Professional certifications are a great way to get the right skills to advance your career.
Whether you are a fresh graduate looking to secure your first job, an experienced professional looking to change careers, or move up in the same career, you must try and add professional certifications to your credentials.
These short courses are a great way to ensure that you are always at the top of your game, without having to commit to a much longer degree. However, you need to pick your course carefully. Certifications that are not in demand will be a waste of time and money.
Below, we will discuss some of the most in demand certifications for the year 2018. Undertaking any one of these will surely help you excel in your chosen career path.
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Contrary to common belief, this professional certification isn’t beneficial only for MBA or business graduates. Learning how to manage projects professionally, or to navigate in the professional world is something that everyone needs regardless of their chosen field. This is why Project Management Professional has been a popular choice for both employers and job seekers in the past, and will probably remain popular for many years to come. You will need some professional experience to pursue this certification. Or you can consider more beginner level certifications like CAPM.
Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
Risk management is a huge requirement for businesses of all types and sizes. Therefore, positions like information security analyst, security engineer etc is becoming quite common in many companies.
A professional with this certification is considered capable of identifying business risks and protecting IT and other information systems for the businesses. It allows you to confidently pursue and secure any variant of the positions mentioned. The high demand for this certification makes it one of the most highly-rewarding certifications available.
Information Systems Security Professional (ISSP)
Information system security jobs are some of the highest paid jobs at the moment. And why not? Cyber security and protection of the information is the top priority of all businesses.
Therefore, a professional certification in Information Systems Security gives you the edge you need to secure your dream job managing and protecting the company’s sensitive information.
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
Microsoft offers five different expert-level professional certifications. These include Cloud Platform and Infrastructure, Business Applications, Productivity, Data Management and Analytics, and Mobility.
This helps create professionals who are specialists in one of the five disciplines. You can choose a certification or path with your specific goals in mind. Each of these professional certifications validates certificate holder’s ability to manage and operate effectively in a business and IT culture.
ITIL
ITIL is the most common frameworks being used for managing the IT needs of many enterprises. ITIL certification allows you to modify your IT skills to suit the needs of these companies. There are multiple ITIL professional certifications including the entry level ITIL Foundation certification and more advanced options for experienced professionals.
CompTIA A+
All of the abovementioned certifications are mostly for professionals with existing knowledge or experience in the field. If you are a beginner, you can go for a vendor neutral certification like CompTIA.
For example, CompTIA A+ is an entry level certification that equips you with all the necessary skills and tools you need to venture into the IT industry. It is a great way to let any potential employers know that you are capable of handling maintenance and troubleshooting needs of their computing systems. These systems can range from computers to mobile devices as well as operating systems etc.
Some of these certifications or training programs can also be pursued online through e-learning courses. Alternately, there are a number of institutes that offer these professional certifications in a more traditional classroom environment.
