I have been working in the IT field now for 20 years. I have learned a lot of new technologies and seen a lot of changes in the way we use computers every day. One thing that I was trying to figure out is what to someone with my skill set should try to learn next. I have a lot of experience with Servers and cloud as well as experience with network infrastructure and and now VOIP and telephone configuration and support. If your at this level you may need to learn something new that will make you valuable if you were to branch out. I thought maybe someone should go about a certification in one technology but those are easily outdated and tend to be hard to obtain. Plus if you land in a new company that does not use that technology now you have spent all that money and time and get no benefit from it. Perhaps doing a combo of things is worth time such as the theory of support like the ITIL certification. This certification covers the codes of practice when it comes to supporting computers in large environments. According to many online sites, Comptia's group of certs can give you a very well rounded foundation. You can do A+ which says computer hardware and software are a specialty of yours and this certification is one of the first ones that IT people go for. It is relatively inexpensive to go after and does not take a large amount of time to study for and pass. Also with this cert you can go for the network version which is network+ which gives you a well rounded view of networking and how it all connects and works. This is a little more challenging to get and there is more studying you have to do to get the understanding down. If you can get hands on for this and the A+ it makes it that much easier to get the certs. Comptia also has the Security+ which proves you are knowledgeable about security and how to keep an enterprise secure on their network and the internet. The other one they have is the Cloud+ and Cloud essentials. The cloud essentials is an overview of using a cloud computing and isn't a very technical certification to get. This is a good one for anyone to get once they work in a cloud connected office to show they have the knowledge of how the cloud works and how it brings value to the company they work for. Then you can go for Cloud+ after that. This one is a little more challenging. This cert validated the skills of IT practitioners in the ability to implement and maintain cloud technologies.
These are some certifications that can help you get to the next level in your career and make sure to tell potential companies that you know your stuff and can bring them value right from the start of your employment with them. Now if your in a company and you find out they are going to start implementing Cisco networking gear then by all means start hitting up the Cisco training to get the Certs from them. Or if you know you will be supporting Microsoft servers with your current or future companies then try to go after the Microsoft certs like MCSE. These tests are all expensive and if your taking multiple tests to pass a certification like MCSE then you have to pay for each test you take and this will add up. One perk some companies have is they will pay to have you take the test or reimburse you the cost of the exam. If your with a company that will do that then you should go for as many as you can handle. With this benefit the retests down the road cost less so you can get a retest cheaper and do not have to pay out so much to re certify. There are a lot of free sites out there that share some information about the exams you are looking into. Some of them offer free study guides or low cost guides that you can purchase. Again, if your company offers to reimburse you for training then get the study guides. They are a valuable tool in preparing for the exams as most guides have great summary pages alerting you to the most important things to concentrate your study on. Its also best to check out where you can get the best deal for the books you will need to read. (I hope you have room on your book shelf and it can hold heavy books!) You can find deals on the exam books and some places you can find deals on slightly used copies of the book so your cost is lower to prepare.
There is some great certifications out there that can prove to companies that you keep current and have a high set of skills when it comes to IT. There is many ways to tackle the exams and great study guides to help you pass and become certified. It just takes time and dedication and to remember that it will only help you to achieve the next step in your Career.
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