Most Valuable IT Certifications for Your Career

It's a fact that all IT professionals need, more than any other field, to stay up to date. The best way to keep your knowledge current is through the most recent IT Certifications available on the market.

It's essential to understand which are the most valued and in-demand IT certifications on the market to achieve better positions and compensation at work.

After all, professionals who have weighty documents on their resume tend to get incredible opportunities and earn more than their coworkers.

Additionally, all knowledge acquired and proven through certifications becomes a differentiator to enhance critical, creative, and specialized insight in your career.

So, if you want to learn about the main IT certifications and understand how to choose the one that best fits your area of expertise, keep reading this article, with tips and updated details about the market. Follow along!

What to consider when choosing a professional IT certification?

Before choosing which professional IT certification to pursue, you need to consider points such as:

• international recognition;
• current market scenario and existing "gaps";
• advantages and benefits of pursuing it in the short, medium, and long term;
• exam reputation;
• test validity;
• investment value;
• locations (if online or in-person) and others;

After all, a certification that requires a high investment value, for example, doesn't guarantee its quality and status in the market.

Likewise, it's not enough to choose the most famous exam in IT if it doesn't directly impact your work or future goals.

Therefore, much more than knowing the available certifications, it's essential to stay focused and select those that match your work model and career plan.

Also, when analyzing the job market scenario, you need to check which certifications are being required by IT companies and which would become a differentiator, adding value to your work.

Beginners and recent graduates, for example, need to "catch up" on basic certifications that all other colleagues in the profession already have, and only then pursue differentiation.

Otherwise, there will be a risk of missing out on great opportunities due to lack of documents certifying your skills, which competitors already present.

The same happens with managers and more experienced workers — in this case, you need to reinvent yourself and stay updated, seeking to add value to the companies you work for and obtain proof of your expertise.

Main professional IT certifications

Although there are many certifications for the IT field, there are always those that stand out and deserve more attention and interest.

After all, like any other field, there are from the most well-known and important tests to the most basic and dispensable ones.

Knowing well which one will make a real difference in your career before deciding where to invest your money and time is something not every professional does — and the result isn't always positive.

ITIL

To understand what the ITIL Certification is, you need to understand the meaning of the term.

In English, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), can be interpreted as a Library of Information Technology Infrastructure.

This is one of the topics you need to pay attention to, if you're interested in more operational, managerial, and tactical jobs, since it optimizes performance for companies.

With the application of the ITIL library model, organizations, regardless of their size and time in the market, can deliver better results and quality to the end customer.

With that in mind, know that the ITIL Certification:

• is quite managerial in nature and IT leaders and managers may be more interested than other professionals;
• having it can help IT team members be more productive, optimize time and resources, and make the end customer happier;
• it is required by some companies;
• the investment is usually higher, given the fame and market demand for the certification.

The exam price is $226 USD (two hundred and twenty-six dollars) if taken online, or $205 USD (two hundred and five dollars) if you choose the in-person administration.

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Although not 100% aimed at IT, as the name suggests, this exam is more focused on project management, which also relates to the technology sector.

It's offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) to professionals who already work in the field and have advanced knowledge.

In addition to management knowledge, you need to know the main stages of creating, developing, and concluding a project, which are divided into 5 levels.

There are also prerequisites to take the exam, which excludes many unprepared professionals. For professionals who work without a higher education degree, the requirements are:

• 7,500 hours leading projects;
• 35 hours of education in project management.

For those who have a higher education degree, it's required that:

• the degree is a 4-year course;
• the professional has 4,500 hours leading and directing projects;
• and has 35 hours of education in project management.

As for the investment value, PMP costs around $405 USD (four hundred and five dollars) for PMI members and $555 USD (five hundred and fifty-five dollars) for the public.

CompTIA

The company Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) offers internationally recognized certifications, focused on core, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and additional personal and professional areas.

Among all the certifications offered by the company, the main ones, most sought after, are the A+ Core and Security+, as you can see below. 

Check out and purchase our CompTIA Linux+ Certification Book

A+ Core

The objective of this certification is to verify that the IT professional is able to solve problems quickly and effectively. 

The company characterizes the credential as "the only one with performance-based items to prove that professionals can think quickly to execute critical IT support tasks". 

To earn this certification, candidates need to pass the Core 1 (220-1001) and Core 2 (220-1002) exams. 

In them, the topics covered, according to the official website, are: 

• know how to configure device operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, Android and iOS;
• understand how to manage cloud systems;
• troubleshoot and solve IT support challenges;
• provide support and maintenance for basic IT and network infrastructure;
• configure PC hardware, mobile devices and IoT;
• and understand how to recover data and perform effective backups. 

Altogether, going through these knowledge levels, according to the company there are 9 validated competencies, recognized by major companies. 

The test cost is $232 USD, with 90 multiple-choice questions. The test is delivered by Pearson VUE. 

Security +

This second certification model has the highest recognition from security area companies in the market, and ensures that the professional who takes it is prepared to deal with system security. 

This exam is considered entry-level and required by many companies. 

With it, the candidate can achieve higher levels of security projects and, subsequently, other intermediate and advanced certifications. 

According to the official website, the candidate is expected to have: 

• the ability and knowledge to evaluate company security standards;
• identify flaws, vulnerabilities, attacks and implement solutions;
• ensure monitoring and protection of cloud systems and other modalities;
• positive responses to security incidents that arise.

The test lasts 90 minutes, is provided by Pearson VUE and costs around $370 USD. 

AWS Certified Developer

Before going into details about the AWS Certified Developer Associate exam, it's important to know that AWS stands for Amazon Web Services, Amazon's cloud storage platform. 

Thus, the test validates all the candidate's knowledge about maintenance and data management on the cloud platform. 

A company recommendation is that candidates have:

• at least one year of experience using AWS;
• advanced knowledge in a programming language;
• understanding of AWS branches and characteristics;
• mastery of code creation and debugging in AWS.

The test costs $150 USD (one hundred and fifty dollars) and is also delivered by Pearson VUE and PSI. It's worth noting that the company itself offers training and practice tests for the exams. 

LPI

Linux Professional Institute (LPI) is the pioneering institution in professionalizing the use of Linux by guaranteeing prestigious certifications, according to knowledge levels in open source.

The company offers several certifications, among them, 3 main ones: LPIC-1, LPIC-2 and LPIC-3, corresponding to 3 distinct levels. 

LPIC-1

Also called Linux Server Professional (Level 1), this is the most requested certification when it comes to Linux. 

With international reputation and vendor-neutral distribution, the questions are based on standard Linux systems. 

To earn this document that certifies your skill and competence in dealing with Linux systems, it is necessary to take two exams: LPI 101 and LPI 102.

The exams cover related topics, such as:

• System Architecture;
• Linux Installation and Package Management;
• GNU and Unix Commands;
• Devices, Linux Filesystems, Filesystem Hierarchy Standard;
• Shells and Shell Scripting;
• User Interfaces and Desktops;
• Administrative Tasks;
• Essential System Services;
• Network Fundamentals;
• Security.

LPIC-2

Following the same pattern as LPIC-1, the Linux Network Professional (Level II), or LPIC-2, has 2 exams: LPI 201 and LPI 202. 

To take it, the professional needs to have the previous active certification, in addition to the ability to administer small, mixed and medium-sized networks.

According to the official website, this certification covers the following topics:

• Capacity Planning;
• Linux Kernel;
• System Startup;
• Filesystem and Devices;
• Advanced Storage Device Administration;
• Network Configuration;
• System Maintenance;
• Domain Name Server;
• Web Services;
• File Sharing;
• Network Client Management;
• Email Services;
• System Security.

With so many different topics, it is necessary to prepare well, seek information from reliable sources and choose courses and books that help. 

LPIC-3

Like the previous certification, to be eligible to take the LPIC-3, the candidate needs to have an active LPIC-2.

The level 3 of the certification works a little differently from the others. Because it is a more advanced level, LPIC-3 is divided into 3 modalities:

• LPIC-3 300: Mixed Environment;
• LPIC-3 303: Security;
• LPIC-3 304: Virtualization and High Availability.

Each one covers different knowledge — which is good for the professional, who can choose the IT certification that best fits their conditions and areas of expertise. 

Deepen your knowledge in Linux with our online course! Enroll now!

PDPE 

EXIN Privacy & Data Protection Essentials, better known as PDPE, is related to the Personal Data Protection Law, and aims to ensure that the professional understands and knows how to implement data security laws in companies. 

The test is also recommended for those who hold or aspire to hold a Data Protection Officer (DPO) position in organizations. 

The investment is around $164 USD and the exam is only available in English. It can be scheduled through the official EXIN website.

CRISC

The certification Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control, better known as CRISC, offered by ISACA, is ideal for professionals who work with information security. 

As the name suggests, the test aims to emphasize the existing risks in the system and their possible solutions. With rapid identification and mitigation of risks, it is possible to optimize time, resources, and increase return on investment. 

However, for the candidate to qualify for the test, they must have at least 3 years of experience managing and containing risks in systems. 

The investment is between $575 and $760 USD, since there is the possibility of taking the test in-person or remotely. 

CISM

Another IT certification offered by ISACA is the Certified Information Security Manager, commonly called CISM. 

Similar to the previous one, this assessment validates all knowledge related to information security and risk management of a professional. 

The exam is also available remotely or in-person, with an investment between $575 and $760 USD.

Conclusion

It is possible to take more than one certification at the "same time", meaning during a short period, if you have availability of time, resources, and energy. Set study goals and levels you want to achieve and take the assessments! 

You will notice that more and more opportunities will arise in your career, along with promotions, salary increases, and recognition. 

In summary, it is worth investing in the right IT certifications, that really meet or satisfy your current needs and desires for growth. 

And you? Have you taken any of these competency tests? Which ones caught your attention the most? Share with us in the comments below! We would be happy to hear about your experiences.