The 12 Certs of Christmas
We are in full holiday swing with only days left until Christmas. Rather than overload you with lords-a-leaping or swans-a-swimming (enjoy having the song stuck in your head!), we want to bring you 12 certifications to consider through the holidays and into the new year. Whether you’re new to IT or cybersecurity or looking to break into new territory, there is a cert for everyone on this list.
1. CySA+
Open jobs: 11,600+
Avg. salary: $75,000^
Holding CompTIA’s Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) certification demonstrates you possess the foundational knowledge that a cybersecurity analyst needs to prevent, identify and protect against cyber threats using appropriate tools and techniques. This certification is often seen to bridge the gap between the Security+ and CASP+ certifications.
2. CEH
Open jobs: 745+
Avg. salary: $79,256^
EC-Council’s Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is designed for skilled professionals who want to understand how to find weaknesses and vulnerabilities in target systems in order to improve an organization’s security posture. You’ll learn to think like a hacker and use their tools in order to increase and improve security initiatives. This certification requires two years of infosec experience.
3. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
Open jobs: 1,532^
Avg. salary: $111,000^
As a leading provider of cloud services, Amazon Web Services Solution Architect-Associate certification continues to gain popularity. Earning this certification demonstrates your ability to design and deploy scalable environments on the AWS platform.
4. CASP+
Open jobs: 1,907+
Avg salary: $86,000^
CompTIA’s Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) is the perfect certification if you are looking to progress in your field without strictly pursuing management. In addition to gaining the technical cyber and IT skills necessary, CASP-qualified individuals possess the ability to develop solutions to protect the enterprise from cybersecurity threats. To earn this qualification, you must have 10 years of IT administrative experience and five years of hands-on technical security experience.
5. Java SE
Open jobs: 31,354+
Avg salary: $74,030^
Earning Oracle’s Java SE certification is great way to highlight your experience with the Java platform and ability to create clean and effective programs. Java is the leading development platform and one of the top coding languages used in enterprise application development, making it a sure bet if you’re looking to expand your skill set and increase your job prospects.
6. CCNP Routing and Switching
Open jobs: 4,555+
Avg salary: $94,000^
Cisco’s CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) certification is the next step for those who already hold the CCNA certification. Candidates choose to specialize in one of nine focus areas and earning a specialized Cisco credential shows extensive knowledge in that area. One growing specialization is Routing and Switching (CCNA Routing and Switching is a prerequisite) which validates your ability to plan and implement enterprise network solutions and infrastructure.
7. MCSA Cloud Platform
Open jobs: 3,149+
Avg salary: $74,000^
Microsoft’s MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate) Cloud Platform certification provides a foundation for individuals looking to become a cloud administrator or architect. Thanks to the cloud race, Microsoft’s Azure is one of the top growing cloud services. As more and more businesses are moving their applications and IT infrastructure into the cloud, the demand for a certified workforce is likely to eclipse the standard DevOps for on-premise installations, making the MCSA-Cloud Platform a handy certification to have.
8. A+
Open jobs: 17,214+
Avg salary: $60,000^
Earning CompTIA’s A+ certification is a great way to validate your grasp of the foundational skills technical support and IT operational roles. This certification prepares you to troubleshoot and problem solve issues ranging from networking and operating systems to mobile devices and security. It’s recommended that you have a minimum of nine months of hands-on experience before you pursue this certification.
9. CCNA Cyber Operations
Open jobs: 3,478+
Avg salary: $80,000^
Cisco’s CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certification is a mid-level credential that validates your ability to detect and defend against security threats. CCNA’s can choose to specialize in one of nine areas–one of which is the Cyber Operations designation that is the result of the company’s recent pivot into the security space. This credential establishes a baseline for networking experts to transition into the growing security space.
10. CISM
Open jobs: 151,199+
Avg salary: $124,000^
ISACA’s Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) is a management-focused certification designed for professionals who design, build, and manage enterprise information security programs. Achieving this leading information security credential will help you join a growing and elite network. To qualify for this certification, you’ll need five years of experience in information security.
11. Security+
Open jobs: 35,900*
Avg salary: $73,000^
The increasing skills gap means more and more individuals–whether recent graduates or career-changers–will enter the infosec space with little knowledge or experience in the field. CompTIA Security+ is a globally trusted certification that validates the baseline skills you need to perform core security functions and pursue an IT security career. As a benchmark for best practices in IT security, this certification covers the essential principles for network security and risk management – making it an important stepping stone of an IT security career.
12. CISSP
Open jobs: 77,492*
Avg salary: $110,000^
The CISSP cybersecurity certification is an elite way to demonstrate your knowledge, advance your career and become a member of a community of cybersecurity leaders. It shows you have all it takes to design, engineer, implement and run an information security program. While you need five years of work experience in two of the eight domains to qualify for the CISSP designation, if you don’t meet the experience requirement, you can take the CISSP CAT exam and earn your Associate designation.
If one or more of these certifications piqued your interest, consider making CyberVista your cybersecurity and IT training partner to help give your career a boost in 2020. And if the persistent holiday music, abundant sweet treats, and impending family-time become too overwhelming, remember that studying for your next cert is a great excuse for some quiet time.
Updated: December 3, 2019
Resources:
*Cyberseek.org
+ Indeed.com
^ Payscale.com