IT certifications allow jobseekers to demonstrate themselves with a definite set of skills which gives candidates an edge.   In addition to learning the languages or skills of new technologies, one can gain a better insight and big picture of a particular specialty by obtaining a certification.  According to Tracey Losco, Network Security Analyst at New York University, “Certifications would be good for somebody who’s trying to hop over from a non-IT career.”  It implies that a certification can act like an entry ticket to the IT field.

Although certification can be a method to maximize recruitment opportunities and salaries in the post-dot-com-bust era, study shows the pay for certified skills are less marketable than non-certified skills in general.  Based on a statistics released on April 25th 2006 by Foote Partners LLC, an IT compensation and workforce management firm, pay premiums for non-certified IT skills grew three times faster than certified ones spanning in a six-month period from 2005 to 2006. 

As a matter of fact, certain positions take certification more seriously than others.  Its importance is usually determined by the role of the placement.  For instance, there is an increasing demand for certification in security and networking positions because companies’ technology infrastructures are formed by systems and networks.  Losco furthers, “With September 11th, people are more aware of any type of threat now.  And I think that network security issues have been given more media coverage.”  She also suggested there are two well-respected certifications in relation to certain security positions:  Certified Information Systems Securities Professional (CISSP) and System Administration Audit Network Security Institute (SANS Institute).  The CISSP provides a broad overview on the job nature of a network security professional.  Reference back to Losco’s commentary, the CISSP covers everything from the “perimeter defense to actual computer-related security, so it runs the gamut”, while SANS focuses on the vulnerability analysis on both digital and information security in conjunction to trainings.  Besides the above-mentioned certifications, some Microsoft certifications such as the Certified Systems Administrator-Security (MCSA), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer-Security (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) are well-recognized in the market. 

To conclude, even though a certification can prove that a candidate has a certain set of skills, it fails to cover every necessary technique at work.  Practically speaking, problem-solving skills and effective interpersonal communication may be more valuable than a test score.

Source:
http://www.eweek.com
http://certification.about.com