General info about IT certifications: most popular vendors, common certification policy

General info about IT certifications: most popular vendors, common certification policy, why it is important to become IT certified and ways of getting IT certification

IT certifications overview

With the increase in technology and education over the world, the competition has increased drastically. The rate of unemployment has risen and people are having difficulty finding jobs despite being qualified enough. The field of Information Technology is progressing rapidly and every day new concepts, methods and techniques are introduced which the IT professionals have to keep themselves updated with. This is where IT certifications come into existence.

IT certifications are special certificates which evaluate the skills, knowledge and capabilities of the candidates in their respective fields. There are numerous IT certifications offered by many vendors in a variety of fields ranging from programming and networking to complex computer system architectural design. These certifications make use of the most modern techniques to ensure that the candidate can apply his acquired knowledge in practical situations. The certification training provided to the applicants makes them eligible for good jobs and provides them a competitive advantage over others.

Most popular IT certification vendors

There are a lot of vendors which have initiated IT certification programs to provide high quality certificates to the candidates, which are admired and appreciated all over the world. These certifications are, in fact, given to the most capable and deserving candidates who demonstrate proficiency in the required areas pertaining to the profession the certificate deals with. The most popular IT certification vendors include:

• Apple
• Microsoft
• Symantec
• Adobe
• Cisco
• IBM
• C++ institute
• Avaya

These vendors are well-known for providing certifications related to their products or solutions. These companies’ products are used by organizations and people all over the world. This has raised a need for highly trained certified professionals who will be able to deal with the vendor’s product in various domains. In fact, if you own a professional level certification provided by one of the above listed vendors, you will surely be able to secure an amazing job in one of the best organizations in the world.

Common certification policy

The individual process for acquiring a certification is different for each vendor’s certification, including their terms and policies. However, the overall procedure is still quite similar. Before applying for a particular certification, you need to make sure that you fulfil all the prerequisite requirements of that certification. You can only apply for a certificate if you own the right amount of experience and education required for that certification. These details can be found on each certification vendor’s website.

In order to get an IT certification, one needs to clear all the required components of the certification. Generally, in most cases, the most essential component to be cleared for a certification is the exam which has been associated with it. There is usually one exam with basic level certification, but the number of exams tends to increase as one move towards acquiring professional level certificates. Moreover, some certifications also come with lab exams. These lab exams have been specifically designed to test the practical skills of the candidates and to determine that how well are the candidates able to incorporate their existing knowledge in practical situations. These lab exams are usually long and held for the duration ranging from 4 to 8 hours. In certain cases, you will also be required to complete a given project. For example, in some programming certifications, you are given a project to design a complete application.

It is also important to note that these certifications come with an expiration date. The validity of the certificate as prescribed by each vendor varies, but generally the certification does not remain valid for greater than 5 years. This is where the process of recertification comes into being where you have to clear a number of exams after every 3 to 5 years to keep yourself certified.

Importance of an IT certification and ways of obtaining it

The importance of IT certifications can be judged from the fact that certified professionals are scoring better jobs than non-certified people. This is due to the high worth of these certifications, which enables one to get good jobs instantly. In fact, these certifications not only give a boost to your career, but give you a unique certification training which will develop your skills and concepts.

In order to obtain an IT certification, you need to follow these steps:

1. Apply for the IT certification
2. Make sure you meet the required prerequisites
3. Register for the written exams
4. Register for lab exams (if any)
5. Clear all the exams
6. Submit the application form for the certificate

Once you follow these steps in the written order, you will surely get your desired IT certification instantly.