Introduction
In today’s competitive IT – Information Technology marketplace, the only way you can gain an edge over your competitors is by acquiring a computer certification. However, there is a lot of confusion as to which are the best IT certifications for beginners. Certification courses such as Network+, CCNA, ACSP, MCITP and A+ have been highly publicized by the various institutions that are offering them. Unfortunately, not all of them can give you the much needed milestone you need to get ahead of your career.
When considering which the top 3 IT certifications for beginners are, there are several factors which you need to take into consideration. These are:
- Relevancy: How relevant is the IT certification you are planning to do to your current job specification?
- Institution: Which institution is providing the IT certification you are planning to do? Certification courses offered by Android, Apple, HP, Microsoft, CompTIA plus Cisco are regarded as some of the best in the world.
- Demand: Is there demand for the IT certification course you are planning to do?
Which are the top 3 IT certifications?
As of the end of 2011, the Gartner Group made known to the public some of the most commonly sorts after technologies in that year. Cloud Computing topped the list and was closely followed by Advanced Analytics. Other technologies that featured in that list were:
- Social computing.
- Client computing.
- Virtualization.
- IT for Green.
- Flash memory.
Looking at this list, one can easily make a conclusion on the top 3 IT certification courses for beginners. Employers are increasingly sorting after personnel who can assist them in not only minimizing their operational costs, but building and implementing sustainable technologies.
Listed below, are the top 3 IT certifications that every IT professional ought to have:
A+ Certification
A+ certification has been specially designed to enable IT professionals acquire basic skills in computer hardware operation. As an IT technician, you need to have deep knowledge on the different types of computer hardware such as CPU, cache, RAM and ROM amongst others. A+ certification will provide you with much needed knowledge to open a laptop casing and troubleshoot the problems with it. An alternative to A+ certification would be CompTIA Network+ Certification.
MCTIP
To be recognized globally as a Microsoft certified professional, you need to have MCTIP accreditation. MCTIP is an acronym for Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional. The course equips IT professionals with the expertise needed to design, implement, support, sustain and augment Microsoft products.
CCNA
CCNA is an acronym for Cisco Certified Network Associate. In spite of the various types of certification courses accessible in the market, there is still a great deal of demand for Cisco certified professionals. CCNA certification ensures that you have the experience and skills required to operate Cisco products. For example, CCNA certification will ensure that you have the knowledge required to not only deploy, but troubleshoot routing as well as switching issues with Cisco hardware.
Other certification courses that you should aspire to do as an IT professional are PMP, CSSA, Network+ and MCTS.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I do not agree with your article. I have held an A+ since 2004 and although it has gotten me higher pay then schooling alone, I feel it to be a base for newcomers then anything else. If you can build your own computer, and setup your DSL internet connection to it- dont waste your time.
Microsoft certifications should be done first, along with Network+ if you really want to get out into the IT world quickly- those two together (with the study and hands on), will land you a network support specialist position solidly.
Third would be furthering your Microsoft and CompTIA certs one level each. Walk on as a senior support specialist.
With the first two certs, and two years in the trenches- followed by two certification bumps and your set.
It’s hard to come by experienced people on this subject, however, you sound like you know what you’re
talking about! Thanks