More than 4 million new jobs will be added to the IT sector by 2027, signaling that this field has some of the best chances individuals have to secure a well-paying and high advancement career.
However, the way recruitments work in this field are quite different from others as due to the emergence of complex systems, recruiters now want IT professionals who have validation of the skills they possess. And they seek this by looking at the certifications an individual has acquired over the course of time.
There are multiple different fields in the IT industry and the certification sets differs for each one of them. For the network infrastructure field, probably the best certification you acquire is the CompTIA’s Network+ certification. CompTIA is one of the world’s leading IT based trade bodies and their certifications are highly renowned across multiple industries all over the globe.
This network+ certification offered by them can increase your chances substantially of acquiring an entry to mid-level job as this certification covers core tasks related to networking like management, troubleshooting, observation, configuration, security and deployment.
Top firms including Apple, Verizon and Best Buy among others value this certification highly in their recruitment process for network based jobs in their IT departments, further giving credence to the value this certification brings to a person’s overall repertoire.
If you want to do this certification but are not clear as to what jobs you will exactly land up in, then here are a few jobs that you can secure easily as a result of completing this certification.
Network Engineer:
As the name itself implies, this professional is entrusted by organizations with the primary goal of ensuring that there is minimal downtime in the network. This individual needs to have extensive knowledge regarding design, management and maintenance of networks to accomplish this task and these core skills are what the network+ certification helps develop.
Network Engineers can either be assigned to work in-house, managing a certain organization’s own network infrastructure, or be tasked with managing external, client side concerns related to networks.
This role entails extensive collaborations with multiple IT personnel and even business management staff to ensure that the network continues to respond as per the firm’s needs.
If you want to know more on what the core responsibilities for this job are, then here is a list of some tasks you will be expected to get done as a network engineer:
- Optimizing existing networks or leading the design and development of new ones
- Managing and provide support services for an extensive range of equipment vital for the network’s optimal performance state like proxy servers, WAN accelerators etc.
- Providing details related to network equipment required to be procured or purchased and be involved in their installation and management within the network
- Managing and implementing timely upgrades
- Finding faults and troubleshooting to fix them on an urgent basis
- Lowering downtime and ensuring smooth operations of the network related infrastructure
- Keeping an eye on firmware release and providing updates to the network
These tasks might look intimidating for a person to manage, but the Network+ certification will enable a professional to not just handle these tasks skillfully but also to become capable at training other entry level network engineers on the same.
Network Administrator:
This job is very similar to Network engineer, this is one where you will be providing services solely for an organization’s internal servers.
This is a wide ended job and can contain multiple responsibilities that include:
- Management and maintenance of the network
- Fixing connectivity issues in the network by running diagnoses
- Devising a mechanism for file access and rights within the network
- Building and operating network backup systems
- Hardware maintenance, repair and upkeep.
On top of this, once you get this job, you might be required to offer support to different elements connected to the network as well like troubleshooting issues in desktop and mobile devices on the network.
Other Types of Jobs:
While these two are the best jobs you can secure after a CompTIA network+ certification, the list of opportunities overall is not so restrictive. There are multiple other jobs where this certification will help you become one of the most sought after candidates.
Here are some of these jobs:
- Network Analyst
- System Engineer
- IT Consultant
- Network Support Specialist
- Computer Technician
Pre-requisites for This Certification:
While some background experience in IT and an A+ certification is highly recommended by CompTIA, its not mandatory and experienced professionals as well as beginners can take get themselves enrolled in the courses for this certification.
Best Way To Prepare For The Certification:
The Network+ certification is not very expensive but it does require a substantial amount of investment in terms of money and effort on part of the individual. So while self-study can be done by individuals to ace this certification, its highly recommended for beginners to enroll themselves in training courses for Network+ certification by Quickstart.
These courses are well rounded and allow you to prepare yourself extensively for the final exam, ensuring that you have all the necessary background knowledge on the level equivalent to an experienced networking professional about networking components covered in the certification.
How Much Can You Expect To Earn Post CompTIA Network+ Certification:
According to payscale.com, the average earnings by Network+ certified professionals can be up to $64k/year. This amount can increase substantially if you have prior network experience as well. But for a beginner, this pay scale is definitely above market standards making the Network+ certification an incredibly worthwhile investment for all those looking to secure a stable, high paying career for themselves.
Conclusion:
Apart from this Certification, CompTIA offers a wide range of other similar certifications covering different avenues in the IT sector, and if you are an IT professional looking to consolidate your career and power it in to a sustainable growth phase, then committing to such certifications will definitely prove to be incredibly beneficial for you.