12.17.08
10 best IT certifications
Here’s the list from TechRepublic:
- MCITP: New-generation Microsoft Certified IT Professional for database developers, database administrators, enterprise messaging administrators, and server administrators.
- MCTS: New-generation Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist for IT staff involved in installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting a specific Microsoft technology.
- Security+: CompTIA’s security certification to showcase security fundamentals such as systems security, network infrastructure, access control, auditing, and organizational security principles.
- MCPD: New-generation Microsoft Certified Professional Developer developers and programmers to show case a developer’s ability to build and maintain software solutions using Visual Studio 2008 and Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.
- CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate for network administrators to show proficiency in administering Cisco equipment.
- A+: CompTIA’s A+ certification for IT staff involved in support incuding desktop installation, problem diagnosis, preventive maintenance, computer or network error troubleshooting.
- PMP: Project management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) to validatie skills and knowledge required to plan, execute, budget, and lead a technology project.
- MCSE/MCSA: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator to validate a wide range of relevant expertise from client and server administration to security issues on specific, widely used platforms. Also helps demonstrate the holder’s capacity to complete a long and comprehensive education, training, and certification program requiring intensive study.
- CISSP: (ISC)2’s Certified Information Systems Security Professional for industry pros with at least five years of full-time experience for validating candidates’ expertise with operations and network and physical security, as well as their ability to manage risk and understand legal compliance responsibilities and other security-related elements.
- Linux+: CompTIA’s Linux+ validates basic Linux client and server skills, is designed for professionals with at least six to 12 months of hands-on Linux experience.
Detailed article is avialable at TechRepublic at the following link.
Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo said,
December 18, 2008 at 7:37 am
Hi Dr. Paul,
With all due respect, I question your choice of the adjective “best”, at least as it applies to PMI’s PMP certification.
I could readily accept “most popular” or “best marketed” but “best” infers that it is “better than all others: of the highest quality or standard or the most excellent type” (MS Encarta Dictionary)
Sorry, but I simply cannot accept that definition. To put my concern in perspective, exactly how much credibility should anyone put in any credential that requires:
1) only 4,500 hours of work on projects, with absolutely no requirement that the projects were successful?
2) only 35 hours of “advanced” or “specialized” training, and that training does not even have to be graduate level, but satisfied by reading a book or listening to a podcast?
3) taking a 4 hour exam, consisting of 200 multiple choice questions, of which only 175 actually count, and;
4) a passing grade of ~62%?
Gimme a break!!! Is this the kind of credential that you would be willing to put in the hands of someone else?
Sorry Paul, but I fear someone of your education level and professional gravitas touting the PMP as being “best” is misleading at best and indicates a lack of knowledge or awareness of alternate credentials to those offered by PMI which have much more technical respect, if not being as well marketed.
In particular, I would urge you to research the COMPETENCY based credentials offered by AIPM, GAPPS, IPMA, asapm or AACE.
BR,
Dr. PDG, Boston, MA, USA