Earn Industry Certifications

Getting certified may be the fastest way to break into information technology. While a tech degree can take 1-4 years, certifications can be studied for and earned in just a few weeks. There are many comparisons between getting a degree or earning certifications, but a degree isn’t necessary for entering the IT workforce.

By getting certified, you’ll show potential employers that you have the skills they need. This can go a long way towards making up for a lack of experience. For some roles, the right certifications will put you higher in the stack than applicants with limited experience and no certifications. Best of all, certifications can help open up more entry-level opportunities instead of just taking the first IT job that comes your way.

What IT certifications are good for entry-level learners?

CompTIA A+ is a vendor neutral certification that proves a general knowledge across multiple areas of IT. It verifies that you have a base level knowledge of networking, hardware, cloud, mobile devices, and troubleshooting. It can give you the knowledge base you need to help land your first help desk role.

CompTIA Security+ is a great place to start if you know you’re interested in the cybersecurity field. It’s a vendor neutral certification and verifies that you know how to implement best security practices. The objectives cover several key concepts in IT security, including networks, data and host security, threats and vulnerabilities, compliance, access and identity control, and cryptography.

CompTIA Network+ is another vendor neutral certification for beginners. The objectives for this certification cover networking concepts, troubleshooting, infrastructure, operations, and security.

ITIL® Foundation is a certification on a service management framework. It will certify your understanding of the processes that help IT staff delivery quality service.