Not upskilling has never been an option. However, how you upskill yourself matters. Those who want to upskill themselves have various options – micro or short term courses, certifications, full-time degrees, community college and more. Among these, certifications are increasingly becoming credible options among professionals as well as fresh college graduates planning to break into the industry.
Across the industry, professional certification is a yardstick for the level of competence and establishes credibility among employers. Especially the newer technologies – cloud computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain, etc. – that lack concrete skill assessment measures certifications are powerful means to asses a candidates’ skills.
IT leaders are struggling to find qualified candidates. In technology areas, employers are reliant on vendor-neutral certifications to shortlist and hire candidates for tech roles. According to an IDG report, 8 out of 10 HR professionals believe that IT certifications will grow in usefulness and importance. In a 2017 global knowledge report, 94% of employers said certified candidates are brought added value to their organizations.
Moreover, organizations around the world are taking workforce certification programs to upskill their workforce to meet the demand for skilled workers.
Benefits of certifications
Apart from what has been mentioned above, earning a certification has several other benefits.
- Sense of satisfaction– Earning a certification fills us with the sense of satisfaction. A series of accomplishments make us feel proud and provide a sense of satisfaction. The effort put into learning and taking an exam makes us feel proud of ourselves.
- Salary growth– Certified professionals earn more than non-certified professionals. Business Wire reports a certified professional earns 20-40% more salary than their non-certified counterparts. A similar correlation was found among HR professionals. PayScale found out certified HR professionals earn more non-certified HR professionals.
- Faster promotion– Certifications open door to new job opportunities. It shows you are committed to your profession, upgrading yourself with in-demand skills. Your existing employer will look at you favorably while considering to add more responsibilities. The PayScale found that certified HR professionals had 17% more chances of promotion than non-certified counterparts. Employers felt certified workers more efficient than non-certified ones.
- Network – Certification opens an opportunity to network with professionals. You can connect with professionals who have earned certification similar to yours on LinkedIn or conferences or through alumni networks available via your credentialing organization. You will grow your network and can reach out to them in challenging times.
Choosing an ideal certification Recently certifications have gained more prominence among employers. There are several credible certification bodies available for working professionals as well as fresh graduates.
The global certification industry is bigger than ever and is expanding. Therefore, it is important to stay circumspect and choose the right certification from a recognized body. Here are tips to choose the right certification
- Go for certifications that are commensurate with your level of experience. Entry-level certifications may differ from mid-level certification content-wise, and may not supplement your skills. You may perform poor and that would drown your self-confidence. It also makes organizations to find the best would make
- A vendor-neutral certificationwould open more opportunities than other certifications and make you more valuable to organizations, as your skills will be tested for the suitability of your role. Further, a platform-agonistic certification will add more value to your competency.
3. A globally recognized certification will add more credibility to your skills. Not that you will have opportunities worldwide, but you will be equipped with competence that matches the functioning of the world’s leading organizations. Globally-recognized certifications might be a little more expensive compared to localized certifications, but they are worth the money.