Why are IT Certifications important for your IT Career?

In today's business world, certifications are almost always a must! This is apparent in almost any job posting that you see. Most employers will not consider an applicant if they do not posses a certification, or certifications, that show that the candidate has the required skill set relevant to the job. Certifications allow you to not only advance your skill set, but to make more money!
IT certification from Microsoft, Cisco, Abode and other software and hardware vendors can help you to advance your information technology career. Recruiters, hiring managers and human resource staffing professionals scan the resumes for keywords, or benchmarks to decide if a candidate is qualified for a position. Certification is one of these keywords. Getting IT certified proves that a candidate is committed, both to the process of learning, and to the subject matter they study. Certification not only provides the tools and training required to deliver world-class support to every customer but it also establishes an essential set of credentials. Certifications help to establish the industry benchmarks and best practices to abide by - enabling practitioners to be consistent in the delivery of customer care.
Well, some people think diplomas and degrees can get around in the industry, no matter what degrees you holding, you won't be a match for certified professionals (of course unless your degree is from MIT or well-known universities). Because when you go and apply at an IT firm for work, if you are just showing them degree, they will consider first, but if you have certificates, they are sure that you have the experiences and knowledge for the post that you are applying. When comes to experiences, a certified professional will have much more experiences than a degree or diploma holders.
There are various types of certifications available today in the IT industry but it depend on your choice of you career. One of the most popular and booming career choices is in IT security. With the never ending creation of new intelligent viruses, spam, and hacking, we need to continue to expect growth in this area. Everyone is concerned with protecting their privacy, whether it is on their personal or their business computers. Being protected on a computer is as essential as shredding your information, because all it takes is one virus and the predator could have all your personal information. Just to name a few recognized IT certifications in this field are MCSA: Certified Information Systems security Professional (CISSP), Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP), and Certified Information System Auditor (CISA).
Another IT area you may want to consider consists of Network Design, Network Installation, and Network Security. With companies competing to have the most up to date and reliable network infrastructures, you will find there are a lot of jobs for Network Administrators. Here is a list of different IT certifications available: Microsoft’s MCSA/MCSE, Cisco’s CCNA/CCNP/CCIE, and CompTIA’s Network+. Cisco’s CCIE is known to be one of the hardest and respected certifications in this industry.

Benefits of Certification

Increases performance and productivity

The most important benefit of certification is that the process of certification increases your skills and your knowledge to a great extent and you feel that technical certifications have increased your overall job productivity.

Optimize return on investment and technology features

Another economic factor that certification holders consider is Return on Investment (ROI). ROI from certification is integrally tied to the cost of the certification. According to some recent surveys, for every dollar invested in a certification, the certification holder realizes a $3.2 return in the form of a pay raise.

Keep up with changing technology

Certifications really help to keep you updated with the ever changing technology of computer.

Career development advantages

Despite the IT downturn, and relative job scarcity, certification holders jumped companies after acquiring certifications in their desired fields

Benefits for the Individual

Provides a quantifiable milestone for achievement.
Increases productivity, pride and job satisfaction.
Establishes credibility and verifies mastery in the industry.
Enhances job opportunities within the I.T. industry.

Some other Useful Certificates

Some of the well known and most useful certificates are - 1. MCSE (Microsoft Certified System Engineer) 2. MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer) 3. MCDBA (Microsoft Certified Database Administrator) 4. MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) 5. CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associates) 6. CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional) 7. CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)