Certification – Which certifications to pick

So, at this point, you have decided to pursue certification. Good for you. The question that is likely on your mind is “what certification should I pick?”. At this point, a lot of people often fall back on the “more money” thing. It is true that some certifications cost more than others, and those ones are often ranked more highly on a salary survey. So, you need to start by considering salary surveys (which could be a whole other series).

Salary surveys are often sent out to people on a list. This list if often made from people who signed up to take a certification test or who requested the results of a salary survey in the past. This makes such surveys inherently unreliable and skewed in favor of certifications. In the real world, most businesses will not give you a salary increase just because you passed a test. So, if you want to get the salary boost that people think a certification brings, you’ll have to change jobs. At that point, soft skills like negotiation, interviewing technique, and a solid ability to perform the job will impact your salary MUCH more than having passed a test.

To say it more simply, getting certified will not get you rich. Being good at what you do and being good at managing your money will get you rich. Getting certified will just make you better at what you do… if you choose to do it right. So, the next three posts will explore key considerations for when you are choosing a certification.