Summary: This week’s topic is what certification is the best for you? The crux of the issue is in that question.....you see, that certification, that helps you move up within your organization, that cert that helps you get the job you desire, that cert that allows you to be better at your job.....we'll that cert is the best cert in the world....for you. It used to be if you had 7 years plus of experience, you could go as far as your talents would take you. I guess to a point that is still true now but with electronic medical records required by the government, with a four year college computer/engineering degree is required for nearly every meaningful job opening listed today.....it is a delicate balance between experience and education. Let's just say, the education will get you the interview but the experience will get you the job. CompTIA Certs are always a good place to start if you are new to IT. Their benchmark certification, A+, is required in most areas. Network+ is also often a requirement in networking. These are well, let’s call them pre-requisites for further certifications. If you are new to IT, I would work on getting these certs. The Security+ Cert actually makes most lists for must have certifications. Perhaps in the IT Security field more than most you need to show a base of experience and you must be certified in at least Security+ before sitting for the exam. CompTIA also offers the Certified Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP). Other security certs offered are CompTIA Mobile App Security+ and Social Media Security Professional certification. With Linux+, CompTIA has partnered with the Linux Professional Institute to power their exams. So, not to belabor this point but if you pass the “Linux+ powered by LPI” then you can also qualify for the LPIC-1. In addition you are then eligible to receive the “Novell Certified Linux Administrator Certification. If you are entering the wonderful world of networking……and I don’t mean talking to people and making friends over happy hour on Fridays either…………you will almost certainly need Cisco’s CCENT, or, the Cisco Certified Networking Technician If you are going to work within the Microsoft environment you will need some OF THEIR Windows 2008 or windows 2012 Certs. I could go on and on talking about all the certifications offered by the IT Industry. For Microsoft and Cisco we will spend entire podcasts going over their offerings and what you as an IT professional can do with them. Let’s just leave it at this….it’s not the certification that makes the professional but how the professional can leverage their certifications along with their experience to deliver value to their organization. Brought to you by Western Governors University
