With our lives more online than they ever have been, there are new IT, cybersecurity and related digital trust professions opening all the time. In fact, according to the respondents of ISACA’s State of Cybersecurity 2022 survey report, 63% of cybersecurity roles alone are unfilled. This presents the perfect opportunity for those looking to break into a growing industry or to transfer their skills to a new career.
As the demand for IT and cybersecurity professionals continues to grow, the natural question is how can aspiring practitioners break into the industry? Should they earn a degree in IT? What if they are looking to make a career change? Are IT certifications better than a degree? And with so many IT certifications on the market, how can beginners find the IT certification roadmap that’s right for their career path?
In this blog post, we will break down the benefits of earning an IT degree, detail the difference between a certificate and a degree, and highlight a list of IT certifications that are available to help aid you in your quest to build a career in IT.
What Are the Best IT Degrees?
If you are just starting out in your postsecondary education journey, or if you are looking to go back to school, getting an IT degree is a great option. There is value in all kinds of university degrees for IT, from the foundational knowledge they provide to the boost they will give to your job applications.
There are several degrees available to those pursuing IT education and careers, including associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in:
- Information Technology (IT)
- Cybersecurity
- Information Security
- Data Analytics
- Computer Science
- Computer Networking
- Computer Engineering
- Software Engineering
- And other related fields
While associate’s degrees tend to be the most general and master’s degrees tend to be the most specific as far as university studies go, bachelor’s degrees are the most popular middle ground between the two. In the average four years it takes to complete a bachelor’s degree, students will not only build up a solid understanding of their chosen IT field, but they will also be able to branch out through their general education and elective class requirements.
Anyone who has searched for a job on LinkedIn knows that most listings require degrees as a minimum qualification for applying. “When you have a function that reports to the Board, credibility is everything. Thus, very few people are hired into IT Audit roles without a degree. It’s a must-have qualification for every large public company,” says Caitlin McGaw, career strategist and job search coach. By earning a degree in a relevant IT field, you are opening dozens of career doors for yourself; however, it is important to note that degrees are a large time commitment and financial investment, with the average cost of bachelor’s degree in the United States totaling around $35,000 a year for four years.
If you have the time and funds, IT degrees provide a strong foundation for starting your IT career by allowing you to broaden your general knowledge of related subjects and strengthening your resume.
Earning an IT Certification
A degree is not the be-all end-all when it comes to IT professions—as technology continues to become more advanced and nuanced, IT certifications allow IT professionals to continue learning and to stay up to date in their relevant fields. Whether you want to break into an IT field without the time or financial commitment of attending a university, or you want to build on your general knowledge from your IT degree with more specific and current training, certifications are a cost- and time-effective method of learning specialized information about whichever IT niches interest you the most.
“It’s an external metric of quality that hiring leaders value; it removes a potential barrier to entry,” McGaw says. “Definitely a worthwhile investment for your career.”
There are dozens of IT certification programs available online, from entry-level IT certificates and certifications to advanced IT certification courses.
Here is a list of IT certifications that are commonly ranked in the top five or among the best IT certifications of 2022:
- Information Technology Certified Associate (ITCA) – ISACA’s ITCA certification is for those looking to initiate an understanding of computing, networks and infrastructure, cybersecurity, software development, and data science. This certification is for entry-level IT professionals, students, recent graduates and candidates with little or no experience in IT who are looking to establish the fundamentals of these five major IT domains.
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) – ISACA’s CISM certification, now in its 20th year, is for those looking to prove their expertise in information security governance, risk management and program development, as well as in incident management. This certification is meant for IS/IT security and control professionals who are looking to increase their technical expertise and move up to managerial positions. The worldwide average salary of CISM holders is US$149,000+.
- CompTIA Security+ – CompTIA’s Security+ certification is for those looking to establish core knowledge of attacks, threats, and vulnerabilities; architecture and design; implementation; operations and incident response; and governance, risk and compliance. This certification is for entry-level cybersecurity professionals who are looking to move up to intermediate-level positions.
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) – (ISC)²’s CISSP certification is for those looking to prove their knowledge of security practices and principles. This certification is meant for experienced security practitioners, managers and executives—including those in positions like chief information security officers (CISOs), chief information officers (CIOs), directors of security, IT directors/managers and related cybersecurity positions—to demonstrate their ability to design, implement and manage best-in-class cybersecurity programs.
- Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) – ISACA’s CRISC certification is for those looking to prove their expertise in governance, IT risk assessment, risk response and reporting, and information technology and security. This certification is meant for mid-career IT/IS audit, risk and security professionals who are looking to validate their best practices to respond to risks with the only credential focused on enterprise IT risk management. The worldwide average salary of CRISC holders is US$151,000+.
- Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) – (ISC)²’s CCSP certification is for those looking to prove their ability to design, manage and secure data, applications and infrastructure in the cloud. This certification is meant for advanced IT and information security leaders responsible for best practices in cloud security and operations who are looking to build their career and improve their expertise and ability to secure critical assets in the cloud.
How to Get Hired in IT
Applying for jobs can be daunting, especially when you can see just how many other applicants you are competing against for a single open position; thus, it is crucial to stand out to employers in your experience and qualifications.
Not only do IT certifications allow you to demonstrate baseline proficiency and remain current with different aspects of cybersecurity and digital trust fields, but they may provide competitive advantage on job applications. “It allows somebody to stand out against their peers or others in the workforce,” says Barot. Certifications act as industry-recognized representations of your knowledge and skills when it comes to particular aspects of your IT profession.
“Earning a highly regarded certification that requires rigorous study of relevant domains, standards, and practical applications, is an excellent way to demonstrate to hiring leaders that you take your career seriously,” McGaw says. “While hiring leaders may be willing to allow a new hire to earn a certification within the first year of work, why not be the candidate with the certification already in hand?”
A degree is another widely accepted standard of knowledge that proves you are capable of understanding and performing the job you are applying for.
“In cybersecurity, experience can substitute for a degree,” McGaw says. “BUT, if employers have a choice between candidates with similar career experience and ‘fit’ for the role, they most often choose the candidate with the degree. The degree is a strong signal of desirable candidate qualities beyond technical coursework including things like persistence, goal orientation, and time management.”
Additional ISACA Certifications
Didn’t find a certification you were looking for in the list above? Here are some additional certifications that ISACA offers:
- Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT) – This certification is for those seeking to handle the governance of an entire organization and for those aspiring to take on more executive roles.
- Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) – This certification is for IT professionals with at least three years of experience in privacy governance, privacy architecture and data lifecycle to validate their technical privacy skills and knowledge.
- Certified in Emerging Technology Certification (CET) – This certification is for IT professionals who are interested in advancing their career by applying in-demand, emerging tech expertise to their roles in IT audit, risk, security, cybersecurity, governance, privacy or business growth.