As it is becoming more difficult to distinguish yourself in a crowded workforce, one avenue many professionals take to set themselves apart from their peers is obtaining a professional certification. With literally hundreds of certifications to choose from, there are many paths you can choose when looking to increase your expertise and gain new skills.

“Why do I need IT and business certifications if I already know how to do my job?” Well, it’s no secret that most employers use certifications to differentiate between job seekers that are otherwise equally qualified. It’s about remaining competitive in the marketplace. IT certifications in particular are highly valued by employers seeking IT-professionals. Some companies and organisations require job seekers to hold particular certifications to even apply for certain positions.

But student beware. All certifications are not created equal and certainly offer different rewards to those who hold them. And, while some professional certifications may result in a more lucrative career path, as well as a higher salary, seeking a certification can be a huge commitment of time and resources. So before you start your certification journey, take a long, hard look at what you want to accomplish with a particular certification and how much effort it will take you to achieve it. To help you chart your path, here are the top IT and business certifications that are worth the effort.

1. Project Management Professional (PMP®)

To quote Theodore Roosevelt, former president of the United States of America, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.” If you are considering pursuing PMP certification, prepare yourself most definitely for quite a bit of effort, probably some pain depending on your project management skills, and some difficulty. To be blunt, achieving PMP certification isn’t easy.

Established by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) in 1984, the PMP has become one of the most valued and respected certifications in the business world. If you think you are up to the task, PMI has a few requirements you must meet before you can even apply for PMP certification. Applicants with a four-year degree must have at least three years of project management experience, including 4,500 hours leading projects, and 35 hours of project management education. Applicants without a four-year degree must have at least five years of project management experience, including 7,500 hours leading projects, and 35 hours of project management education.

All that effort appears to be rewarded beyond the experience and self-respect gained from having completed such a challenging task. PMP consistently ranks as one of the highest paying certifications in Global Knowledge’s annual IT Skills and Salary Report.

2. Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®)

PMI also offers CAPM certification. The CAPM is designed for those who have less project management experience than the PMP requires but who still can demonstrate an understanding of the project management fundamentals, focused primarily on the terminology and processes used to successfully manage a project. The requirements of the more entry-level CAPM are not as stringent as those for the PMP. CAPM candidates must have a secondary degree with at least 1,500 hours of project management experience or 23 hours of project management education. Like all worthwhile credentials, obtaining the CAPM requires much time and effort. But if you’re looking for a stepping-stone certificate to the PMP and other IT certificates, CAPM may be a great path for you.

3. CompTIA A+

The long-time standard for entry-level IT helpdesk support and computer technicians, CompTIA’s A+ certification may be best known for its vendor neutrality. As opposed to certifications focused on vendor-specific technology from the likes of Cisco, Microsoft and Apple, the skills that CompTIA A+-certified professionals develop aren’t tied to a particular company or technology. This ensures that A+ certification holders are uniquely prepared for any environment, no matter the equipment used in their organisation’s IT system.

Until 2011, A+ certification never expired, which probably helps account for much of its popularity. Now CompTIA requires A+ certification holders to recertify every three years. But is the A+ certification worth the time and effort? More than one million A+-certified IT professionals since its inception in 1993 can’t be wrong.

4. GRC Professional (GRCP™)

GRC, also known as corporate governance, risk management, internal control and compliance, probably isn’t the most exciting-sounding career path, but believe it or not, there is an increasing need for GRC Professionals. When companies reach a certain size, they institute GRC activities to ensure efficient operation. GRCPs help their organisations operate more efficiently via corporate governance, enterprise risk management and compliance with related laws and industry regulations.

The two-hour GRCP exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. Once you pass the GRCP exam, you are certified for a year. To maintain your certification, you must pay an annual renewal fee and participate in continuing education.

5. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)

CRISC certification is awarded by the nonprofit IT governance association Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA®). If managing IT risks is your gift, then take a good look at this certification. There’s a written exam, plus you’re required to have at least three years of experience in three of five CRISC domains: risk identification, assessment and evaluation; risk response; risk monitoring; information systems (IS) control design and implementation; and IS control monitoring and maintenance. If CRISC certification seems like just any other certification, think again. Based on Global Knowledge’s 2015 IT Skills and Salary Report, CRISC-certified respondents reported an average salary of $119,227, which equals 113,420 euro. That was the highest of all certifications held by at least 100 survey respondents.

6. ITIL® Expert

Formerly known as the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, ITIL is a process framework that shifts IT from product development to a service provider model. Simply put, ITIL-certified professionals help their organisations better align their IT departments with the needs of the organisation. An ITIL certification, especially ITIL Expert, demonstrates an advanced understanding of ITIL practices. It can also jump-start a stagnant IT career by sharpening your IT service management (ITSM) skills that are becoming more in demand by the business world.

Achieving ITIL Expert certification requires an ITIL Foundation certificate (v3 or newer), as well as 15 credits from the ITIL Intermediate level and five credits from Managing Across the Lifecycle (MALC). To qualify for ITIL Expert certification, the required credits must come from content modules that don’t overlap. Once you’ve reached the level of ITIL Expert, you’ll soon see that you have become more attractive to organisations seeking highly skilled ITSM professionals.

7. Red Hat® Certified Engineer (RHCE®)

Another high-level and rigorous credential worth acquiring is Red Hat’s RHCE. With a four-hour performance-based exam that measures actual competency on live systems, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more demanding testing environment. The RHCE provides proof that you are able to efficiently configure networking services and security on servers running Red Hat Enterprise Linux®. If you are responsible for supporting Linux as a primary server platform, the mid-level RHCE might be an ideal transitional credential for your career path between its prerequisite Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification and the advanced Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) certification.

8. Convergence Technology Professional (CTP)

Feature-rich and cost-effective unified communications (UC) solutions are all the rage, and it takes a highly skilled workforce that understands how essential integration of UC technologies can be to an organisation. If you currently hold the Certified in Convergent Network Technologies (CCNT) certificate, the next logical step in your convergence career path should definitely include CTP certification to validate your voice, data and convergence skills. Like CompTIA’s A+ certification, the CTP certificate program is vendor-neutral. You will gain the broad skill set required of professionals managing converged voice, video and data network solutions.

Global Knowledge 

Personal pride, professional growth and increased compensation are the most popular reasons why professionals seek business and IT certifications. With our unique blend of certification tracks, delivery method options and valuable resources and support, you can count on us to help you reach your certification goals. 

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