable tests.
Knowing well which one will make a real difference in your career before deciding where to invest your money and time is something that not every professional does - and the result is not always positive.
ITIL
To understand what ITIL Certification is, it is necessary to understand the meaning of the term.
From English, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), can be interpreted as an Information Technology Infrastructure Library.
This is one of the topics that you need to pay attention to if you are interested in more operational, managerial, and tactical professions, since it optimizes performance for companies.
With the application of the ITIL library model, organizations, regardless of their size and market time, can deliver better results and quality to the end customer.
With this in mind, know that the ITIL Certification:
- It is well managerial in nature and IT leaders and managers may be more interested than other professionals;
- having it can help members of the IT team to be more productive, optimize time, resources, and make the end customer happier;
- it is required by some companies; investment is generally higher, given the reputation and requirement of certification by the market. The price of the test is $226 USD (two hundred and twenty-six dollars) if taken online, or $205 USD (two hundred and five dollars) if you choose the in-person application.
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Although it is not 100% aimed at the IT area, as its name suggests, this exam is more focused on project management, which also relates to the technology sector.
It is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) to professionals who already work in the area and have advanced knowledge.
In addition to knowledge about management, it is necessary to know the main stages of creating, developing and completing a project, which are divided into 5 levels.
There are also prerequisites for taking the exam, which excludes many unprepared professionals. For professionals who work without a higher education degree, the requirements are:
- 7,500 hours leading projects;
- 35 hours of project management education.
For those with a higher education degree, it is required that:
- The diploma consists of 4 years of study;
- professionals have 4 thousand and 500 hours leading and directing projects;
- and have 35 hours of education in project management.
Regarding the investment amount, the PMP costs around $405 USD (four hundred and five dollars) for members of the PMI and $555 USD (five hundred and fifty-five dollars) for the public.
CompTIA
The company Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) offers internationally recognized certifications focused on the areas of core, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and additional personal and professional personnel.
Among all the certifications offered by the company, the main, most sought after, are A+ Core and Security +, as you can see below.
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A+ Core
The purpose of this certification is to verify that IT professionals are able to solve problems quickly and effectively.
The company characterizes the credential as “the only one with performance-based items to prove that professionals can think quickly to perform critical IT support tasks”.
To obtain this document, candidates must pass the Core 1 (220-1001) and Core 2 (220-1002) exams.
In them, the contents covered, according to the official website, are:
- know how to configure device operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, Android and iOS;
- understand how to manage cloud systems;
- solve problems and solve IT support challenges;
- provide support and maintenance of basic IT and network infrastructure;
- configure PC hardware, mobile devices, and IoT;
- and understand how to recover data and make effective backups.
In all, going through these levels of knowledge, according to the company, there are 9 validated competencies recognized by large companies.
The test fee is $232 USD, with 90 multiple-choice questions. The test is distributed by Pearson VUE.
Security +
This second certification model is highly recognized by security companies in the market and guarantees that the professional performing it is prepared to deal with the security of the systems.
This exam is considered basic and required by many companies.
With it, the candidate can achieve higher levels of security projects and, later, other intermediate and advanced certifications.
According to the official website, the candidate is expected to have:
- conditions and knowledge to assess business security standards;
- identify flaws, vulnerabilities, attacks and implement solutions;
- ensure the monitoring and protection of cloud systems and other modalities;
- positive responses to security incidents that arise.
The test lasts 90 minutes, is provided by Pearson VUE and costs around $370 USD.
AWS Certified Developer
Before going into details about the AWS Certified Developer - Associate exam, it’s important to know that AWS is refers to Amazon Web Services, Amazon’s cloud storage platform.
Thus, the test validates all the candidate’s knowledge about maintaining and managing data on the cloud platform.
A recommendation from the company is that candidates have:
- at least one year of experience using AWS;
- advanced knowledge in a programming language;
- understanding the aspects and characteristics of AWS;
- mastery of creating and debugging code on AWS.
The test costs $150 USD (one hundred and fifty dollars) and is also distributed by Pearson VUE and PSI. It is interesting that the company itself offers training and simulations for the tests.
LPI
Linux Professional Institute (LPI) is the pioneering institution in professionalizing the use of Linux by guaranteeing outstanding certifications, according to levels of knowledge in open source.
The company offers several certifications, including 3 main ones: LPIC-1, LPIC-2 and LPIC-3, corresponding to 3 different levels.
LPIC-1
Also called Linux Server Professional (Level 1), this is the most requested certification when it comes to Linux.
Internationally renowned and with neutral distribution, the issues are based on standard Linux systems.
To obtain this document that certifies your ability and competence when dealing with Linux systems, it is necessary to take two exams: LPI 101 and LPI 102.
The tests cover related topics, such as:
- System Architecture;
- Linux Installation and Package Management;
- GNU and Unix Commands;
- Devices, Linux File Systems, Filesystem Hierarchy Standard;
- Shell Shells and Scripts;
- User Interfaces and Workspaces;
- Administrative Tasks;
- Essential System Services;
- Network Fundamentals;
- Security.
LPIC-2
Following the same standard as the LPIC-1, Linux Network Professional (Level II), or LPIC-2**, has 2 tests: LPI 201 and LPI 202**.
To perform it, professionals must have the previous certification active, in addition to the ability to manage small, mixed and medium-sized networks.
According to the official website, this certification covers the following topics:
- Capacity Planning;
- Linux Kernel;
- System Initialization
- ; File System and Devices;
- Advanced Storage Device Administration;
- Network Configuration;
- System Maintenance;
- Domain Name Server;
- Web Services;
- File Sharing;
- Network Client Management;
- E-mail Services;
- System Security.
With so many different subjects, it is necessary to prepare well, seek information from reliable sources, and choose courses and books that help.
LPIC-3
As in the case of the previous certification, in order to be able to complete the LPIC-3, the candidate must have the LPIC-2 active.
Level 3 of the certification works a little differently from the others. Because it is a more advanced level, the LPIC-3 is divided into 3 modalities:
- LPIC-3 300: Mixed Environment;
- LPIC-3 303: Security;
- LPIC-3 304: Virtualization and High Availability.
Each of them encompasses different knowledge - which is good for professionals, who can choose the IT certification that best suits their conditions and aspects of operation.
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PDPE
EXIN Privacy & Data Protection Essentials, better known as PDPE, relates to the Personal Data Protection Act and aims to ensure that professionals understand and know how to implement data security laws in companies.
The test is also suitable for those who hold or wish to occupy a position of Data Protection Officer (DPO) in organizations.
The investment is around $164 USD and the proof is only available in English. It is possible to schedule it through the official website of the company EXIN.
CRISC
The Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control certification, better known as CRISC, offered by ISACA, is ideal for professionals who work with information security.
As its name suggests, the test aims to emphasize the risks existing in the system and their possible solutions. With the rapid identification and mitigation of risks, it is possible to optimize time, resources and increase return on investment.
However, in order for candidates to qualify for the test, they must have at least 3 years of experience managing and containing risks in systems.
The investment is between $575 and $760 USD, as there is the possibility of taking the test in person or remotely.
CISM
Another IT certification offered by ISACA is the Certified Information Security Manager, commonly referred to as CISM.
Similar to the previous one, this assessment validates all knowledge related to information security and risk management of a professional.
The exam is also available remotely or in person, with an investment between $575 and $760 USD.
Conclusion
Photo: Pexels | The best IT certifications are those that meet your needs! It is possible to do more than one certification at the “same time”, that is, over a short period, if you have time, resources, and energy available. Set study goals and levels that you want to achieve and carry out the evaluations!
You will notice that more and more opportunities will arise in your career, along with promotions, salary increases, and appreciation.
In short, it’s worth investing in the right IT certifications that truly meet or satisfy your current needs and desires for growth.
And you? Have you taken any of these competency tests? Which ones caught your attention the most? Share it with us in the comments below! We would be happy to hear about your experiences.