The 2019 IT Certifications That Will Boost Your Career

January 28, 2019 | by Andrew Hermann

Ready to enhance your skill set, beat resume-scanning ATS systems, and land coveted interviews or promotions? As you seek to manage and advance your tech career, consider pursuing the following 2019 IT certifications based on your niche or career level.

Cloud Certifications

Whether a business wishes to transition to the cloud for the first time or wants to upgrade their cloud presence, they need the talent that can make it happen efficiently and safely. That’s why employer interest in candidates with cloud skills has risen 33% in just three years. To hone your cloud skills, consider:

AWS Certified Solutions Architect: With no less than four levels (Foundational, Associate, Professional, and Specialty), there are several options to excel further in the popular Amazon Web Services no matter where you’re at in your career.
CompTIA Cloud+: Recently overhauled in early 2018, this vendor-neutral certification is primed for modern cloud needs and builds on CompTIA’s Cloud Essentials program.
Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals: This is a new certification from Microsoft, released after they retired the popular MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure certification at the end of 2018.
Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP): Many cyberattacks originate from flaws in the cloud, so certifications that specialize in cloud security are highly coveted by businesses.

Data Certifications

Without data, the IT industry simply wouldn’t exist. Demand for talent skilled in big data is so high that there’s a clear skills shortage in the niche in Portland and throughout the country. As long as businesses seek to make sense of and leverage their data, the need for these technology professionals will remain high. Valuable certifications include:

Certified Analytics Professional (CAP): By offering an end-to-end view of the analytics process, it’s no surprise that the CAP has become one of the most popular data certifications.
Stanford Data Mining and Applications Graduate Certificate: Comprised of three online courses over the span of one to two years, this respected program goes deeper than other certificates.
MapR Certified Data Analyst 1.9: This certification covers essential ETL tasks, SQL queries, and troubleshooting situations, and can be obtained through a two-hour exam.
IBM Certified Data Architect – Big Data: For Data Architects, IBM provides a respected certification that considers business requirements, the relationship between technologies, and designing large-scale data processing systems.

Security Certifications

An increasing reliance on technology directly correlates to an increasing need for security talent. With breaches and cyberattacks now commonplace, it’s no wonder companies are leaving less to chance. Obtaining a security certification can put hiring managers at ease and make you a frontrunner for exciting opportunities:

Certified Ethical Hacker: Not only does it sound cool, but the vendor-neutral CEH certification identifies weaknesses, along with covering the knowledge and tools hackers use in order to stay one step ahead of them.
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM): This data-focused security certification is attractive on a resume and connects information security to broader business goals.
Microsoft 365 Certified Security Administrator Associate: This new certification from Microsoft covers compliance, threat response, and enforcing data governance.
GIAC Cyber Defense Certifications: With over 10 specific programs, there are GIAC trainings in defending advanced threats, UNIX security, perimeter protection, and more.

Foundational Certifications

Technology skill sets often grow naturally on the job. Through promotions, it sometimes happens that one moves up the ladder and never gets the foundational certifications they are expected to have. Whether you’re looking to fulfill prerequisites for loftier certifications or are a new technology professional and need a place to start, consider:

CompTIA A+: As their website suggests, this is the industry standard in establishing your IT career.
HDI Desktop Support Technician (HDI-DST): Help desk roles are common launching pads for IT careers, and this certification can build that foundation.
CompTIA Network+: Anyone seeking a career in technology infrastructure can benefit from this popular certification.
Linux Essentials Professional Development Certificate (PDC): Linux professionals are in high demand and this provides an entry into their set of valuable certifications.

Management-Minded Certifications

Interested in the management side of IT? Aspiring to one day join the C-suite as a CIO or other tech executive? Many such positions blend technical knowledge with high-level business management skills, and there are certifications that speak to this unique mix:

Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT): Those who hold the CGEIT are often CEOs, CIOs, CISOs, and IT Directors earning well into the six figures.
Six Sigma Green Belt: Offered from various vendors, companies, and universities, Six Sigma certifications can rapidly turn you into management material.
Project Management Professional (PMP): This is the gold standard for project managers and provides solid business acumen that can complement a technical skill set nicely.
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM): Agile methodologies (such as those increasingly used in software development) are big in the tech sector and the CSM certification provides a boost in this area.

The 2019 IT Certifications for You

With so many technology certifications out there, no list can be exhaustive. The key is to determine which ones can best usher you forward on your chosen career path. Research the above 2019 IT certifications, find more at great training websites like CBT Nuggets, talk to coworkers, check with your supervisor, and discuss with your peers, and by this time next year, your resume may have an additional powerful bullet point or two.