In the current job market with cut-throat competition, professional certifications are a must have to advertise one’s credibility and market value.
By definition, professional certification is any stipulation that is duly earned by an individual, that guarantees that the particular person is capable of undergoing the job and complete the task that is given.
There are primarily two kinds with respect to their validity. The first kinds are those, which provide lifetime validity, and the second ones are with periodic validity. Post the defined period of certification validity they need to be renewed on a regular basis. This process ensures that the individual is up-to-date with the recent tactics of the market.
Here are some of the important certifications that you should surely consider to attach to your resume if you are looking forward to having a great career ahead.
Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) Certification:
PRINCE2 is a form of project management technique, which has a definite structure to follow. The primary aim of PRINCE2 is to segregate a project into different stages, which are controllable as well as managed smoothly. PRINCE2 is primarily acknowledged in the UK, Australia, and Western Europe. AXELOS is the organization that awards PRINCE2 Certifications.
The aspiring candidates need to appear for training (either classroom or long distance) with an ATO (Accredited Training Organization).
Once the training is over the candidate has to appear an exam. Successful completion of the exam would make an individual a certified PRINCE2 Practitioner. PRINCE2 currently provides four stages of certifications namely PRINCE2® 2017 Foundation, PRINCE2® 2017 Practitioner, PRINCE2® Agile Foundation and PRINCE2® Agile Practitioner.
Among these, the PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner Certification is the most commonly availed ones.
Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification:
The Project Management Institute, which is an internationally acclaimed professional non-profit organization, is solely responsible for offering PMP Certification to the deemed individuals. PMP
Certification is acknowledged across 210 countries globally. ‘Project Management Body of Knowledge’ forms the basis on which the exam is based.
Any kind of organizations whether government or private have a tendency to employ certified PMP Professionals. It is so because deploying such individuals to the critical and jumbled up projects improves the successful completion rates to a much higher level.
The projects are delivered smoothly and efficiently without any major hiccups since a standardized yet evolving set of principles are rigorously followed by the project management section. The examination process of PMP is one of the hardest ones in the world of business certifications.
Only 175 questions would be considered for passing out of 200 questions. The trick is the appearing candidate is not aware which 25 questions would not be considered thereby making it quite difficult to gauge the correct 175 questions.
Moreover, it is a closed-book exam where no external reference materials are allowed. The PMP Exam specified five domains of performance such as Project Initiation, Project Planning, Project Execution, Project Control and Monitor and finally Project Closure. These five domains, in turn, have 49 total processes.
Ten knowledge areas related to the five domains of Performance, in the Project Management are mapped. They are Management of Project Integration, Project Scope, Project Schedules, Project Costs, Project Quality, Project Resource, Project Communications, Project Risk, Project Procurement and Project Stakeholders.
PMP is one of such certifications where CCRs (Continuous credential requirements) are much needed. Every three years, 60 PDUs (professional development units) must be earned. They can be earned via activities like writing relevant articles, conducting researches or session on project management activities or being full-time project management jobs.
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation Certification:
ITIL is a defined bunch of pre-defined detailed approaches and practices that primarily aim towards aligning the various IT Services in accordance with the business needs. The current version of ITIL Foundation Certification is ITIL4 Foundation.
It has replaced the previous one named ITIL v3/2011 when it was launched on Feb 2019. It is considered a vital update since 2011. The catch of ITIL4 Foundation lies in the fact that it is aiming a full transition to the digital environment.
This approach provides much better clarity to the career path that professionals seek to step-up from the foundation to the higher levels. Bridge exam for ITIL Foundation holders is not available as of yet to upgrade to ITI4 Foundation. Interested candidates can directly take up the ITIL 4 foundation level exam. Else, they are required to get the ITIL v3/2011 followed by transition module.
Even though, ITIL v3/2011 certification is still valid, with the new module on horizon, ITIL 4 Foundation with steer the certification acknowledgment scenario soon. All the ITIL Exams are looked after by ATO (Accredited Training Organizations). EI (Examination Institutes) in turn accredits the ATOs.
The ITIL Certificates provisioned by the EI are in turn taken care by an organization named AXELOS. There are four levels of ITIL Certifications: Master, Expert, Intermediate and Foundation.
The approach towards ITIL Exams is modular. Credit value is assigned to each and every qualification. This results in the candidates having both credits and certifications post successful module completion.
Scrum Master Certification:
The current industry is heavily inclined towards following an agile methodology. Scrum is an integral part of an agile methodology where the primary emphasis is given on software development. The scrum master should not be confused with a conventional lead.
They primarily work in the form of a buffer between their teams and any influences that might disturb the team’s equilibrium to deliver the product within the sprint timelines.
Other horizons are starting to open up in recent times in areas like Quality Assurance, Data Analysis to name some. Scrum Master Certification can be obtained after passing an examination, which is conducted at the end of a learning program.
The certification is usually provided by two US-based organizations and one European based organization; namely Scrum.org, Scrum Alliance and International Scrum Institute.
Having a single organization providing Scrum Master Certification does not seem to be coming down because of its nature being non-proprietary. This learning program can be attended either in a classroom or via distance learning projects.
Scrum Master Certifications can increase the spill of opportunities in one’s way. IT Industry is rapidly transitioning into Agile Scrum and having a Scrum Master Certification in this era is like a super-power to steer any project. The five values of Scrum include Commitment, Courage, Focus, Openness, and Respect.
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM):
Across all the service-providing industries governance related to risk management, information security and assurance are quite crucial factors and individuals with certifications in CISM are deemed extremely useful to manage these aspects.
A globally acclaimed non-profit association named ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) is responsible for carrying out this exam and provision the CISM certificate.
CISM individuals usually exhibit knowledge to manage and build programs related to Information Security. The certification is duly accredited by the organization, ANSI that falls under ISO/IEC 17024:2003.
The certification is based entirely on the four areas like management of information risk and their compliance, information security, developing programs for information security and simultaneously managing them and lastly, any security incident management.
All the aspiring candidates who intend to appear for the CISM exam must have five years of experience verified in the information security field. A three-year experience in managing information security is also needed to appear for the exam.
The competition has increased extensively in the field of jobs also. Hence, it is necessary that the candidates are not only experienced but also have professional certifications attached to their resume.
…………………………
New research : How to leverage next-gen CCM – TheMarketingblog https://t.co/cfnTuNMOrO pic.twitter.com/66Epnscrvh
— Will Corry (@slievemore) April 10, 2019
…………………….
Should companies plug the leak or keep filling the bucket? – TheMarketingblog https://t.co/gkurOmk9pC pic.twitter.com/dlsuHVfghM
— Will Corry (@slievemore) March 5, 2019
……………………………
10.000 Email Sends/month unlimited Subscribers | for free https://t.co/QgYXtUdlX2 pic.twitter.com/bLy2wi1zWq
— Will Corry (@slievemore) February 15, 2019