IT Certification FAQ

This FAQ is written to answer a common question that goes something like "How do I know which certification to get?" Selecting the appropriate certification can be difficult. When you are new to the field you can be confused by the overwhelming assortment of acronyms and certifications. If you have some experience, you may not be sure which certification is the best next step in your career. This FAQ should help.

1. How do I know what certification to get?
A: It depends on what kind of work you want to do, where you want your career to go, and on what products you want to focus. There are certifications for platforms, certifications for network technology, certifications for platforms, and others. If you are new to the field and/or certification then the place to start is to identify the career path that interests you because you cannot identify which certifications you need until you know your career target. If you aren't sure what you want to do you might try surfing job listings to see what work appeals to you and seeing the certifications that are associated with that career.

2. I already know what I want to do, how do I know which certifications I need?
A: If you've already identified your career target and/or career path, then you are able to pick from among a number of certifications but there is one more step. The step is determining which technology from which vendor you want to start with. For example, if you decide you want to be a network administrator, you still need to decide if you want to start on Microsoft products or on Novell products.

3. I know what work I want to do and I know the product I want to start with, how do I determine how many certifications and/or products I need?
A: When you've refined your decision to this level you start looking at openings and the companies that you would like to work for. The job openings will tell you the certifications required for each position and you will then know exactly which certifications are required. It wouldn't be a bad idea to set up informational interviews with prospective companies to get more detailed information about what you need. Some companies, like Cisco, have a structure set up on their web site to help candidates get informational interviews. This simplifies the process of getting the information you need.

4. I understand certification isn't enough and that I need experience also.
A: This question is answered in another of my articles, Getting beyond the "No Experience, No Job" Dilemma.

5. How do I know which certification has the best long-term future.
A: This is a difficult question to answer because the world of IT is in a state of constant flux partly because of the constant competition and partly because the state-of-the-art is upgrading faster than anyone can accurately track. What was hot 2 years ago may not be hot today and may not exist 5 years down the road. What everyone thought was a goner may make a rapid come back next year. IT technology is a moving target and the only way to make an educated choice is to monitor the news about the product vendors and the popularity of the technology. To survive and thrive in IT, you must keep up on the news.

6. Can you tell me what certifications there are and which ones I need?
A: Here is a SAMPLE of SOME common certifications to give you an idea of what is available. For more detail, you need to look into what will be required for your career objective. It would also be wise to plan to continue the certification process after you are employed to enable you to advance your career.