Today, IT has become a way of life, from checking a simple e-mail to working in a room full of servers, computers, and Information Technology has changed the way we conduct our day-to-day work to more complex nature and it is not stopping there. IT is in a state of constant flux with new emerging technologies like cloud, analytics, mobile and social media. According to IDC’s report, it says that cloud software services are to grow and surpass $112.8 billion by 2019. And in 2016 the IT budgets will be impacted by the transition from on-premise to cloud solutions for enterprises across the globe.
In this regard, IT certifications are of immense importance to differentiate job seekers who are equally qualified. Certifications help you to stand out from the crowd from your uncertified counterparts. But professionals face dilemmas when choosing which IT certification to go for. Get to know the top 10 IT certifications for 2016 and beyond.
1. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)®:
CRISC certification offered by ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) is specifically designed for IT professionals and project managers whose job roles are to manage risks from the beginning through design and till the end of the maintenance of the system.
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Target Audience:
Audit Managers, Security Directors, IT Managers, IT Consultants, Chief Information Officer, Compliance Officer, IT Project Manager, IT Architect, and IT Resources Manager
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Pre-requisites:
A participant should have at least 3 years of experience in a minimum of three areas that the exam covers.
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Salary:
Professionals who have CRISC certified on average earn up to ~USD 120,000 in a year.
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2. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)®:
CISM certification again offered by ISACA is towards management than an individual IT professional. The CISM certification focuses more on IT security strategy to assess systems and policies in place.
There are only 24,000 people who have been certified in CISM certification and is one of the most sought after certifications in IT security around the globe. With huge demand, there are very less professionals who are CISM certified. With CISM certification exam taking place only thrice in a year, it makes it all the more difficult to clear the exam.
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Target Audience:
Chief Information Officer, Security Officer, IT project manager, Compliance Officer, IT Architect, and IT Resources Manager.
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Pre-requisites:
Participants should at least have a minimum of five years of work experience in the field of information security, out of which at least three years in the job role of information security manager; additional CISM training / ongoing education is required.
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Salary:
Professionals who are CISM certified on average earn up to ~USD 118,000 in a year.
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3. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)®:
CISSP certification is offered by International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2 and is a vendor-neutral certification. The CISSP certification course mainly focuses on 10 different areas of computer security which includes: risk analysis; security while developing applications; mobile; cryptography; cloud computing; physical security; business continuity and recovery planning; and legal and compliance issues.
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Target Audience:
Security Consultant, Security Manager, IT Director/Manager, Security Auditor, Security Architect, Security Analyst, Security Systems Engineer, Chief Information Security Officer, Director of Security, Network Architect.
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Pre-requisites:
Participants should have direct five years of full-time security experience in two or more domains of 8 domains suggested by the (ISC)2.
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Salary:
Professionals who are CISSP certified on average earn up to ~USD 110,000 in a year.
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4. Project Management Professional (PMP)®:
Though PMP is not specifically for IT professionals, but irrespective of their domains, having PMP certification helps you to achieve bigger and better things both personally and professionally. The PMP certification offered by the PMI® is one of the most widely-recognized project management certifications which covers five core areas of the project lifecycle initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.
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Target Audience:
Experienced project managers across industry verticals who are looking to solidify their skills, stand out from the crowd, and looking maximizing their earning potential can take up the PMP certification course.
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Pre-requisites:
Participants need 35 hours of PMP training with 7500 hours of project management experience (with less than a bachelor’s degree) or 4500 hours of project management experience (with a bachelor’s degree or higher).
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Salary:
Professionals who are PMP certified on average earn up to ~USD 109,000 in a year.
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5. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)®:
CISA is another certification offered by ISACA and this one is purely for IS auditors. CISA certification is one of the oldest certifications from the stable of ISACA, dating back to 1978 when nearly 106,000 professionals have been certified. CISA-certified professionals’ job role includes auditing, monitoring, controlling, and assessing IT / business systems. The main objective of obtaining CISA certification is to test an individual’s ability to manage vulnerabilities, propose control procedures, ensure compliance with processes, and update organizational policies that comply with accepted IT and business standards.
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Target Audience:
Chief Information Officer, IT Security Officer, Compliance Officer, IT Auditors, and IT Project Manager.
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Pre-requisites:
Participants should have a minimum of five years of experience in IS auditing, security, and control. The exam is held only three times a year.
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Salary:
Professionals who are CISA certified on average earn up to ~USD 106,000 in a year.
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6. Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)®:
One more project management-related certification makes its entry into this list. It may seem odd but IT departments are extensively using scrum concepts for their projects across the globe. Scrum in software refers to clients’ constant change requests throughout the project lifecycle which forces the project team to change the project and its features midway and fix the problem as a team where the scrum master protects the project team from outside influences and acts as a buffer.
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Target Audience:
Developers, Analysts, Testers, Designers, Project Managers, Product Managers Etc.
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Pre-requisites:
There are no pre-requisites to take up the Certified ScrumMaster certification
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Salary:
Professionals who are CSM certified on average earn up to ~USD 101,000 in a year.
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7. Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA)®:
Cisco’s CCDA certification is for network design engineers, technicians, and support technicians. The certification demonstrates your understanding of networks and their design, routing and switching, voice and video, security, wireless connectivity, and IPv4 and IPv6. The certified professionals often work as part of a team with members who have higher-level Cisco certifications.
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Target Audience:
The Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) credential is aimed at those wishing to advance their careers as network design professionals.
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Pre-requisites:
A valid CCENT or a valid CCNA Routing and Switching or any CCIE certification can act as a prerequisite.
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Salary:
Professionals who are CCDA certified on an average earn up to ~USD 100,000 in a year.
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8. Citrix Certified Professional – Virtualization (CCP-V)®:
The CCP-V certification is provided by Citrix, which replaces Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer (CCEE) certification as it was retired in November 2014. The CCP-V certification demonstrates that a professional can deploy applications and virtual desktops using various Citrix technologies such as XenDesktop 7, XenServer, and NetScaler.
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Target Audience:
Desktop Virtualization Engineers, Desktop Virtualization Consultants, Citrix Engineers, System Administrators Etc.
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Pre-requisites:
Participants should have a minimum of six months of hands-on experience with XenDesktop 7.6. A formal Citrix training course is recommended before taking up the certification exam.
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Salary:
Professionals who have CCP-V certified on average earn up to ~USD 98,000 in a year.
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9. Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Routing and Switching:
The CCNP Routing and Switching certification is a follow-on to CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) Routing and Switching certification and is a pre-requisite to CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) Routing and Switching. In fact, many CCNA-level engineers demonstrate a greater understanding of networking and expand their career scope to a great degree.
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Target Audience:
Network Specialists, Network Support Engineers, Network Administrators, Systems Engineers Etc.
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Pre-requisites:
Participants should have a minimum of 1-3 years of work experience and a valid CCNA credential is required.
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Salary:
Professionals who are CCNP certified on an average earn up to ~USD 97,000 in a year.
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10. ITIL v3 Foundation:
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)® has established itself as a de facto industry standard for IT services across the globe for more than two decades and it is still going strong. The set of best practices created in the 1980s to standardize ITSM Certification Courses, ITIL has five core books and its standards are owned by AXELOS.
ITIL Foundation is an entry-level certification that gives you a broad-based knowledge of the IT lifecycle, concepts, and terminologies. IT gives you a platform where you can communicate on the same level of IT language used by the senior management. ITIL has four different levels of certifications and if you wish to achieve any higher level of certifications such as ITIL Intermediate modules, ITIL Expert, and ITIL Master, you have to first get certified in ITIL Foundation certification.
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Target Audience:
IT professionals, Business managers, Business process owners, CTOs, CIOs, Managers, Team leaders, Service designers, Supervisory staff, IT architects, IT planners, IT security managers, IT consultants, IT audit managers, and ITSM trainers.
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Pre-requisites:
There are no pre-requisites to take up the ITIL 4 Foundation Training Course.
- Salary:
Professionals with ITIL certifications on average earn up to ~USD 97,000 in a year.
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Certifications have gathered way more prominence in today’s competitive work environment. Employees are being left behind who do not have the requisite experience and relevant certifications. So, if you are looking to improve your skills, then consider one or more certifications in your preferred domain to take your career to the next level.
