What Is An It Support Or Help Desk Certification
IT support certifications are recognized acknowledgements of specific experience, knowledge, and skills relating to IT technologies and services. They are often critical to career advancement and can make all the difference for an entry-level help desk professional who is looking to distinguish themselves from the competition. According to a CompTIA study, 91% of employers believe IT certifications both play a key role in the hiring process and act as a reliable predictor of a successful employee.
Once in the IT support help desk profession, IT support desk certifications can help with career advancement. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary is $57,910 per year, or $27.84 per hour. More specifically, the median annual wage for a computer network specialist was $62,760 in May 2021, and for computer user technical desk specialists in May of 2021 was $49,770.
Whether you are looking to start or reboot your IT career, or to simply stay up to date on the skills and knowledge needed to work with the ever-changing technologies, security considerations, and best-practices of the profession, it is important that you accrue the Information Technology certs that are most likely to have the biggest impact on your organizationand your career.
This blog discusses the top ten recommended IT support certifications, along with a few insights on why they are so impactful.
What It Certification Should I Get
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In any industry, completing education programs can help you learn new skills and qualify for advanced positions. When you work in information technology , you may have to meet education requirements to enter the field or pursue a promotion. With some IT certifications, you can also earn master key hardware and software or increase your earning potential. In this article, we explain why you should earn an IT certification and list several options to consider,
What Can You Do With Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is primarily used as a word-processing program for creating professional-looking documents and reports. Authors use it to write novels, job seekers create resumes, and students write essays. In the workplace, Microsoft Word is used to create a host of documents, including letterheads, reports, templates, training manuals, calendars, invoices, and promotional materials, among others. Businesses also use the mail merge feature that outputs created documents to a mailing list or newsletter.
But Microsoft Word is more than a typing software. The program includes interactive elements such as fillable forms, checkboxes, and dropdown menus. It can easily convert documents into fillable PDFs or vice versa. Plain text documents are made more visually appealing with images, animations, or WordArt. Tables are also easily converted into visual graphs and charts. Microsoft Word can even transcribe audio files, transcribe live speech into text, and translate documents.
A particularly valuable feature of Microsoft Word is its collaboration tools for group projects. Professionals can easily share documents with others to work on. Changes such as comments and edits are tracked so the original owner of the document can decide what suggestions to make official. A history of changes to a document is also saved and can be reverted to at any time. Microsoft Word is a powerful tool for any business communications needs, whether internally or with customers or clients.
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What Certifications Should I Get For It
The cybersecurity market is one of the best fields for job seekers to be in right now. It is projected to reach $248.26 billion in 2023. This is a 64% increase from its valuation in 2013. Cyberseek reports that there are more than 300,000 cybersecurity job openings in the US and that there are only 2.3 existing cybersecurity workers for every job opening. This means that demand is high for these positions and job security is strong.
Many jobs view certifications as major advantages on job applications while others require certain degrees for different positions. The certifications youll need to obtain are dependent on different factors including the type of role youd like to pursue and your current skill levels. We put together a flowchart below with some guidance for your next IT certification. Keep in mind that this is not a complete list of certifications, but a guide to common ones that are helpful for different phases of an IT career.
Certified Internal Auditors Credential
The Certified Internal Auditor certification specializes in auditing procedures and company compliance issues. If you consider a career as an internal auditor, you should consider the Certified Internal Auditor designation. The Institute of Internal Auditors issues the certification, which costs $1,500 to complete the program.
Those holding the CIA certification show competence in information technology, risk/control areas, and external clients and internal staff. This certification is necessary for internal auditors, especially those who want to grow to be managers or chief auditors.
The salary range for a certified internal auditor is between $45,000 and $80,000, depending on experience.
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Safety Trained Supervisor Construction
All crew members are responsible for creating and maintaining a safe work environment. However, not everyone needs an intensive specialist certification. STSC certification fills the role of general education. Its available for all employees and managers. This certification is helpful to have, even if safety isnt your primary duty.
If you want to apply, you need 30 hours of safety, health, and environmental training. The STSC program also requires two years of supervisory experience. Or, you can have four years of work experience in any industry. The program also has a minimum part-time hourly work requirement.
Certification is available through BCSP.
Why Get Aws Certified
Certifications are a great way to demonstrate your skills to potential employers or to get a promotion into your target job role. With AWS dominating the world of cloud computing and many companies moving services into the cloud, AWS certifications are some of the most sought-after certifications.
Gain theoretical and practical knowledge
AWS certifications are designed to test both theoretical and practical knowledge so the training programs for getting certified should always include both elements. Therefore, you can build practical skills by taking a certification training course that will help you perform well in your cloud computing job roles.
Get ahead of the curve
Training for certifications provides knowledge that you can practically use in your current role even if you dont work with cloud services today. Most IT roles involve some level of exposure to cloud computing . If your role doesnt, it probably will soon. Therefore, its wise to ensure your skills stay relevant.
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Edx Entrepreneurship In Emerging Economies Program
edX is an online course provider that partners with more than 100 institutions to cover a range of professional certification topics, from Python programming to corporate finance and American sign language.
While it’s worth noting many of the edX professional certification programs cost a couple hundred dollars, edX still offers a number of free courses, including Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies.
The course is led by a Harvard University professor, who will teach you how to identify smart entrepreneurial opportunities and solve problems in societies with emerging economies. The course is about six weeks long, and you can expect to spend three to five hours working on it each week. Once you’ve completed the course, you have the option to order a verified certificate for $125.
Are There Any Prerequisites To Take Aws Certifications
Back in 2019, AWS removed the prerequisites from all AWS certifications. This means you can now take ANY AWS certification at any time, you dont need to complete any other certification first. However, as youll now learn, there is a structure to the AWS certification learning paths and it is wise to follow that structure to maximize your chance of success in your exams and to ensure you have a good skill set to take into your working life.
AWS Certification Levels and Specializations
There are 3 different levels of AWS certification: Foundational, Associate, and Professional. The specializations sit alongside the other certifications and focus in much more depth on particular job skills.
Understanding the key concepts
- Scope this indicates the breadth of coverage of AWS services in the exam
- Depth this indicates how deep the exam goes in terms of technical knowledge of a specific service
You need to be well aware of these factors when choosing which certification you want to aim for as the scope and depth can vary greatly and this will have an impact on the amount of experience you need before you get started and how much study time youll need to put in.
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Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
As one of Microsoft’s mid-level credentials, the MSCE is a standard requirement for systems administrators and engineers. It includes specialty options ranging from desktop and server infrastructure to business intelligence and private cloud security. To earn this credential, you have to undergo a five-step process that includes choosing a path, completing required courses and passing an exam.
Apple Certified Support Professional
The Apple Certified Support Professional certification validates your abilities as a help desk professional, technical coordinator, or technical support professional for Mac users. The certification demonstrates that you have a strong understanding of macOS core functionality and that you can configure key services, perform basic troubleshooting, and support multiple Mac users. If youre looking at entry-level IT support jobs, its a solid certification that will show employers you have the capabilities to manage Apple hardware and software.
Exam fee: $250
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Choosing The Right Financial Advisor For You
There is no universal standard for how much education a financial advisor has, what advice they provide, or what ethical standards they must meet. Because of that, understanding financial professional certifications is essential to finding an educated, experienced, and trustworthy advisor.
The wrong choice can leave you without expert advice when you need it most. The right choice can help you eliminate the stress and worry that comes with money, make smarter, more informed decisions, and navigate lifes twists and turns with greater clarity and confidence. All of which can put you in control of the life you want to live.
A CFP® Professional at Facet Wealth can help you create a dynamic, ongoing, and evolving financial plan for all aspects of your life and your money for a clear, fixed fee.
How Can A Certification Help Your Career
Wondering why were even recommending getting a certification? Here are the main reasons:
- A lack of marketable skills can be a barrier to employment. Certifications are proof that youve acquired certain skills, abilities, or qualifications within a specific trade or profession.
- They increase your value as a candidate when applying to jobs. Youll have an advantage over candidates who dont have the same certifications.
- They can accelerate your careerwhether thats being first-in-line for a promotion or asking for a raise or negotiating a higher salary for a new job.
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Certifications That Actually Impress Recruiters
With the rise of online learning, there’s no shortage of classes you can take that offer you a certification in a particular trade, skill, or software program. But outside of positions that require certifications pilots, emergency medical technicians, and insurance agents, for example do any of these make a real difference in a job application? We reached out to recruiters and HR professionals to get the answer.
The consensus: Certifications certainly can make a difference, but not all certifications are created equal. Below are some of the ones that recruiters say actually move the needle in their decision to hire a candidate.
Choose Your Certification Path
Now that you understand the value of certification, its time to pick one.
It may seem simple, but rushing your selection could waste time and money. There are four things you should consider when making your choice.
1. Answer this question: What do I want to accomplish?
Is your ultimate certification goal to make more money? Is it to advance in your profession? Maybe you just want to learn a new skill? You shouldnt start evaluating your options before you have a definitive answer.
If your primary goal is to boost your salary, check out our article on the 15 top-paying certifications for 2021.
If you want to establish yourself as a subject matter expert, get certified in new or recently-updated technology. Its a great way to showcase your value to the organization because few others will be certified in this area.
If youre focused on career progression, refreshing your tech skills is a must, especially considering all of the IT advancements in fields such as cloud computing, security and networking. Additional certifications are often required to advance into new job roles. Just make sure your choices align with your career path.
2. Answer this question: What am I interested in?
Remember those boring classes in college? Of course you dontyou were either asleep, doodling network architectures in your notebook or building an app to make your life easier.
Pick a certification that will keep you invested.
3. Do your homework
Certification tracks
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Is A Cybersecurity Certification Worth It
A survey by ² found that 70 percent of cybersecurity professionals surveyed in the US were required to have a certification by their employers. Security certification can also come with a salary boost of $18,000, according to the same study. The right credential can also make you more attractive to both recruiters and hiring managers .
Salesforce Certified Development Lifecycle And Deployment
Salesforce Certified Development Lifecycle and Deployment certification is designed for those with experience managing lightning platform development and deployment activities. Those who effectively communicate with technical solutions within an organization or amongst technical stakeholders must get this certification.
Salesforce Administrator & Developer Certification
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Explore Our Certification Pathways
Core skills pathway
Build the foundation for a thriving career in IT with our core skills certification that covers a broad spectrum of topics, including operating systems, networking, security and more.
Core skills
Each CompTIA certification earns you a digital badge to help validate your skills and find jobs. Learn more.
Infrastructure pathway
Earn these CompTIA certifications to gain the skills to excel in IT operations. Without IT infrastructure, a functional business just isnt possible.
Core skills
Each CompTIA certification earns you a digital badge to help validate your skills and find jobs. Learn more.
Cybersecurity pathway
Pair our core skills series with cybersecurity certifications to gain the hands-on ability to protect organizations from cyberattacks and threats.
Core skills
Each CompTIA certification earns you a digital badge to help validate your skills and find jobs. Learn more.
Data and analytics pathway
Gain the confidence to bring data analysis to life and make data-driven business decisions.
Data and analytics
Each CompTIA certification earns you a digital badge to help validate your skills and find jobs. Learn more.
Professional skills
Elevate your career with professional skills that provide career support in areas like project management and training.
Professional skills
Healthcare Licenses And Certifications
When most people think of healthcare work they imagine spending the next decade in school, but thats not always the case. There are several certificate options that can kick-start your career in healthcare:
- Dental Assistant
- Certified Phlebotomy Technician
- Patient Care Technician
Healthcare certification programs will help you increase earning potential and begin a new career in the field.
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Hubspot Inbound Marketing Certification
HubSpot, a growth platform used by big-name companies including Doordash, Subaru, and SurveyMonkey, offers a number of free online certifications through Hubspot Academy. These courses range from content marketing to social media to growth-driven design.
However, its Inbound Marketing Certification is one of the most popular offerings. It includes 11 lessons and takes about four and a half hours to complete. With this course, you’ll solidify your skills as an inbound marketer, gaining additional knowledge around content strategy, social media promotion, and conversion optimization strategy.
Which Accounting Certification Should I Get
Accountants are vital to businesses and companies, and getting certification makes one stand out. Therefore when choosing a certification, you should consider one within your area of focus or career path.
Consider the qualifications/requirements to see if you meet them and the cost of completing the program. Aligning your accounting certification with your career path will be beneficial in helping you grow professionally.
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Best Midlevel Microsoft Certifications
When youve completed an MTA or other entry-level certification, you may consider an intermediate certification from Microsoft. This will help take your career to the next level.
- Microsoft certified solutions expert : MCSE certifications come in several specializations and show that you have the skills to manage servers, data systems, storage, private clouds, networking and more.
- Microsoft certified solutions developer : Getting the MCSD certification shows that you have what it takes to design and create apps across a wide range of Windows products.
MCSE and MCSD are two of the most highly regarded certifications in tech. Either of these could help your IT resume stand out.
Why Would I Want A Certification
Some employers require a certification in order to apply for a job. Many people earn specialty certifications to help them advance in their careers.
Earning a certification can give you a big leg up in the job market. Its a key item that hiring employers look for on resumes. Some employers may also require workers to have certain certifications. This can be true especially in health care or financial fields.
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