Pradipto Chakrabarty tells you why one should get certified

In a world where recruiters take mere seconds to scan through most resumes, a relevant certification inserted at the right place, can make your resume stand out from the rest.

Certifications tell your prospective employer that you are prepared for a job in an all-round manner. They also indicate to your peers that you take your job role seriously. They act as a signal of your competency in roles where basic and practical skills are required for  the evolving technology industry.  IT certifications signify that you are well-versed with practically demonstrable skills and will take incorporate emerging technological scenarios in your accounting.

• For beginners, a core IT certification, such as CompTia's A+, that covers all the pillars of a digital organisation such as devices, networking, cybersecurity, software and operating system, irrespective of platform, lets people know that you are skilled enough to troubleshoot across technologies and is the very first step to gaining a foothold in the newage technical support space. With time, mainstream computer systems will come to include mobile devices as well. Hence, Android, iOS along with Linux may be required knowledge for helpdesks of tomorrow.
• For workforce who have a couple of year's experience in IT, intermediate IT certifications in networking (Such as CompTIA Network+) or cyber security certifications (such as CompTIA Security +) helps prepare them for critical threats, protection against which is so important for retaining the competitive edge in today's cutthroat world of business. Cyber-security certifications in particular, arm you with the new versions of  threats and vulnerabilities in the interconnected world of business. Such certifications open your eyes to a world of possibilities with fairly specialised knowledge of complex systems and processes.
• For seasoned professionals, certifications on emerging technology or a new aspect of an established field of practice lets your employer know that you're eager and willing to improve, are proactive and ambitious. Almost all the jobs of near future will concentrate on AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things) and Cybersecurity. Cybersecurity for instance as a career path  Pentest+ and CySA+ help you prepare for critical skills such as VAPT (Vulnerability Analysis — Penetration Testing), Cyber forensics and incident response.
• Employers, too, are benefitted by their corporate certification training decision by providing greater job fulfillment and satisfaction. Human Resources (HR) earns points for employee engagement and aids map careers and development. However, employers need to monitor progress of trainings and some might even have to micro-manage in order to achieve the desired benefits of the module.
• Finally, obtaining relevant certifications show your current and future employers your quality of continuously wanting to improve yourself. You must always be ready to do research before selecting the right certification that can help you get the objectives you want.

 After a basic computer IT course certification, experts recommend that you work in an IT organisation for at least nine months, implementing, installing, maintaining, troubleshooting and configuring simple to mid-level complex networks and computer systems before you move into more specialised fields such as cyber-security.

Enterprise technology certifications are incomplete without knowledge of how complex servers and routers manage information, communication, transmission and encryption. Certifications are cheaper to get than full-fledged degrees, offer greater flexibility in terms of both learning content and outcomes and look good on your CV too!

The writer is Regional Director, CompTIA India