The debate continues among IT professionals about the value of certifications, but a survey of 700 professionals by SolarWinds could put things in their place. Among those who have earned certifications, most have seen a significant boost in their careers as a result.
According to the survey, which was conducted in conjunction with our sister publication Network World, 60% of those interviewed said that a certification allowed them to obtain a new job; 50% got a raise - of which 40% said the raise was greater than 10% due to their certification; and 29% earned them a promotion.
Respondents also offered suggestions on when to get certified and which ones. Interestingly, they considered Cisco certifications the most valuable.
Half of the participants said they obtained certifications to obtain a promotion or to be eligible for a new job. On the other hand, since three-quarters of them had certifications, it means that a quarter (25%) didn't see much value in them. “I don't have certifications. I don't have a master's degree. I have held network and hardware administrator / engineer positions for over ten years without a single role related to that area. You learn as you go, which is better than learning in a stupid classroom, ”commented one survey participant.
But his case is a minority. Even network professionals who earn the highest salaries - topping $ 110,000 a year - had as many or more certifications as those with the lowest salaries.
This is not to say that certifications themselves are solely responsible for these high salaries. Those who earn more also have more years of experience (75% were over ten years old) and more traditional education (25% had a master's degree, compared to 11% in the lower-wage groups).
But even so, among the highest paid IT professionals who had certifications, 58% said a certification had not paid them back in salary increases or bonuses, 63% said they got a promotion, and 30% allowed them to land a new job. These figures are similar to those in the lowest salary levels, who also surprisingly said that certifications have paid off in salary increases or bonuses (55%), a new job (62%) or a promotion (27%) .
On the other hand, the survey also revealed that Cisco certifications are the most popular, according to 67% of the participants who have a certification. 44% of those who earn more than $ 110,000 a year had a CCIE certification. Among those with the lowest wages, only 4% did. 39% had Microsoft certifications, and nearly a quarter had a CompTIA Network +.
In fact, according to respondents, Cisco certifications were considered the most valuable because they are the ones that have opened the doors to more promotions, new jobs or pay increases than any other. But, interestingly, for some others Cisco certifications were also considered among the not so valuable. “I believe that network certifications are the most valuable when coupled with practical experience. I wouldn't have held my last two spots without that, ”said one participant.
Likewise, security certifications have gained relevance. A third of respondents had one, the most common being CompTIA Security +. Among those surveyed with salaries over $ 110,000 a year, 38% had security certifications, particularly the CCSP. By comparison, only 9% of those making less than $ 110,000 had CCSP, but 32% had CompTIA Security +.
The least popular certifications were for network management technology - only 17% of 700 respondents had one.
Certifications for Linux and Systems Management / Virtualization were in the mid-range for popularity and value a+ certification job opportunities.
The least popular were certifications involving virtualization technology from Citrix and Red Hat.
Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed said they choose to get certified just to learn the technology, not to earn more money. While none claim that a certification is more valuable than practical experience, it can be helpful when new technology is implemented.
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