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Roadmap to Certifications

Technical certifications are an industry standard for employers to determine if applicants are qualified to handle computer related tasks. Due the necessity of these certifications to appear in an applicant’s resume, becoming certified in your area of technical expertise is not only a safe guard towards potential employment but demonstrates your devotion to your specialization. The roadmap to becoming certified in your technical specialization varies with each certification that is out there, so there is a definite need to research the requirements necessary to achieve your personal or professional goals.

For starters, nearly all paths to certification intersect with the governing body that regulates and determines the professional industry standards of which certification exams are based upon. This governing body is known as CompTIA. CompTIA stands for The Computing Technology Industry Association, and since 1982, they have determined the required educational background which personnel in the IT field must possesses in order to be deemed qualified to work in their specialized areas. Although CompTIA plays a pivotal role in most professional technical certifications, they do not deal with certifications that are considered “vendor specific.” What this means for certification seekers is that where CompTIA will regulate what you need to know become certified in topics such as A+, Network+, or Security+, they have no role in commercial software platforms relevant to companies such as Microsoft, Cisco, or Juniper.

If you wish to become certified in vendor specific technology, then the roadmap to certification will be dependent upon each vendor’s own uniquely designed educational processes with which they rank and accredit their IT specialists. For instance, Microsoft has a large section of is web server devoted to educating the general public of its certification offerings. Hosted at Microsoft's website, potential certification seekers can review Microsoft’s paths to each of their professional certificates which they offer. Cisco also has a webpage devoted to how to deliver their particular method of instruction for their information systems. That information can be found at Cisco's website.

Although Microsoft and Cisco are two substantial vendors offering their designated methods of instruction for their certifications, more often than not, most certification seekers find themselves wondering if they know enough about their specialization to become credentialed in their field. In These cases, learning the information that will be presented in certification exams can be daunting. Fortunately, learning options such as certification classes are offered by companies all across the country. These companies typically offer courses presenting information that prepares students to pass their chosen certification exams.

Overall, the paths to becoming certified as an IT specialist vary upon the information that needs to be mastered, whether or not your specialization is vendor specific, and how to prepare for an examination. Although becoming certified in a specialized computer field is important for a number of professional reasons, it also demonstrates your commitment to the trade. Due to the growing number of computer literate persons in the work place, a certification raises your value in the employment market. Due to these factors, each road map to certification will vary, but the reward will always reside at the end of the trip.

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Countrywide Training offers a variety of IT Certifications bootcamp classes that will get you certified when you walk out the door. Countrywide Training offers certification classes in CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, and more. Call Countrywide Training today and let one of our representatives assist you in choosing the right class for you!

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