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2022’s 10 Most Important IT Certifications

By Vahid Haghzare, Director Silicon Valley Associates Recruitment &
Armie Garcia, Marketing Associate, Silicon Valley Associates Recruitment

One of the top IT Recruitment Agencies in Hong Kong, Dubai, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Singapore, and Japan, SVA Recruitment is an IT and employment agency that provides jobs, executive search, and recruitment services.

IT certifications can improve your chances of advancement and lead to higher pay. Global Knowledge has determined the top 10 IT certifications most in demand today.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused businesses to quickly accelerate their digital transformation strategies. However, according to the various 2021 reports, the ongoing IT skills gap has delayed progress in achieving that goal, with the majority of IT decision-makers disclosing that there is difficulty filling IT positions.

Employers and job seekers are both increasingly turning to certifications as a way to bridge the gap between employer needs and employee skills. Training existing staff or providing credentials of skills used in high demand can be an important decision to make.

More than 92% of IT professionals hold at least one certification. At the same time, 64% of IT decision-makers globally assert that certified employees on average add $10,000 USD or more in value to a company over their non-certified counterparts.

So which IT certifications offer the most promising career path?

To help you decide where to focus your efforts, here are the most sought-after IT certifications of 2021, according to data from Global Knowledge.

IT Certifications from $100 - $760

1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate - $150

This certification attests to your ability to design and apply cloud initiatives using AWS services. To be certified, you need to pass an exam that involves utilizing, managing, and operating workloads and applying security control and compliance.

The certification exam will test your knowledge in these 4 areas:

AWS Well-Architected Framework
AWS networking,
Security services
Global infrastructure.

To be eligible for the exam, applicants must have 1 year of hands-on experience with AWS that includes:

Computing, networking, storage
Database services
Deployment and management services

2. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) - $699

The ISC Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification authenticates your abilities and expertise at administering, designing and managing a cybersecurity program.

Designed for those who hold the following job titles:

CISO
CIO
Director of security
IT director/manager
Security Systems Engineer
Security Analyst
Security Architect
Security Auditor
Network architect

The examination for this includes:

Asset Security
Security and risk management
Communication and Network Security
Identity and access management (IAM)
Security assessment and testing
Software development security.

To be eligible to take the CISSP exam, candidates must have at least five years of cumulative, paid work experience in two or more of the eight domains covered in the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge.

3. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) - $575 to $760

This certification by the ISACA attests to your knowledge of information security, IT security, and control that can qualify you for an IT manager role.

The CISM certification exam includes the areas of:

Information risk management,
Information security program development and management
Information security incident management.

For candidates to be qualified for the certification exam, they should have 5 or more years working in IS management, note that experience disclaimers are available for 2 years maximum.

4. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner - $100

This course can help you learn the basics of cloud technology if you are just entering the field and plan to continue your cloud studies.

The certification is an introductory exam. It is designed for anyone with knowledge of the basics of the AWS platform.

You are advised to have at least 6 months of experience working with AWS Cloud, an understanding of core IT services, and knowledge of basic AWS services.

The exam includes the following topics:

Core AWS services
Economics of AWS Cloud
Compliance within the AWS Cloud.

5. AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional - $300

This certification proves your technical ability to design, install, and assess programs using AWS services.

Certification exam includes:

AWS CLI
AWS APIs
AWS CloudFormation templates
AWS Billing Console
AWS Management Console
Scripting languages
Windows and Linux environments.

To become certified in this course, you must understand the best applications for the architectural design of applications and enterprise projects. You will also learn how to plan for business objectives.

You will be tested on your knowledge of cloud implementation requirements and the ability to develop a hybrid architecture using AWS technologies, including your knowledge of uninterrupted integration and distribution.

At least 2 years or more of practical experience deploying cloud architecture on Amazon Web Services (AWS) is required for this certification.

6. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) - $575 to $760

The Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control certification by the ISACA proves your knowledge and understanding of constructing agile risk-management programs.

The exam includes topics such as:

Governance
Risk response and reporting
IT risk assessment
Information technology and security

The CRISC is for IT/IS auditors, risk and security professionals who wish to prove their knowledge of governance top procedures and constant threat monitoring.

There are also free certifications you can take up:

7. Google Professional Cloud Architect - Free

Your ability to implement Google Cloud technologies within an organization will be tested in this certification.

Knowledge in the following topics is advised if you are going to take this certification exam:

Designing and planning a cloud solution architecture
Managing and provisioning the cloud infrastructure
Designing for security and compliance
Analyzing and optimizing technology and business processes
Managing implementations of cloud architectures
Ensuring solutions and operations reliability.

This certification indicates that you have the skills to design, implement, and follow enterprise cloud strategy, solution design, and follow architectural leading operations as well as your knowledge of software development procedures for multi-cloud or hybrid environments.

8. Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals - Free

This attests to your understanding of cloud services proposed on Microsoft Azure.

A basic certification designed for IT professionals new to working with cloud-based solutions or new to Azure.

To be certified, you should demonstrate a broad knowledge of such topics as:

Networking
Storage
Compute
Application support
Application development

The certification is based on your understanding of cloud concepts and provides an introduction to Azure services, Azure workloads, security and privacy in Azure, and Azure pricing and support.

9. Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert - Free

This modern certification is for experienced solution architects to prove their proficiency in developing cloud and hybrid solutions that run on Microsoft Azure. You will first have to pass the associate-level exam in order to be eligible for the expert-level exam.

To be certified, candidates should have the latest knowledge and experience of IT operations, including connecting, virtualization, identity, security, business continuity, disaster recovery, data platforms, and governance.

The Azure Solutions Architect Expert exam will be put off as of March 31, 2022. Microsoft has replaced it with another exam called Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions which you can access in beta version.

10. Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate

The Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate certification proves your skills and aptitude for implementing, managing and monitoring an organization's Microsoft Azure environment.

To become certified, candidates must have six months of firsthand experience managing Azure, and they must have a strong knowledge of core services, workloads, security, and governance.

A background in using PowerShell, Azure CLI, Azure portal, and Azure Resource Manager templates is highly recommended.

The exam topics include:

Managing Azure identities and governance
Applying and managing storage
Installing and administering Azure compute resources
Configuring and managing virtual networking
Monitoring and backing up Azure resources

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Silicon Valley Associates is ideally positioned to support the continual demand from tech companies and IT Departments looking to hire in Hong Kong, Asia, and Worldwide. Please let us know if you would further advise on the above topic or your hiring needs