IT Certifications Can Boost Your Salary

Recent studies have come to different conclusions on the value IT certifications bring to your paycheck, career and bottom line. A recent study by Network World and SolarWinds, for example, found that the majority of federal and private sector IT professionals who earned certifications saw a salary increase or bonus. Another study by IT consulting firm Foote Partners found that global instability and a lack of confidence in the U.S. economy has led to a flattening of salaries between workers who have IT certifications and those who do not. So which is true?

This month's issue of the Dice Report indicates that tech professionals are finding value in certifications, particularly when it comes to landing a new position. Forty percent of tech professionals said obtaining a certification helped them land a new job, which is about 10 percentage points higher than their colleagues working in traditional roles, Dice found.

The survey of more than 18,000 IT professionals also found that Project Management Professional certifications were among the most highly valued. The PMP certification is the most frequently desired certification in job posts on Dice, with nearly 2,200 requests in job postings on any given day, up 9 percent over last year. "Project management is a lucrative role, with an average salary of about $104,000," the report states. "Add PMP and average salaries jump to nearly $120,000."

Security certifications like the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Network+ are other career-boosting credentials among IT professionals. The high demand for such certifications in government is one factor driving the high level of tech professionals (53 percent) who have at least one certification and are based in Washington, D.C., Dice found.

Demand for the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) credential also is increasing, with those obtaining the certification expanding their job options and commanding salaries of nearly $110,000.

Other valued certifications among IT professionals were: A+, Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Security+, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), according to the survey.

"It's important to remember that not all certifications create the opportunity for a new job or a fatter paycheck, so tech professionals have to be certain that the investment is worth it," the report states.

Source: http://wiredworkplace.nextgov.com/2012/02/are_it_certifications_worth_it.php?oref=latest_posts

Virtualization Certification(s) - Is It Really Worth It?

First, let me say that I am a big proponent of technical certifications. That is the reason why I have my Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) Server Administrator, MCITP Enterprise Administrator and MCITP Enterprise Messaging Administrator 2007 and 2010. Once upon a time, I also had my Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), MCSE (precursor to MCITP), CNI and CNE.

Recently, I passed the Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Virtualization (Exam 70-659) and Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 (Exam 70-400). I plan to get my MCITP Virtualization Administrator so I'll need to take the Windows Server 2008 R2 Desktop Virtualization Exam (70-669) and Windows Server 2008 R2 Virtualization Administrator Exam (70-693) sometime in the next few months. As soon as the two exams for Microsoft Private Cloud Certification become available (Exams 70-246 and 70-247), I will also study and take those.

At the end of January, I attended the VMware vSphere 5: Install, Configure, Manage course and am currently studying for the VCP5 exam.

As I look at the costs in time and money to achieve these certifications, I started asking myself if it was really worth the time and effort to obtain all these certifications. At the end of the day, I did come to the conclusion that it was indeed worth it!

I'm pretty darn sure 90% (or more) of companies out there today are virtualizing their server workloads in one way or another. I am also willing to bet that not everyone fully understands how to manage the virtualization platform that they are using - whether it's the solution from Microsoft, VMware, Xen or any other smaller virtualization technologies. Training can definitely help and should probably be taken advantage of by more IT Professionals out there. The "next" level is then pursuing the appropriate virtualization certification from the vendor in question. Since quite a few organizations use Microsoft and VMware as their virtualization platform, I thought I would focus on these two and get my certification on both platforms.

On the Microsoft front, I opted not to attend any of the classroom training available as I have been working with the technologies for quite some time now and figured I didn't need to. I did study up a little on some of the technologies that I don't necessarily use on a regular basis in my current role. I like that fact that if I have true hands on experience with the technology, I have a valid chance at passing the exam. I may not agree with all the questions on the exam, but enough of it is pertinent to real world experience that I'm okay with it. With 20 / 20 hindsight, I do believe it is worthwhile to do some studying and reviewing of areas that I wouldn't necessarily use on a regular basis. As an example, installation of the free version of Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 is not something I would normally do on a regular basis. In fact, I wouldn't be installing the Hyper-V role on a daily basis either so it can help to brush up on installation items.

On the VMware front, I find it annoying that I have to attend a class in order to get my certification. It's one thing if the class were $1200 or $1500, but the 5 day vSphere 5 course costs $3500. Since I don't administer a VMware environment on a daily basis, the class definitely helped me. However, for those who have true hands on experience, I do find this high cost of entry to be quite annoying. Since I have virtualization experience, I was able to understand the VMware terminology and architecture in a short amount of time. My instructor did a great job of explaining the concepts and even went into additional topics that weren't part of the official courseware. I still need to pay my $225 to take the exam, but am confident that I will be able to pass it with some hard studying.

I'm curious what everyone else things about this topic. Please weigh in with your thoughts by posting some great comments on my blog post.

• Do you feel there is value in Virtualization Certification in general?
• Do you find value in Microsoft's certification?
• Do you find value in VMware's certification?
• Would you pursue both like I am?

Source: http://www.sys-con.com/node/2164899

What is the MCITP Certification? How can I get MCITP Certified?

MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional) is Microsoft’s new generation of professional certifications based on Windows Server 2008. By gaining an MCITP Certification, you are backing up your knowledge and skills in working with IT infrastructures, including planning, deployment, maintenance and optimization with a Certification which is a IT industry standard and is recognized all around the world. By attaining a MCITP Certification, such as Enterprise Administrator, Database Developer or Consumer Support Technician, you are showcasing your skills in a specific area of IT. You will be the first choice in a crowd of IT job seekers because you have the latest and most up to date credential from Microsoft, the largest name in the IT Industry today. The Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certification helps validate that an individual has the comprehensive set of skills necessary to perform a particular job role, such as database administrator or enterprise messaging administrator. MCITP certifications build on the technical proficiency measured in the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications. Therefore, you will earn one or more MCTS certifications on your way to earning an MCITP certification.

Why get certified? How do I become MCITP certified?

To earn the MCITP: Server Administrator certification, you must pass three exams: two Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exams and one Professional Series exam. Earning a Microsoft Certification helps validate your proven experience and helps you build your career, whether you are new to technology or a seasoned professional. The benefits you receive after earning a Microsoft Certification provide you opportunities to connect with a vast, global network of Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs). Research shows that certification is a value to you and your organization:

Required Exams
Exam 70-640 / 83-640 (earns MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration)
Exam 70-642 (earns MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Configuration)
Exam 70-646 (earns MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Administration Configuration)

Congratulation for getting MCITP Certification

SSDN Technologies Congrats to "Dilip Mishra" for Getting MCITP Certified.

SSDN Technologies Congrats to "Ravinder Kumar" for Getting MCITP Server Admin Certified.