To know the certifications and their corresponding levels that will push you forward in your career path, you will have to learn to navigate with our IT certifications roadmap. Apart from advancing your technical skills, IT certifications open the way for higher salaries and secure job opportunities. Technical recruiters will see these certifications as an investment.
Learn about the 10 best certifications to look forward to in 2024:
IT Certification Paths
Before starting, bear in mind that it is not at all necessary to get all certifications from the same institute. You can opt for certifications depending on what skills you are specifically looking to master and where you want your career to go.
This article is merely meant to serve as a guide to help one be aware of some of the certifications that are available in various domains across the IT industry. There may also be other unlisted certifications that you may find that fit your requirements.
- Foundational certifications: Certifications that are listed as foundational are the ones that are entry-level or for early career professionals.
- Professional certifications: Professional certifications are designed for experienced people who want to move into the next stage of their careers.
- Advanced certifications: Advanced certifications are there to hone high-level skills or mastery of the field or specializations.
Top IT Certification Roadmap in 2024
Based on industry and market knowledge and insights, we have compiled a list of the top IT certifications and their roadmap.
CompTIA Certifications
Cyber security is one of the most in-demand fields in IT. Vendor-neutral organizations like CompTIA offer certifications in this field that can be utilized in different operating systems. Needless to say, one of the best ways to start on the IT certifications roadmap begins with CompTIA A+, which is a foundational certification.
Entry-level candidates who are looking to start out in IT should definitely give this certification a try if they are interested to learn cyber security. A CompTIA A+ certification validates skills in hardware, troubleshooting, operating systems, cloud computing, mobile networking, and security.
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Some CompTIA certifications that are available are listed below according to their levels:
GIAC Certifications
Cyber Security has become extremely sophisticated and is armed to prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities that are very specific. This means that general certifications no longer suffice and professionals are required to specialize in various areas of Cyber Security to be able to fight against them. With the advent of cloud computing, it has become even more necessary for Cyber Security to be tight and in place.
The GIAC offers over 30 Cyber Security certifications. The certifications are very specialized and focus on specific areas ad skills. The certifications will arm you with distinct knowledge and skills so that you can employ them in real-life industry settings with ease.
IBM Certified Database Associate Certifications
Data professionals can have different job profiles like database developers, database administrators, data warehousing specialists, database engineers, or similar roles depending on the database technology. The IBM Certified Database Associate certification is an entry-level exam for a user of any of the DB2 for z/OS family of products.
Database Associates are expected to have detailed and in-depth knowledge of the basic to intermediate tasks that are day-to-day administration, such as basic SQL (Structured Query Language), creation of databases and database objects, database security, transaction isolation, etc.
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Certifications
The Oracle Cloud Infrastructure certifications are there to get you acquainted with the basics and prepare you for more advanced roles in cloud computing. The certifications are available for foundational, professional, as well as advanced levels. The labs add hands-on experience in real cloud environments.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
If you are looking for one of the most popular cloud certifications in the IT industry, then it definitely has to be the AWS Solutions Architect certification. It is proof of an individual’s technical expertise in the implementation of AWS and application design. The Associate examination is for professionals with one or more years of hands-on experience with AWS deployment and management services.
You can pursue this AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional Certification if you have fulfilled either one of the following criteria:
Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
The Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) certification is offered by the System Security Certification Consortium (ISC)². The certification is a reliable testament to your knowledge and skills in design, management, and data, applications, and infrastructure security in the cloud.
The certification is for those professionals working in cloud technology as Systems Engineers, Security Architects, Enterprise Architects, Security Administrators, Systems Architects, Consultants, Engineers, or Managers. The certification covers cloud concepts, security, design, architecture, and risk and compliance.
While not mandatory, the (ISC)² recommends a minimum of five years of experience in IT, with at least three years in information security, and one year in one or more of the six domains in the CCSP CBOK.
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Professional (PMP) is an internationally recognized accreditation to prove one’s ability to take up the role of Project Manager. It prepares one to take the lead and direct projects and teams simultaneously. The PMP certification requires a four-year degree and an additional three years of experience leading projects.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
The CEH certification is offered through the EC-Council and demonstrates the ability to detect vulnerabilities in systems and to prevent hacking. Ethical Hackers use the same skills and techniques as malicious hackers to counteract future attacks and detect vulnerabilities if any. As an Ethical Hacker, you will be responsible for finding weaknesses in the organization’s networks and systems.
Information security governance is a growing concern for businesses globally and ISACA’s Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification covers just that. It is designed to help IT professionals working in IT security.
If you want to demonstrate proficiency in information security governance, information security program development and management, information risk management, and information security incident management, this is the certification to go for. The certification requires experience in IS or IT security.
If you want to prove your expertise within cyber security, the Certified Information Systems Security Professional or CISSP certification is a good way to go about it. This certification in the IT certifications roadmap will validate your knowledge in the subject matter and that you can design, implement, and work with the best cybersecurity program.
You will be required to have over 5 years of experience in two or more of the CISSP domains to take up this certification. The CISSP exam is based on the following eight domains:
- Security and Risk Management
- Asset Security
- Security Architecture and Engineering
- Communication and Network Security
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Security Assessment and Testing
- Security Operations
- Software Development Security
Learn about the latest technologies to learn for a successful IT career in our blog at trending technologies.
Conclusion
The certification you would want to pursue will, of course, depend on your interest in IT and its specific field of work or study. You will also need to look at your experience level. If you are falling short, you may want to get that out of the way first by working towards meeting the required criteria.
Another way to go about picking a certification is by understanding the requirements of the job position that you aspire to fill. You can also ask for advice from your employer about what skills will be most useful for you to learn in your current IT role.
If you’re just starting out in IT, a credential like the CompTIA A+ certification or the Google IT Support Professional Certificate will be able to teach you the basics in a variety of IT-related areas.
Hope you learned something valuable for your career from our blog on the IT certification paths. Do let us know in the comment section below.
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