5 Top IT Certifications in 2023

[@SohailErshadi]

Download my resume, template, a guide to break into the cybersecurity industry and common cyber security analyst interview questions from: www.cyberxcel.com.au/Yyu9

[@serignesanguembackendiaye6476]

Wowwww !! This was my first plan : earning A+, Net+, Security + , CCNA, CCNP, CCIE ( security ) becoming a Network Engineer and then secondly an Expert in cybersecurity after CC, Sec+, CISSP, and other ISC2 certifs. Wowwww ! I must ne more realistic after watching two times your video !!

[@SohailErshadi]

Wow... So many certs man... Don't obsess over them.

[@serignesanguembackendiaye6476]

But all these are really necessary to become an Excellent Cyber security Expert. If you do not know the Network well, you may have weaknesses. You need to know the hardware of the computer, therefore A+ ! All the Certifications named by me are for objective reasons. @@SohailErshadi

[@xavierjones6852]

Just got my sec+ cert on Friday! Failed it the first time but didn’t give up and took that test again. Glad to hear it is still needed and that my hard work paid off

[@SohailErshadi]

Wow, that's incredible. Failure and hard work are part of the process. You are on the right path! Maintain your current course of action.

[@Beautiful-td3nj]

Koni

[@samdavid9237]

Great advice 👍 I made the mistake you mentioned in the video at 5:58 (and I learned) in my early days of IT of trying to get every certification in the space of 1 year. It is important to give yourself the space to complete things with realistic time frames and not to put yourself under pressure or you will end up burning out. When I figured this out it really helped me very much in my journey 👍

[@SohailErshadi]

Exactly Sam. At the moment, I'm taking a break from all IT and Cyber related stuff and not focusing on anything work related. Burnout is a real problem in our field, and we need to be aware of it.

[@jlprescott7243]

Working on Security+. Cheers!

[@SohailErshadi]

That's awesome JL! Keep me posted on your journey.

[@mrmar-que6307]

Did you get it yet?

[@lifeofwaley]

So you're suggesting 1. CCNA 2. AWS/Azure 3. Security but no mention of Linux. I'm guessing Linux is last. Thank you for the video.

[@SohailErshadi]

Honestly, at the end of the day, it depends on the market, location, etc. Don't get too hung up on the certifications. Search for your target role in your location, analyze it, and engage in some critical thinking about what you need to be the best candidate for the role. If you find that everyone wants a certain certification, then go for it. If nobody seems to value the certifications, then simply ignore them and focus on building the skills. Alternatively, you might want to obtain just one certification to stand out among your competition.

[@jarrittdiaz6577]

Would we recommend A+ as a starting point with some one that has no background in IT? Looking to get that first entry level position

[@SohailErshadi]

Hey @Jarritt, It's okay to spend the money if you are aiming for an entry level IT role and have the money and resources to do so. I learned A+ materials back then, but since I wanted to also learn networking in a deep way at the same time, I decided to save that money and invest it in CCNA. The CCNA has more weight when it comes to job hunting and adds more value to your resume, as I mentioned in the video. The A+ gives you momentum and boosts your confidence to start applying for entry level IT jobs as soon as possible.

[@TheTalolokins]

Informative video! The link to your resume template seems to be not working?

[@SohailErshadi]

Oh my ... many thanks for bringing this to my attention. I moved my website to a new host. Please try again.

[@sinarostamiofficial]

Awesome! 👌

[@sepidofpersia]

Thanks for the informative video

[@SohailErshadi]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bigbojangles4585]

How would you reccomend gaining and proving linux skills without a certification. Maybe just professor messor but I'm not sure how to prove them.

[@SohailErshadi]

Make sure you get a lot of hands-on experience. There are a lot of courses available on Udemy as well. After you learn it and have solid hands-on experience, you only need to demonstrate it during technical interviews. To highlight that on your resume, put the certification name as a course you took.

[@Reflekt0r]

This is actually a very good video that gave me some ideas, thank you! 👍

[@SohailErshadi]

Appreciate the kind words. I'm actually new to all of this so this definitely encourages me to create more!

[@MightyGandolf]

Working on sec+ but for those who get their CCNA dont waste ur time with helpdesk if your CCNA certified

[@SohailErshadi]

Good luck on your sec+ journey.

[@Mangokyaw]

What r y trynna say bro elaborate

[@dennyklein1965]

@@Mangokyaw It should come as no surprise that having a "CCNA Certification" is way overkill on effort just to waste your time applying for only an Entry Level Helpdesk Job. Assuming you have the "minimal skills" you should at least aim a little higher for some kind of Networking role. Not some extreme beginner level position that many have managed to get even without having a single Certification by proving to the employer that they have enough computer skills to do said role. CCNA is a good bit above basic level.

[@KingOzz]

That was just 4

[@citadelarmor]

A dedicated video on cloud security would be appreciated 😇

[@SohailErshadi]

Absolutely

[@PhilipBaruch]

I have A+, Net+, and Sec+, and have done some work as desktop support. Now I've been studying CCNA for a while and I find it way way harder than any CompTIA cert. What do you recommend studying after getting the CCNA and having my background? I was thinking going for something in cloud or security. I am also trying to learn python. I am kind of at a stand still, because I find the CCNA cert so difficult and so much to learn. But I've been going at it for a while now. Any thoughts or recommendations? Thanks

[@SohailErshadi]

Hi Philip, Thank you for reaching out and asking a great question. Firstly, I would recommend assessing whether obtaining a CCNA certification is necessary for your career at this stage. Since you are already working in IT, you have a head start compared to others who are just starting out. Regarding your future career path, it's essential to take some time to reflect on what you truly want to achieve in IT. Do you want to become a cloud engineer or a cybersecurity professional? The decision is entirely up to you, and you are the only one who can answer it. Both fields have promising career prospects, but the opportunities for cloud engineering are more extensive, and you can pursue cloud security engineering in the long run as well. In summary, you may not necessarily require a CCNA certification and can focus on your next career move, whether it's cloud or cybersecurity. While certifications are a great way to get started in the field, they aren't always a hard-and-fast rule once you're already established. I see them as more of a compass for career development. I hope this helps, and please feel free to reach out if you have any more questions.

[@PhilipBaruch]

@Sohail Ershadi - IT & Cybersecurity Simplified hey, this helps a lot, thanks for the response! Can you compare the CCNA to other associate level certs like in AWS/Azure, I'm terms of difficulty and extensiveness? I find the CCNA to be so much you have to learn, and I'm wondering if the AWS associate level cert is going to be just as difficult, or if you think CCNA is definitely harder and more extensive. And also, what you think in terms of CCNA and other certs, like CEH, or Linux+, or other certs around the same level. Are all the associate level certs going to be this difficult or is CCNA unique?

[@Akihito007]

How can the CCNA be such much harder when the Net and Sec+ covers almost 50% of what's already on the CCNA??

[@SohailErshadi]

@@Akihito007 CCNA goes much more in depth on Routing & Switching with cisco products. You can have a look at the exam objectives and see the differences.

[@Akihito007]

@SohailErshadi Well that is true with the command line knowledge for Cisco's OS that's still needed.

[@alifaraz6504]

Is age matter to start a career in cyber security and people get a job as a fresher in their late 20s like 28

[@SohailErshadi]

A little. Companies have a slight preference towards hiring younger people since internships and entry-level positions have been commonly held by recent college grads. This doesn’t mean that you can’t land an IT position if you’re in your 40s, but you might have to work slightly harder. Networking with the right people within the industry is the key. You have to find a way through your connections and don't just focus on applying for jobs through your resume. If you're motivated, willing to learn, and put in the effort, you will have no problem overcoming it.

[@tyrojames9937]

The CISCO CCNA was my first Computer Certification. IF DIDNOT GET ME IN THE DOOR❗

[@SohailErshadi]

It's true that certifications alone won't guarantee you a job. Here are my thoughts on certifications: 1. It gives me a roadmap that I can follow to learn certain technologies. 2. Obtaining a certification may help you get shortlisted during the HR process when applying for jobs. 3. The confidence you gain after passing a certification exam boosts your self-esteem. It helps a great deal with imposter syndrome.

[@Mangokyaw]

The F!! What did u mean" IF " bruh

[@dennyklein1965]

@tyrojames9937 I have difficulty believing you actually got the CCNA Cert if the door didn't even open for you. Now assuming you actually DID get the CCNA cert. There should be no question that you have at least SOME skillset that you can elaborate on from learning what you did for the CCNA. That test is no simple exam even for people in the field that have some sort of Networking Role, so if you passed it and elaborated on "skills you have" then you probably don't have an appealing resume. If you just put CCNA on it and don't elaborate skills you have then I can only think of 2 things about whats wrong. 1) Your Resume is really bad with its overall structure in describing your ability and skills, or 2) You are applying for the wrong Job title that doesn't work in conjunction with the CCNA. If you made it at least to an interview process then you probably fumbled it by not giving a company a good reason WHY they should hire you. -Certs / Credentials gets you the Interview -Your skills and how you seem as a person for the role during the interview is what gets you hired. -Also.... The Lack of Skills / Performance per said job is what gets you "Fired"

[@faisalkhan1026]

WIth all due respect, I'd like to add what you have completely ignored the top most and huge in demand IT skills and certifications in your list, and they are: PYTHON automation DEVOPS: Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD AI/Machine Learning Also just like you mentioned security+ as vendor neutral certification for Security, In the same way I'd recommend Network+ (CompTia) instead of CCNA.

[@willsmith8586]

None. Get started in the most basic IT job. Know you're stuff, get resume bullets, level up in jobs. Never be late for work, never call in, there isnt such thing as a user level function. Show your work. You only have to know IT, you dont need 5 certs to get a starting job or even move up in jobs. The only time you need a cert, if it is a hiring requirement. For instance, DoD jobs usually require you to have a security+ cert. Not saying certs wont help you get a job later, but to START in IT, no. Get the job first, dont waste your time and money before. When you get hired has a basic IT tier 0-1, thise jobs will invest in certification classes and vouchers. Let your employer pay 300, 400, 500 bucks for those certs if you really want them.

[@SohailErshadi]

I agree with most of the things you said. Honestly, as you mentioned yourself, unless it is a hiring requirement, you don't necessarily need certification. The sad part is that most job postings out there, even for entry-level roles, require one or two certifications. Additionally, people who want to break into the IT field are competing with other candidates. If HR decides to shortlist candidates based on their certifications, guess what will happen? If you don't meet the hiring requirements, you will be excluded. It's that simple! We have experienced this ourselves when we were hiring people because companies don't have the time to go through every job application and conduct interviews. However, as you mentioned, once you get your foot in the door, certifications become less essential. In fact, I recently allowed my Cisco Certifications to expire a few weeks ago. Thanks for sharing your insight, by the way. I appreciate that you took the time to share your experience with the audience. I love it!

[@eliaspappas1795]

That’s really general and one sided advice. What if you are 48 like me? Just starting the way you suggested is not an option. Certifications can be quite positive to have.