{"id":4509,"date":"2021-06-28T14:06:01","date_gmt":"2021-06-28T19:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/?p=4509"},"modified":"2021-06-28T14:06:01","modified_gmt":"2021-06-28T19:06:01","slug":"top-it-certifications-and-skills-for-a-successful-career-in-the-tech-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stratospherenetworks.com\/blog\/top-it-certifications-and-skills-for-a-successful-career-in-the-tech-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Top IT Certifications and Skills for a Successful Career in the Tech Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AIf you\u2019re interested in pursuing a career in IT, you\u2019re far from alone. Employment is expected to increase by 11 percent (a notably higher growth rate than the average across all occupations) in the computer and information technology space from 2019 to 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cDemand for these workers will stem from greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection and storage of big data, and information security,\u201d the BLS website states.<\/p>\n

For burgeoning technologists looking to succeed in the field, the right IT certifications and skills can make all the difference. The vast majority (87 percent) of IT professionals hold at least one certification, according to the Global Knowledge 2020 IT Skills and Salary Report<\/a>. Additionally, as a result of certification training, 52 percent of IT pros report doing higher quality work, 36 percent feel more engaged at work, and 17 percent received a raise.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re wondering which certifications and skills you should focus on to achieve your professional goals in the realm of IT, here are a few categories to consider based on industry research.<\/p>\n

Most Popular IT Certifications<\/h2>\n

As of 2020, these are the most popular IT certifications internationally, according to the Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Report. Note: These are in order starting with the most popular.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. ITIL Foundation<\/li>\n
  2. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Routing and Switching<\/li>\n
  3. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)<\/li>\n
  4. Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Routing and Switching<\/li>\n
  5. CompTIA A+<\/li>\n
  6. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)<\/li>\n
  7. CompTIA Security+<\/li>\n
  8. CompTIA Network+<\/li>\n
  9. Citrix Certified Associate \u2013 Virtualization (CCA-V)<\/li>\n
  10. AWS Certified Solutions Architect \u2013 Associate<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Cybersecurity is the most popular category for IT certifications, with security-related certs accounting for 30 percent of the top 10 list, according to the report.<\/p>\n

    Highest Paying IT Certifications<\/h2>\n

    The 2020 Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Report lists the following as the top-paying IT certifications around the world. Note: These are in order starting with the highest paying.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)<\/li>\n
    2. Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect<\/li>\n
    3. Google Certified Professional Data Engineer<\/li>\n
    4. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)<\/li>\n
    5. Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT)<\/li>\n
    6. Project Management Professional (PMP)<\/li>\n
    7. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)<\/li>\n
    8. TOGAF 9.1<\/li>\n
    9. AWS Certified SysOps Administrator \u2013 Associate<\/li>\n
    10. AWS Certified Developer \u2013 Associate<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      In-Demand IT Skills<\/h2>\n

      Concerning hiring trends in the U.S., these are the most in-demand IT skills, according to the 2021 Salary Guide from Robert Half Technology<\/a>. Please note that these are presented in no particular order.<\/p>\n