An IT certification/certificate is a confirmation given to an individual or an organization to confirm that they are able to perform and exhibit a certain characteristic.
Most IT certification are acceptable all over the world, like the Comptia A+, CCNA, MSCE and hundreds of them to name but a few. IT certifications are of a great importance to an IT related career personnel and even to other career persons, in that a knowledge in IT will be an added advantage to a person that is not IT career oriented. The demand for IT certified persons are increasing dramatically because of the knowledge, experience and above all the skill which they are able to command.
In Nigeria today, a lot of student just want to get a Bsc. in IT field without giving attention to the advantage to which certificates in there respective field of study will accord them, which is why there is high rate of competition in the job market, because they all have similar credentials with no difference. A certification in your field of study, in IT especially will not only be of an advantage to you, but will distinguish you from others, it makes your resume to stand out, raise your chances of getting your dream job.
I got my first job with an O-level result and a ComptiA A+ certificate, i had no degree, not even a National Diploma in anything. But i got that job because of the experience i had while studying for my ComptiA A+ certificate, of cause i worked a few months and quit so as to further my studies, now i am an undergraduate. The point i am trying to make is that a certificate is like a turbo to your career. In a competitive market, you've got to do everything you can to distinguish yourself from your peers. Certification is an important part of that process. A recent poll asked users why they chose certification. The number one answer-at-51 percent was that certification was a way to position themselves for a promotion or potential job. RICH HEIN
NOTE: IT encompasses a lot of field, you will have to be able to know what area you will want to focus on. Like you have (Web masters, Network Administrators, PC Techies, and so many of them)
There are different types of IT Certification bodies like:
Microsoft
ComptiA
Cisco
CIW
LPI
Red hat
IBM e.t.c
But here in Nigeria the most popular are the likes of Microsoft, Cisco and ComptiA certificates.
I will be highlighting a few certificates which will surely keep you outstanding from your colleagues. While these are just a few out of the numerous IT certification, it is important to know the area of the IT career you will want channel your resources or knowledge, doing these enables you to be focused. You might as well want to research on other certifications if you think none of these are related to what you have in mind.
ComptiA A+
A+ certificate is from the ComptiA group, it is a vendor neutral certificate and mostly considered as an Entry certificate into the IT world.
A ComptiA A+ certificate signifies that a candidate is a qualified PC hardware and Soft ware technician. The latest version of ComptiA is ComptiA+ 2012 edition. Two exams is necessary for these certification: ComptiA A+ 220-801 and ComptiA A+ 220-802.
Technology professionals with solid hardware and support skills are becoming tougher to find. There’s not much glory in digging elbow-deep into a desktop box or troubleshooting Windows boot errors. But those skills are essential to keeping companies running.
Adding CompTIA’s A+ certification to a resume tells hiring managers and department heads that you have proven support expertise and with it you can stand on your own anywhere - In Nigeria or abroad. Whether an organization requires desktop installation, problem diagnosis, preventive maintenance, or computer or network error troubleshooting, many organizations have found A+-certified technicians to be more productive than their non certified counterparts.
MCITP
The new-generation Microsoft Certified IT Professional credential, or MCITP for short, is likely to become the next big Microsoft certification. Available for a variety of fields of expertise—including database developer, database administrator, enterprise messaging administrator, and server administrator—an MCITP validates a professional’s proven job-role capabilities. Candidates must pass several Microsoft exams that track directly to their job role before earning the new designation.
As with Microsoft’s other new-generation accreditation, the MCITP certification will retire when Microsoft suspends mainstream support for the platforms targeted within the MCITP exams. By matching the new certification to popular job roles, as has been done to some extent with CompTIA’s Server+ (server administrator), Project+ (project manager), and A+ (desktop support) certifications, Microsoft has created a new certification that’s certain to prove timely, relevant, and valuable. 85% of organizations in Nigeria deploy Microsoft operating system for their services,much reason why you need to be looking at Microsoft for your certification.
MCTS
The new-generation Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) helps IT entrepreneurs and staff validate skills in installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting a specific Microsoft technology. The MCTS certifications are designed to communicate the skills and expertise a holder possesses on a specific platform.
For example, candidates won’t earn an MCTS on SQL Server 2008. Instead, they'll earn an MCTS covering SQL Server business intelligence (MCTS: SQL Server 2008 Business Intelligence), database creation (MCTS: SQL Server 2008, Database Development), or SQL server administration (MCTS: SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance).
These new certifications require passing multiple, tightly targeted exams that focus on specific responsibilities on specific platforms. MCTS designations will expire when Microsoft suspends mainstream support for the corresponding platform. These changes, as with other new-generation Microsoft certifications, add value to the accreditation.
CCNA
The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) accreditation captures most of the networking company’s certification glory. But the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) might prove more realistic within many organizations.
In a world in which Microsoft and Linux administrators are also often expected to be networking experts, many companies don’t have the budgets necessary to train (or employ) a CCIE. But even small and midsize corporations can benefit from having their technology professionals earn basic proficiency administering Cisco equipment, as demonstrated by earning a CCNA accreditation.
As smaller companies become increasingly dependent upon remote access technologies, basic Cisco systems skills are bound to become more important. Although many smaller organizations will never have the complexity or workload necessary to keep a CCIE busy, Cisco’s CCNA is a strong accreditation for technology professionals with a few years’ experience seeking to grow and improve their networking skills.
Security+
Security continues to be a critical topic especially in growing IT economies like Nigeria. That’s not going to change. In fact, its importance is only going to grow. One of the quickest ways to lose shareholder value, client confidence, and sales is to suffer a data breach. And no self-respecting technology professional wants to be responsible for such a breach.CompTIA’s Security+ accreditation provides a respected, vendor-neutral foundation for industry staff (with at least two years of experience) seeking to demonstrate proficiency with security fundamentals. While the Security+ accreditation consists of just a single exam, it could be argued that any IT employee charged with managing client data or other sensitive information should, at a minimum, possess this accreditation. The importance of ensuring staff are properly educated as to systems security, network infrastructure, access control, auditing, and organizational security principles is simply too important to take for granted.
PMP
Some accreditation's gain value by targeting specific skills and expertise. The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a great example.
The Project Management Institute (PMI), a nonprofit organization that serves as a leading membership association for project management practitioners, maintains the PMP exam. The certification measures a candidate’s project management expertise by validating skills and knowledge required to plan, execute, budget, and lead a technology project. Eligible candidates must have five years of project management experience or three years of project management experience and 35 hours of related education.
As organizations battle tough economic conditions, having proven project scheduling, budgeting, and management skills will only grow in importance. The PMI’s PMP credential is a perfect conduit for demonstrating that expertise on a resume.
MCPD
There’s more to information technology than just administration, support, and networking. Someone must create and maintain the applications and programs that power organizations. That’s where the new-generation Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) credential comes into play.
The MCPD accreditation measures a developer’s ability to build and maintain software solutions using Visual Studio 2008 and Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5. Split into three certification paths (Windows Developer 3.5, ASP.NET Developer 3.5, and Enterprise Applications Developer 3.5), the credential targets IT professionals tasked with designing, optimizing, and operating those Microsoft technologies to fulfill business needs.
A redesigned certification aimed at better-measuring real-world skills and expertise, the MCPD will prove important for developers and programmers. Besides requiring candidates to pass several exams, the MCPD certification will retire when Microsoft suspends mainstream support for the corresponding platform. The change is designed to ensure the MCPD certification remains relevant, which is certain to further increase its value.
Reference: www.techrepublic.com
Reference: Oludotun Babayemi
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