Are Cybersecurity Certifications Worth It?
For many looking for the best cybersecurity certification, there is always hope a job is locking in the wind somewhere. The mentality that the amount of certificates you acquire in the industry gives you prestige also comes with a false sense of pride. Sometimes the certification is only there to capture the attention of the employer and nothing more. On the field, only about one or two certifications from your list of certifications matter to the project at hand. Few people believe that IT-related courses only make one better through practical training and not necessarily theoretical work. Is a certification, therefore, worth it in the current market? It depends on where you are on a lot of factors.
The Global Growth of the Internet of Things
The internet has made the internet of things a global trend. Today, almost everyone uses a smartphone or carries a laptop. The global embrace of anything that has to do with the internet has provided both good and evil vices.
With the internet today, we can do many things online, which makes our lives more comfortable. However, it also puts us in a vulnerable position to get tracked and monitored by hackers. That is where cybersecurity comes into the equation.
Cybersecurity is an essential tool for any organization that doesn’t want to experience all the things hackers can do to a company's confidential information. The adverse effect alone can cripple the business. That is why we have a significant amount of companies today looking for qualified IT experts with a minimum of necessary certifications.
Social media is growing at an increasingly alarming rate. With users who don't understand how unsafe it is to leave personal information online, the goal of cybersecurity experts is to ensure that none of these backfires to the company they work.
The growth of the internet of things is one of the reasons you should have at least the necessary certification in cybersecurity.
The Demand for IT-Related Jobs
According to Forbes, there is a growing demand for IT-related services than and what is currently supplied by the market. Meaning, the number of companies looking for IT experts is far more than what the industry can produce at the moment.
Forbes went on to the specifics by stating that about 40000 jobs are lost in the IT industry every year because few people were taking on these types of jobs. The lack of personnel in the industry has also led to the growth of IT experts seeking additional certification to stay ahead of their peers.
Some of the best cybersecurity certifications like certified information security manager (CISM) and the certified information systems security professional (CISSP) are usually the certificate most IT experts have in searching for jobs in the market. Few people believe anything beyond that is just overstretching it because it is what you can do on the field that matters.
It has also been recorded by Forbes that as soon as IT experts earn their CISSP certificate, the number of people obtaining other certifications in IT-related services drastically reduces.
Earning Potential
In the IT industry, it is often believed that those with the best cybersecurity certifications often earn more. Perhaps, it contributed to why IT engineers are always thinking of adding another title to their ambition. The welfare package is still a massive determinant of why anyone would pick a career path over the other. In recent years, we have seen young men and women adopt courses they have little or no head for, merely because they are looking at the pay packet of these jobs in the market. The IT industry is no different in this regard because money gets considered an immense determining factor in choosing it as a career path for most job applicants.
The average salary of an IT professional, according to the US department of labor, is $92,600 per annum. Compared to other professions, IT experts enjoy huge benefits and bonuses anywhere they find themselves.
Firms who take information and communication technology as an asset, understand that you can't undervalue the people working in your IT department, especially when new replacements are difficult to find. The gap caused by these inadequacies in the supply of IT personnel in the industry is fueling the considerable bargain IT professionals get when negotiating for their salary packages.
The Benefit of Cybersecurity Certifications of Employees to The Employer
The employers of IT professionals also gain from personnel with requisite certification, not only in terms of their output in the firm. Merely putting the names and certifications of the people in your IT department can increase the confidence investors have in putting money into your business. It means you take every aspect of your business seriously, including what happens with the business online with the way you have gone to protect the company from external and internal threats.
Employers will always be looking to hire highly skilled labor at all times. The need for professionals will always be a valued virtue they seek in every one of their employees, especially an IT expert. Let's face it; the protection of the firm is mostly in the hands of the IT department. For continuity's sake, the business would be better off paying them substantial bonuses to keep the engine running.
The Changing Needs of Cybersecurity Certifications
As cybersecurity continues to evolve, perhaps we will begin to see the impact of all these certifications in our workplace someday. Currently, only a few get needed to carry out the necessary task of an IT department.
Final Take
Certification is necessary because it is required by law for anyone to handle an IT task in any institution, whether private or government. Outside that or without it, you can't do much. Yes, it has the best remuneration in the market, but sometimes certification and practice or expertise are two different things. Competence in the field will always give a better advantage than any certificate.
Cybersecurity Instructor
Christopher Miller
Christopher has 7 years of experience in the STEM and IT field, particularly with high school and colleges. Working with FIRST, an NGO that designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering...