Top 5 Entry Level IT Certifications To Grow Your Career
Last Updated on July 6, 2022
Top 5 Entry Level IT Certifications
IT certifications can give your resume an extra boost to stand out from the crowd. Hiring managers and recruiters often get hundreds of applicants for jobs, even at the entry-level. Having certifications can help you land an interview, get recruited, and even provide leverage in salary negotiations.
There are hundreds of different IT certifications that can help advance your career as you grow, but where should you start? We’ve compiled the top entry-level IT certifications that can help kick start your career.
1) CompTIA A+
The CompTIA A+ certification is widely regarded as the foundational certification for most IT professionals. If you’re starting as a field service technician, support specialist, desktop support analyst, or help desk support, the CompTIA A+ certification may even be a prerequisite.
This certification covers a wide range of IT skills like device maintenance and troubleshooting, baseline security systems, networking technology, cloud computing, network troubleshooting, and more.
2) CompTIA Network+
The CompTIA Net+ certification is an excellent next step once you’ve passed the A+ exams. Network+ is a vendor-neutral certification that covers the skills needed to design, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot any wired or wireless device networks. If your career plans involve working with government or DoD contracts, the Net+ certification is a must. The Network + certification is a requirement for AIT Level I and II as well as IAM Level I.
3) CompTIA Security+
If your future employer works with DoD systems in any capacity, this certification is a must. CompTIA Sec+ is the perfect place to start learning the skills and knowledge to tackle cybersecurity risks. Businesses of all sizes are taking cybersecurity and hacking more seriously than ever, and the job market around it will continue to grow. Security+ is the number 1 certification that employers want for DoD 8570 / 8140 compliance.
4) Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
The Cisco CCNA certification covers the knowledge and skills needed for network fundamentals, IP services, IP connectivity, network access, automation, programmability, and security fundamentals. While it’s an intense course and exam, getting your CCNA certification is a must if you want to grow your career with more advanced certifications like CCNP and CCIE.
5) Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
The CISSP certification is recognized globally as a measure of IT security competence and is an approved baseline certification for DoD 8570 / 8140. The CISSP certification program is extensive and covers a wide range of subjects; security engineering, asset security, software development and security operations, security assessment and testing, communications and network security, identity and access management, and security and risk management. This certification is often a prerequisite for jobs as a security analyst or auditor.
Ready to get your IT career kickstarted? ONLC Training Centers can help put you in a better position to start and grow your IT skills.
