Certifications for Your IT Concentration

Whether you’re looking to get your foot in the door or trying to advance your already established information technology career, certifications can help you on your professional journey. 

Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to certifications. Having the most well-renowned certification for a Networking career won’t get you where you want to go in Data Science. Research is needed in order to find the best certification path to achieve your career goals. Here, we break down the best certifications for the different IT focus areas so you don’t have to!

Cyber Security
Cyber Security is the focal point of data integrity and critical business ventures as well as one of the fastest growing job markets. The digital age and era of hybrid or remote working has increased the need for cyber security professionals. 

But this isn’t a profession you can just jump into without experience or proof of knowledge. Some of the best certifications to help you find your footing within the cyber security field include:

• eJPT: eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester certification is obtained through a practical exam meant to prove entry-level penetration testing and information security skills. This exam includes a performance evaluation instead of the multiple choice standard and assesses essential processes and methodologies applied to real-world scenarios.

• CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification is a more advanced certification and offers proof of skills to design, implement, and manage top-notch cyber security programs. This exam covers a broad range of topics in an effort to maintain technical proficiency and relevance to the information security field and focuses on eight domains outlined in the exam guide.

Networking
Networking is an all-encompassing field that focuses on computer communications between software and hardware devices to bring servers together. This area is critical for businesses in the modern world as all computers, phones, and files are connected through a network. 

With such an important position in the business, it makes sense that having a certification to reflect your knowledge would be desirable, and often a requirement of many networking jobs. Some certifications you might consider, depending on your experience level, include:

• CCNA: Cisco Certified Networking Associate is an entry-level certification which proves your ability to navigate the evolving landscape of Information Technology and Security. This covers networking fundamentals and skills from across the board so you can develop your career in any networking concentration you prefer.

• CCNP: Cisco Certified Networking Professional has a number of specific professional paths for you to choose from. Whether you want to work in network security, data centers, or development, you can earn an expert-level certification in the concentration of your choice after completing the core networking exam and your chosen concentration exam.
  

Data Science
Data science revolves around intense code development, design and analysis. In addition, data science involves the development of platforms and applications to assist with data analytics performance. As such, certifications in the field of data science apply more to specific skills, such as Python or Amazon Web Services (AWS). 

Because these certifications are skill specific, they tend to have difficulty levels to differentiate the roles associated with them. One certification set you might look to are the Python certifications from the Python Institute:

• PCEP: Certified Entry-level Python Programmer Certification indicates familiarity with basic computer programming concepts and Python language.

• PCAP: Certified Associate in Python Programming Certification indicates experience and development in programming skills and is usually acquired with the intent of career advancement.

• PCPP: Certified Professional in Python Programming Certification (1 & 2) indicates depth and breadth of Python programming experience and skills. These certification variants reflect expertise in specific Python programming areas such as GUI Programming or SQL Database Access.

Cloud
Cloud is much more than data storage. In fact, it provides on-demand computing power that is occasionally distributed over large areas and in multiple divisions. Cloud is crucial to business infrastructure, and is estimated to hold half of the world’s total data by 2025. 

As a rapidly developing area of expertise, and one with enormous growth, it’s more important than ever for people and businesses to be equipped with the tools and knowledge to navigate Cloud infrastructures. Some of the most renowned certifications in cloud include:

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals certification is platform-specific and is intended for candidates who are new to the Azure Cloud computing environment. This certification is earned through the AZ-900 exam and helps to prepare individuals for Azure-specific roles.

• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is another platform-specific certification intended for those in AWS-specific roles. This certification requires students to pass the exam (CLF-C01) which consists of multiple choice and multiple response questions. Examinees will prove their capabilities in the Cloud platform through knowledge of use cases, business impact, and security concepts.

• CompTIA Cloud+ certification is a multicloud exam designed to provide proof of intermediate-level cloud knowledge. A focus on deployment of secure Cloud environments is featured in this exam and tested through 90 multiple choice and performance-based questions.

• ICCA: INE Certified Cloud Associate is a fundamental, hybrid- and multi-Cloud exam that includes labs and scenario-based questions. The certification is for entry-level positions and offers novice difficulty that shows the capacity to work with any Cloud platform in a business environment. This certification will be released in February 2022.

Whether you’re looking for a foothold in IT for the first time or you’ve been in the industry for years, certifications can help you advance your career. There are many certifications available for every concentration, be it Cyber Security, Networking, Data Science, or Cloud, and they all require a significant amount of prep. 

INE provides best-in-class IT training for each discipline at every level. Entry-level and experts alike can improve their expertise with INE course material, labs, and bootcamps. Check out INE training and get ready for your certification of choice today!

About INE
INE is the premier provider of technical training for the IT industry. INE is revolutionizing the digital learning industry through the implementation of adaptive technologies and a proven method of hands-on training experiences. Our portfolio of training is built for all levels of technical learning, specializing in advanced networking technologies, next generation security and infrastructure programming and development. Want to talk to a training advisor about our course offerings and training plans? Give us a call at 877-224-8987 or email us at sales@ine.com.