IT Professionals are essential to every industry and IT careers in Hawaii can be very lucrative. Higher salaries are one very good reason to give yourself every edge possible when looking to advance your career, but also having the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology is a definite plus as well. Regardless of your IT role, there are things that you can do to stand out to your employer, to recruiters, and to companies looking to fill that next CIO, CTO, or even just the typical IT manager role. Below we’ll look at some IT certifications that can help give you that winning edge.

Google Certified Professional (GCP) Cloud Architect

More and more companies are deciding to move to a cloud-based solution for their data storage, applications, and many more processes. A Cloud Architect is an IT specialist who develops a company’s computing strategy so they can get things off-site and in the cloud. Here’s a quick overview of Google’s GCP certification.

  • Has a 2-hour long exam
  • Is in English and Japanese
  • Has no prereqs
  • Registration fee of $200
  • Recommended to have about 3 plus years of IT experience and about a year using GCP
Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification

High-level management positions in IT often require a lot of project management. The PMP certification by the Project Management Institute (PMI) offers a solution to IT professionals that want to show they are equipped to handle the challenges of project management. It’s been shown that IT professionals with a PMP certification can earn up to 20% more on their salaries. Here are the requirements to enroll for the PMP certification.

  • Requires a four-year degree
  • You must have 36 months leading projects
  • Must have at least 35 hours of project management education or a CAPM certification

or

  • An associates degree
  • 60 months of leading projects
  • The project management education and CAPM certification is the same

If you meet these requirements then you can take the 200 question exam. If you pass, then you get your certification. The fee is $405 for PMI members and $555 for non-members. To maintain your certification you have to complete 60 Professional Development Units (PDU’s) about every 3 years.

Citrix Certified Associate – Networking (CCA-N)

Network and systems admins have their fair share of certifications they can obtain in order to stand out from the crowd. The CCA-N is a certification that shows that you know your way around Citrix ACD, which is used to help speed up applications to put it plainly. This helps companies a lot and they pay network and system admins pretty good for making sure something like Citrix ACD is up and running properly. Here’s a little overview of the CCA-N certification.

  • Flexible exam options for proving experience and proficiency
  • The exam is through Pearson VUE
  • Citrix has a prep guide that you can download to get ready for the exam

The CCA-N is a great addition to your resume without having to jump through a bunch of hoops. It’s simple, straightforward, and easily shows your skills, knowledge, and competence.

Furthering Your IT Career in Hawaii

Sometimes trying to go solo in your job search or career advancement isn’t such a good idea. Sometimes your resume is missing that critical experience to even get you looked at for that higher IT position. Bishop & Company has been helping people in Hawaii, especially women, get the experience they need to advance their careers. They also help companies in Hawaii by providing them with excellent talent that can get the job done. If you need a little help in getting that crucial experience, then click here to get started with a professional.