IT Certifications - Essay Sample

It is imperative to note that certifications are a demonstration to one’s proficiency and skills in a given area. It cannot be denied that information technology plays a major role in the modern world (Lloyd, 2020). In almost all sectors, information technology has been given priority. A certification in IT acts as a designation that demonstrates a person’s competency and know-how in a certain facet of technology. To obtain a certification, one has to undergo through some assessment, review or education. It should be noted that one distinguishing feature that makes IT specification difference from others is that it is always vendor-specific (Lloyd, 2020). For some time now, there has been a debate about information technology regarding the value of experience versus certifications. In this regard, there have been mixed reactions on this concern as some people have argued that certifications are worthless while others put it that it is a major requirement especially with the fast-changing needs in the industries. However, it should be agreed that certifications go a long way to open many doors as well as to further one’s career even though the experience is the most important thing (Lloyd, 2020). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the main values of IT certifications. Also, a discussion on whether IT certifications and experience can replace IT college degrees will be presented. Lastly, there will be a discussion on the reasons why I will be able to recommend the acquisition of an IT certification by a colleague.

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It is no secret that IT certifications alongside college degrees are enough proof that various professionals in this sector have the skills they claim (Riccio, 2017). As a result, this validation always gives job seekers with the right experience and certification, advantage over other candidates with the only experience. In such circumstances, the value of an IT certification is highlighted. IT certification has helped many professionals to engage in higher levels as well as get in-depth about information technology. With the changing technology, it cannot be denied that some certifications become irrelevant and outdated. However, others which contain multiple versions like the Cisco Certified Network Associate Certification can reflect the changes in the business environment and technology (Riccio, 2017).

Understandably, certification alone is not enough to make one a better candidate. The value of IT hugely depends on experience, which can be validated by certification (Riccio, 2017). It is believed that for a young professional who is trying to get into this career, certification is a major boost. While for those who have had the experience, certification is considered as it helps to identify qualified personnel who are highly knowledgeable in a given technology. In highlighting the value of IT certification, it has been realized that certification is most vital in demonstrating expertise with the new technologies in the market. With the current rate of IT unemployment rate in the United States standing at 3 per cent, most employers confirm that finding the right persons for job openings remains a difficult job (Riccio, 2017). The main problem is that it has become extremely difficult to find individuals with all the required skills in this modern and virtualized data centers. As a result, a person with IT certification with being better placed, and this highlights its value.

Another value of IT certification is that it helps in ensuring that professionals are familiar with all the areas and requirements to discharge their duties (Riccio, 2017). Just like college degrees, IT certifications indicates that individuals are capable of learning and actively taking the steps that are necessary to advance their careers. People who are certified with IT do not only claim of having such a set of skills, but they also validate those claims through a standard and certifications recognized by industries. It should be noted that IT certification has reduced the risks for hiring organizations, too because of its value. As had already been mentioned, when IT certification is combined with job experience, it creates a formidable winning pair for experts that are eager and willing to expand their opportunities and improve their value (Riccio, 2017).

The importance of IT certification and experience cannot be understated because they are very important (WetFeet, 2009). However, IT college degrees are equally very essential for a person’s career growth. For many opportunities in the field of information technology, both are important because when these qualifications are combined, they may qualify an individual for a career path that a single qualification, say only experience itself, will not suit. For example, it was revealed that in the United States, almost half of the jobs for project managers, security engineers and network engineers that were posted between August 2017 and January 2018 gave preference to both a degree and a certification in information technology (Lloyd, 2020). As a result, this is a clear confirmation that experience and certifications work in line with a college degree and therefore, the latter cannot be replaced by the former.

While experience and certification can help a person to build a given technology skill, a degree with providing such a person with the basic knowledge required for their information technology career (Lloyd, 2020). A college degree compliments or adds the business reasons why technology is crucial to the organization. In most cases, a degree the business concerns of IT, especially the effects of reward and risks as well as providing a broader understanding of technology and its various uses. Alongside IT certifications and experience, college degrees should not only offer an individual with business and technical skills, but it should help one understand how such skills apply in today’s information technology environments (Lloyd, 2020). Therefore, given the above, IT certifications and experience cannot replace IT college degrees because they complement each other.

Recommending the acquisition of IT certification is the best one can offer to a colleague. Notably, there are several opportunities and advantages after obtaining a certification in information technology (WetFeet, 2009). For example, there are opportunities in education due to the growth of e-learning that has led to an increase in many companies that produce learning management skills and the expansion of several university information technology management skills. These have provided many opportunities for people with IT certification to manage online curriculum programs and maintain networks (WetFeet, 2009).

Healthcare is another sector that provides opportunities for those with IT certification and this is another reason why I would recommend it to a colleague. Being one of the largest industries in America, information technology plays a crucial role, especially in serving patients (WetFeet, 2009). Most hospitals resort to IT to reduce the cost of administration hence improving patient care. IT has been used in this sector in knowledge management by keeping track of medical records. Also, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requires that insurance companies and doctors standardize the electronic exchange of administrative and financial data, thereby improving administrative efficiency in the healthcare system. Due to the use of information in the health care sector, the misuse of private health information has been limited. Alternatively, the use of IT in healthcare has also improved research and development, thereby increasing the capacity and quality healthcare provision (WetFeet, 2009).

In a bid to facilitate communication and streamline service delivery, both state and federal governments are turning to information technology (WetFeet, 2009). Because IT offers permanent record storage, increasing amounts of data are being placed under the care of information technology professionals hence creating unlimited opportunities. IT has led to the rise of federal technology budgets with the president even approving more IT spending (WetFeet, 2009). It is worth mentioning that federal occupation comprises of a large number of computer specialist which contracts IT firms. Undeniably, this is very positive news for people with IT certification like analysts and system administrators. Also, in business and finance, IT certification has numerous opportunities and recommending it to a colleague is a great favor. As was observed in the money markets in the past years, many financial institutions were going through layoffs. There was increased uncertainty to those who were interested in the money market, which prompted many banks to invest in information technology which performs a crucial role in almost everything in the business (WetFeet, 2009).

Notably, IT workers in the banking and financial sector are well compensated as they earn more compared to workers in other sectors (WetFeet, 2009). The sector also has a wide range of highly ranked areas to work in IT which includes expanded training budgets, huge benefit packages, clearly defined career paths as well as offering IT certification holders with an opportunity to engage with cutting-edge technologies. As mentioned above, there are a lot of careers in information technology. Therefore, I would take the quickest chance to recommend to a colleague to acquire IT certification because of the unlimited opportunities that are available for this career in almost every sector in the economy (WetFeet, 2009).

In conclusion, the paper has extensively discussed the value of IT certification. Also, a clear discussion on the reasons as to why experience and IT certification cannot replace a college degree has been presented in the paper. Lastly, a discussion on the reasons why I would recommend the acquisition of IT certification by a colleague has been made.

References

Lloyd, I. (2020). Information technology law. Oxford University Press. www.books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rKXaDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq3Ucv4CD2pG63rko4&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=information%20technology&f=false

Riccio, K. (2017). IT Certifications: How valuable are they? Data Center. www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2017/04/13/it-certifications-how-valuable-are-they

WetFeet (2009). Careers in information technology. University of Michigan. www.books.google.co.ke/books/about/Careers_in_Information_Technology.html?id=j4Z7YFJBGDEC&redir_esc=y