Why Certification – Summary of Benefits
Written by: Marie Norfleet, Infotec
When anyone is asked about the benefits of certification one of the key answers that is returned is Money. Let’s break that down into specifics.
For the individual employee or job applicant, certainly certification is going to play an integral role. For instance, when a candidate is being considered for a job, the candidate with the certifications is more likely to be hired or promoted over the candidate without the certification.
Beyond getting a new job or being promoted in a current position is only the beginning. There are a number of other benefits that an individual may realize by holding certifications.
Lifelong Learners
Studies have shown that people who regularly engage in new learning have more developed minds than those that remain in static unchanging routines. This will also help to have an ongoing decrease in the skills gaps in an enterprise.
Networking with other professionals is another benefit that may be realized. As a lifelong learner, allows for better professional and career development with other professionals in the same field and who share similar interests.
Continual education sharpens the intellect and helps to fulfill the development of professional talents. An IT professional will need to stay current on changes in technology in order to provide up to date and pertinent information for their enterprise, no matter how large or small.
Partnership Programs
IT professionals that hold certifications may also find benefits with some of the partnership programs available through certain providers. Obtaining Microsoft, Cisco or Citrix certification lends to a degree of brand recognition within the industry. There are other industry associations that are not linked to a specific product. These include CompTIA, ISACA and (ISC)2
Some partnership programs include product discounts such as books and manuals as well as equipment and other products. There may also be newsletters provided that will offer career tips and updates and changes within the IT industry.
Personal Gratification
There are plenty of benefit beyond simply holding a certification. Obtaining a certification after training is an excellent way to validate that you have retained the appropriate knowledge. It may also be an exceptional way to validate a skill set that has been obtained from experience.
Employees and job candidate benefit but Employers may find a number of benefits to be had from having certified personnel in their IT Enterprise.
Skills Gaps
A study by CompTIA indicates the 80% of organizations have a skills gap in at least one business area. Such gaps may be hindering a company’s optimal utilization of technology which could stand in the way of business success. To fill these skills gaps, the employer has one of two choices. They may hire new personnel or train existing personnel. It has been found that it is less expensive to train and certify an existing employee than the hire a new employee.
Overwhelmingly, employers have observed that certified individuals are more productive than uncertified individuals. Many employers have expressed that the certified IT professional shows initiative. Job retention is an area of concern for many employers due to the cost of training a new employee once an old employee has left. Employers have found that IT personnel are more prone to stay in a position when their certification exams are paid for.
Besides the benefits of work ethic, employers may have other motivations to certify their employees. These could be for satisfying a client or customer requirement. They may also experience a competitive edge when eliciting proposals, contracts and bids.
Enterprises that experience downtime will measure that downtime in the number of dollars lost. Enterprise are likely to experience less downtime and greater productivity in their help-desk function when the IT employees are certified in the operating systems and applications used within the infrastructure.
Risk mitigation is a very clear concern for IT Enterprises. IT costs can be overwhelming, especially when trying to secure across all facets of the Infrastructure. Employers report better IT infrastructure utilization as well as a more secure ad effective business solution. This is time-saving and cost efficient.
From the prospect of attaining IT employment to the lengthy list of IT security benefits, having a group of certified IT personnel can benefit, not only the individual employee but also the IT enterprise as a whole.
