Top Entry-Level Certifications

The IT industry has become very competitive in the past years. Therefore, international companies are looking for skilled IT professionals who have validated competence in networking, security, and cloud. Corporations are open to paying salaries above the market’s average for those who have recognized accreditation under their belt, such as the ones offered by reputable vendors like Microsoft, CompTIA, or Cisco, among the rest.

Also, even though you are not an advanced specialist but you want to start building a career in the IT field, you can enroll in a certification program at the entry level. Even these foundational certificates added to the resume increase one’s chances to receive a well-paid job. Below, an overview of three significant options is provided.

Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals

This certification targets beginner-level professionals who want to develop their skills in managing cloud services. It represents the foundation that any IT specialist needs to have so as to easily move to the expert stage in the cloud-related industry. As more companies are shifting towards cloud technologies, it is beneficial to gain such skills and get ready to prove up-to-date knowledge to land a lucrative job.

The only vendor’s requirement for this certificate is to pass MS-900 exam. Nevertheless, to make this process simpler, the Microsoft recommends test-takers to first gain basic knowledge of the management of Microsoft 365 platform. Also, they should have an understanding of the Software as a Service cloud model as well as what are the benefits they can bring to an organization if they adopt cloud services.

When it comes to the exam domains, they are dedicated to the basics of using the Microsoft 365 services, key cloud concepts, the principles of pricing, security, privacy, and support, along with trust and compliance. The importance and specifics of different Microsoft products such as Dynamics 365, Azure, or Microsoft 365 solutions are covered as well.

Microsoft MS-900 is a proctored test, and the candidates can register for it using Pearson VUE or CertiPort. The enrollment fee that one has to pay is $99. The allotted time is of 60 minutes and the test can be taken in English, German, Japanese, or Spanish, among other options. The minimum passing score that the candidates need to get is 700 points.

Cisco Certified Network Associate

The CCNA certification focuses on helping individuals to learn more about Cisco products and networking on the whole. It is also a certificate that prepares them for more advanced stages such as earning CCNP Enterprise or CCIE. The process of getting this accreditation requires the applicants to pass only one exam which is coded 200-301. Also, when it comes to the target audience, Cisco addresses CCNA to novice specialists with about one year of experience in managing Cisco services who want to understand the intermediate-level aspects of IT.

Even though the vendor doesn’t have any obligatory conditions for the individuals aiming to take 200-301 test, it recommends that they should acquire basic computer skills before they register for it. Also, their chances to pass the exam will be higher if one manages to get core networking knowledge.

Cisco 200-301 has clear objectives that allow candidates to create a comprehensive vision of the industry and a solid base for further advancements. They should learn about IP services and IP connectivity, master all the security and network fundamentals, which should result in their ability to prove that they can make the difference between physical interface and cabling types, IPv6 address types, switching, VMs, static routing verification and configuration, NAT, NTP, and DHCP, among the rest. Other topics tested in 200-301 exam are related to network access, requiring one to know how to deal with VLAN switches and ensure Interswitch connectivity, and finally, programmability and automation, which covers the concepts of controller-based networking, device management, REST-based APIs, JSON encoded data interpretation, etc.

CompTIA A+ Certification

The CompTIA A+ certification is the starting step for any individual who wants to become a help desk technician, system support specialist, or service desk analyst. Offering the candidates core information about IT, it is considered one of the baselines for any specialist willing to strengthen his/her tech skills. This certificate was designed by the industry’s reputable trainers and experts and allows the individuals to easily gain the right skills to provide IT support.

So, if you want to understand how the key IT concepts work and verify this knowledge, you should enroll in this program and pass the CompTIA 220-1001 and 220-1002 exams. Both of them last for 90 minutes and require one to tackle 90 questions of different formats. Note that the passing score differs and is 675 or 700 points out of 900, respectively.

The first test validates the professional’s skills in using different computer components, the abilities in the management and deployment of monitors, hard drives, power supplies, video cards, cables, and connectors. Then, one will validate the skills needed to install all the components that make a PC operating. Besides, they will also develop skills related to networking, troubleshooting, cloud computing, and virtualization.

The second certification exam is dedicated to helping the candidates understand how to work with Apple iOS, Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Google Chrome operating systems. They will also get the necessary knowledge to handle all the related processes, from installation to updates. Also, the applicants will be exposed to scenarios related to physical security, learning how to protect the systems against threats, and authentication, among the rest. Besides, they will gain experience in accessing and configuring SOHO networks (both wired and wireless), performing operational procedures, and the basics of software troubleshooting.

Conclusion

Getting certifications from international vendors will benefit your career as it brings tremendous opportunities to the table. Apart from gaining new skills and becoming an experienced professional, you will become eligible for receiving generous offers and consolidate your position in an organization you are working for. Even though you are an entry-level specialist, you can start enhancing your career by going for the aforementioned certificates that will pave the path for more advanced ones and transform you into a demanded employee.