3 of the Best Entry Level IT Certifications to Boost Your Career

Archive for IT career building

3 of the Best Entry Level IT Certifications to Boost Your Career

If you want to make yourself a career in the field of information technology, you should consider achieving one of the well-established, entry level IT certifications as a credential for your IT skills.

Why are Entry Level IT Certifications important?

Many people are nowadays interested in computer and IT subjects, which is a continually changing and evolving career path.  An IT Certification serves as a standardized tool to help potential employers or customers to assess your knowledge and skill set and make an informed decision about hiring you.

Which of the Entry Level IT Certifications is right for you?

Entry level IT Certifications

CompTIA A+

A CompTIA A+ certification provides a starting point and foundation for your IT career as an entry level IT technician. A CompTIA A + technician offers technical and operational IT support and maintains, troubleshoots and repairs PCs, mobile devices, operating systems and peripheral equipment.

TechSherpas CompTIA A+ training course provides qualified training and preparation for your CompTIA A+ certification for participants who already possess basic computer skills.

 

Cisco Certified Entry Level Technicial (CCENT) and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

For aspiring network technicians, a Cisco Certification as Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and/or Cisco Certified Entry Level Technician (CCENT) as a stepping-stone to becoming an associate is the way to go. Typical job titles for professionals with such a CCNA certification are “Systems Administrator,” “Network Administrator” or “Network Engineer.”

 

Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)

The Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) is an entry level IT certification and a stepping-stone to becoming a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). Both certifications are part of the Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCP) program.

There are 17 different focus areas for an MCSA, among them:

  • BI Reporting
  • Cloud Platform
  • Office 365
  • Windows 10
  • SQL 2016 Database Administration

Depending on which area or areas you want to focus on, you can select the particular MCSA accordingly. You can also group several of these focus area certifications (as illustrated in our Microsoft Certification Map). This enables you to achieve the mid-level Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification.

TechSherpas is a Microsoft Gold Partner and as such specially certified by Microsoft to provide training and certifications for MCSA and MCSE. Have a look at our course catalog to get a better overview about the various training courses and learning solutions that help you to get your IT career started or better yet, take it to the next level.

 

Sources:
https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/technology/blog/5-it-certifications-to-get-your-foot-in-the-door/
https://certification.comptia.org/certifications
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/training-events/training-certifications/certifications/entry.html

 

3 In-Demand Technology Jobs and How to Qualify for Them

Are you looking for a job in the field of technology? Do you want to learn more about the qualifications and career options regarding technology jobs? There is a high demand in skilled people to fill IT- and tech-related positions. Considering the constantly evolving technologies, it is unlikely that this demand will change in the nearer future.

technology jobs

So, what are the in-demand tech jobs, and what kind of qualification do you need to get them?

Software Developer/Engineer

Computers run with various kinds of software/computer programs. These can be standard commercial products or highly specialized with customized programs to meet the exact needs of the user. Some corporations even have their own proprietary software, with which they organize their processes.

The development, design, maintenance, and testing of these programs is the domain of software engineers and developers.

There are various college programs in computer science and software engineering available at the undergraduate as well as advanced levels, such as Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSE).

Systems Administrator/Engineer, Network Administrator/Engineer

Especially larger organizations do not simply use single computers for their operation, but entire information technology systems. Administrators are usually occupied with the day-to-day running and maintenance of the computer systems/networks. The tasks for a systems engineer rely mostly in the organization and planning of the network infrastructure.

The typical entry level education is a Bachelor’s degree, but there are also special certification programs, such as the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP).

Web Developer

Web Developers build, design, implement and maintain an organizations websites and create or integrate back-end applications by using programming languages such as HTML, CSS, Javascript and XML. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical entry level degree is an Associate’s degree.

Further Technology Jobs Qualification Options and Information

Many tech careers provide options to work either as an employee or independent contractor. Depending on which state you work in, there are regulations for the use of certain professional terms and job titles.  Example: As an “Engineer” (like “Software Engineer”, “Computer Hardware Engineer” etc.) you might need to obtain a license.

It is not necessary to have an IT-related college degree to secure a job in the growing industry of technology. There are also degrees in other fields like mathematics, statistics, and more, that serve as basic qualification for an IT job. With such a degree, your best option is to combine it with additional IT-relevant certifications. These are not only available at colleges, but also via commercial providers.

We at Techsherpas offer you a variety of IT certification training, including on-demand learning solutions.

 

Sources:

https://www.modis.com/it-insights/infographics/top-it-jobs-of-2018/

https://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/top-10-most-in-demand-it-job-titles.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/media/americas-10-toughest-jobs-to-fill-in-2017/

https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0471/0471.html

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/network-and-computer-systems-administrators.htm

 

The Benefits of IT Certification Programs for your Professional Career

IT certification programs for your careerParticipating in IT certification programs has a number of benefits for IT professionals, as well as, computer enthusiasts aiming to get a foothold in the business. There is a wide array of IT-related courses out there. But please note: The number of those that actually provide you with such credentials that can make an actual positive impact on your career is much smaller.

What is the difference between IT certification programs and  IT degrees?

You are probably aware that various universities and colleges offer programs that lead to an academic degree in an IT-related field like computer science, cybersecurity, etc. Some of these programs provide certifications as well, but the providers of most IT certifications are private businesses.

One particularly important benefit of a certification is that it usually takes significantly less time to obtain. This is due to the fact that certification courses tend to focus more on one specific area. We, at TechSherpas , offer special boot camps to help you to achieve your IT certification goal.  In addition, it is easier to earn an IT certification at TechSherpas while working full-time, especially since there are options for customizable On-Demand Learning available.

A definition for “Certification” from the Oxford Dictionary describes it as “the action or process of providing someone or something with an official document attesting to a status or level of achievement”.

In contrast to a university degree, an IT certification program is less regulated. It is important to choose the right provider to ensure you are receiving the best value for your efforts, your time, and your financial investment.

How to find the right provider for your IT certification

Theoretically, anyone who teaches some kind of subject can issue a corresponding certification for their students. That is why the selection of the right provider is especially important. You should look for a provider that

  • is qualified, reputable and
  • offers certification courses with recognition value

TechSherpas is a Microsoft Gold Partner. This means that TechSherpas is Microsoft-certified to operate as a training and certification provider for Microsoft products. Among these products are Office 365 and SharePoint, Access, Azure and more. This ensures qualification as well as recognition value: When you put such a certification on your CV, you want potential employer to recognize it as a valuable credential.

But our certification courses also include products of various other manufacturers, like Oracle, Citrix, and Cisco. Our CompTIA training provides professional and vendor-neutral certification from beginner to expert-level.

An IT certification helps to shape your profile as an IT professional. It can give you the leverage you need to positively stand out from your competition.

Let us know: Which IT certification programs – so far – have made the greatest impact on your career?

Tech Industry Terms You’ll Want to Know

Ever been in a room with people more advanced in your career than you?  Does it feel like they are speaking a different language?  In the IT industry, there are certain terms which are commonly used that most people, especially newbies to the career path, don’t know.

IT Career Building Starts with Knowing This Lingo

If you are focused on IT career building, here are some terms you should know and understand.

Embedding

Embedding is when you put social media content onto a webpage. For example, if you were to see a YouTube video on a website, or a comments feed, that would be embedding. Although this requires coding, most social media sites will generate and supply you with the code you need to embed your content.

Call to Action

A call to action is a term used to describe anything that asks the visitor to take action. These are used as a marketing tool to try to convert viewers into buyers and can consist of anything ranging from a comment on a blog to a website banner asking the viewer to click for more information.

Data Mining

This is the strategy of examining large amounts of data to analyze the behavior and actions of website visitors. This information can be used to boost activity on your site, or to start tailoring your site to the people who are attracted to specific images or topics.

Website Optimization

Site optimization is a long-term process which employs multiple strategies to improve interaction on the site and convert viewers into buyers.  This could include strategic methods to attract the browser to specific areas of the site, or just making the website easier to navigate in general.

PPI (Pixels Per Inch)

This is the density of an image, and is used to describe the amount of pixels per inch on a display.  A higher PPI count equals a sharper image.  In many cases, there is a minimum PPI for certain projects, such as print marketing or certain online advertisements.

CSS

This is a language, used to alter documents created with HTML and add style to them.  This is the next step after HTML which is used to create the layout, color and font of the page.

What terms have you learned so far in the tech industry?   Show off your tech-savvy lingo by writing your favorite tech term in the comments below!

Sources:

99 Terms You Need To Know When You’re New To Tech