Last year brought us a global pandemic, a volatile world economy, a contentious U.S. presidential election, and a whole lot of certified professionals keeping the gears of information technology in spin. We connected with more than 4,000 of those folks for our annual Salary Survey. That means we have a new Salary Survey 75 list, a new list of which certifications everyone wants to get, and much more. Also in this issue, we have suggestions for teachers helping students to get certified, and a look at technology trends that could change the industry in 2021.

Cybercrime targets all of us. Even when that phishing e-mail goes straight to your spam folder, it still represents a bona fide threat and an attempt to access your information/data assets. The biggest crimes, of course, can only be thwarted by a concerted and constant prevention effort, typically spearheaded by certified cybersecurity professionals. For this issue of the magazine, we asked those folks about their place in the cybersecurity universe. We also provide some advice about certification study methods, and discuss the importance of mentoring the next generation of IT professionals.

It was printer, inventor, politician, and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin who observed that, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” The Franklinator was talking about compound interest, and a similar principle applies to IT certification. Spend now to get certified, and your investment will pay off throughout your career. We talk to certified IT professionals about money every year, and this is the issue of the magazine where you find out what they had to say. We also take a look at some of the IT trends that will shape 2023, discuss tips for rookie job seekers, and — speaking of money — question the high cost of IT certification exams.

Flip a switch in the living room and a light turns on. Most of us rarely think about the array of transmissions and devices needed to make that happen. It’s the same thing with computer networking. It takes a vast web of wires and otherwise connected devices to support the keystrokes and mouse clicks that we use to work, study, and relax. For this issue of the magazine, we asked certified IT professionals about the computer networking universe. We also provide some advice about how to get soft — and why that’s important — and discuss the other kind of network that delivers important connections.

In 2022, computers can do a lot of things that weren’t possible for their antiquated cousins that used to take up entire rooms in college campus science and technology buildings. One thing they can’t do, however, is anything they’re not explicitly told to do. And telling a computer what to do with itself still requires computer programming. For this issue of the magazine, we asked certified IT professionals about the computer programming universe. We also check in with the long-running Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification program, and ponder the problematic shortage of qualified IT educators.

There once was a horse called Cloud Computing. No, we’re not starting a fairy tale or a limerick. Cloud Computing the horse won the Preakness Stakes in 2017. In 2022, cloud computing the technology is winning just about everything else. We surveyed certified cloud computing professionals about everyone’s favorite massively important tech phenomenon, and this issue contains our findings. We’re also in a historical frame of mind, looking back at how certification caught on in the IT industry, and we’ve got some wise words about what to do the next time you look in the mirror and hate your IT job.

Rock singer Jeff Bebe once declared that rock music is “not about money and popularity. Although, some money would be nice.” IT is also not about money (or popularity), but there is money to be had and certification can help you get some. We talk to certified IT professionals about money every year, and this is the issue of the magazine where you find out what they had to say. We also take a look at some of the IT trends that will shape 2022, serve up a nice plate of cookies — the internet kind; put that milk back in the fridge — and bring you the zillionth article in an IT industry ongoing series: Which Rules More, Cert or College?

It takes time, energy, and focus to prepare for and pass an IT certification exam. What is the right mix of those ingredients? Our Certification Training Survey brought in feedback from working IT professionals about how they get ready to get certified. This issue frames some of their answers, along with a variety of features. We hop in a time machine to explore the historical roots of IT certification itself, explain how to select the right certification study guide, and dive into the world of online certification training reviews.

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing 30 years ago? Linus Torvalds probably does — in August, the Linux operating system that Torvalds created will be 30 years old. This issue contains the results of our Linux Certification Survey, along with a variety of features. We consider the pros and cons of virtual IT conferences, talk with the Linux Foundation about creating a certification without any in-person meetings, and (briefly) consider the 20-year history of Microsoft’s MCSA cert.

It seems like every few weeks there's a new headline-grabbing hack or cybersecurity breach making trouble for everyone from national governments to individual computer users. This issue contains the results of our Cybersecurity Certification Survey, along with a variety of features. We envision a future with no passwords (complex or otherwise) for anyone to remember, talk about who benefits from getting a certification, offer some advice about essential IT skills for non-IT workers, and more.

There’s a storm on the digital horizon, or at least a lot of clouds. More than almost anything other current technology, cloud computing is changing the way we work, learn, solve problems, and just generally live life. So where are the workers who will make our new cloud everything function, and how is “the cloud” evolving? This issue contains the results of our Cloud Computing Certification Survey, along with a variety of features. We take a look at the best ways to build your repertoire of IT skills by learning online, ponder the possibility (and positive impact) of getting an IT internship, and more.

The digital future where everything connects to everything else is still more dream than reality, but we’re getting closer every day to that vision of ultimate connectivity. We’re going to need both wired and wireless linkages, as well as the work of many skilled hands. This issue contains the results of our Computer Networking Certification Survey, along with a variety of features. We take a look at the rapid proliferation of online certification testing, examine whether (and when) it’s helpful and productive to memorize information, and more.

What does the Sistine Chapel have to do with the internet? OK, probably not a whole lot. (It’s a tortured analogy even for us.) The point is that most of us look at the internet a lot, and that someone painstakingly designed both the form and function of what we see when we do. This issue contains the results of our Web Design and Development Survey, along with a variety of other features. Ever wondered whether certifications earned by students are worth a darn? Find out one answer to that perplexing problem, and more.

What if they threw a Salary Survey and no one came? We didn’t have to worry about it this year, as more than 5,000 certified IT professionals contributed to a vast stockpile of IT certification and salary data. This is the issue where we present our initial findings and roll out the new Salary Survey 75. There’s plenty of other good stuff here as well, however, with an overview of top tech trends, stories about success in IT education, and even advice about how to succeed in (yikes!) talking to other people.

In 1991, Linux was an experimental freeware project on the FTP server of the Finnish University and Research Network. It wasn’t even called Linux (yet). Close to 40 years later, Linux is the most widely distributed OS on the planet — except for among personal and workplace computer users. We’ll tell you what certified Linux professionals have to say about that and other topics, venture into the world of certification study guides, and more. We also have our usual mix of profiles, as well as a discussion of Mark Zuckerberg’s worst nightmare: Is it time to break up Big Tech?

Now that almost every function of work, education, or society involves a computer or computer network, the need for skilled security specialists is greater than ever. There are many more security problems, of course, than just the supply-and-demand employment issue. We’ll tell you what certified security professionals have to say about their industry, break down the history of Git and GitHub, and more. This issue also contains our usual mix of profiles, as well as a clarion call to CompTIA to stop using two A+ exams.

Humans have always had a healthy appetite for data: Just ask the ancient historian Livy, who filled up 142 volumes with his far-reaching history of Rome. With the dawn of information age, however, we may have bitten off more than we can chew. We’ll tell you what certified Big Data professionals have to say about that and other concerns, address the growing popularity of role-based certification, and more. We also have our usual mix of profiles, as well as a timely discussion of the problem of ageism in IT.

You can’t talk about politics and religion, and you should never ask someone how much money they make. Except that every year we ask total strangers how much money they make — and then we tell you all about it. (The scandal!) That’s right, the Salary Survey issue is here. In addition to survey results, we’ve also got advice for exam takers, an overview of the technology trends that will shape 2019, and more. We also visit opposite sides of the United States to profile two strong women, one a teacher and one a student, who are conquering IT.

The distance around the Earth at the equator is still 24,901 miles, and if you set out to walk from San Diego to New York City, you’ll still have to leg it more than 2,700 miles. Computer networking makes the world feel smaller, however, as the internet continues to expand, reaching out to touch every person place and thing. This issue of the magazine includes results from our latest survey, advice for D-I-Y certification training, and more. We also get to know six high school kids who banded together to conquer CompTIA’s A+.

In the early decades of the information age, tech support professionals — the guys who could fix your malfunctioning PC, or build a new one from scratch — were close to the top of the IT food chain. In 2018, many are in danger of being replaced by machines. This issue of the magazine includes results from our Computer Support Technician Certification Survey, advice for support professionals who want to become their own bosses, and more. We also make the acquaintance of Martin Ballard, who walked away from a prosperous family business to teach high school kids about computers.

Remember the childhood game where you point to a cloud in the sky and tell your buddy what it looks like? Did either of you ever say, “That one looks like a versatile business infrastructure solution,” or, “That one looks like unlimited personal data storage,” or, you know, stuff like that? The true shape of cloud computing, sort of like with actual clouds, is sometimes found in the eye of the beholder. This issue of the magazine includes results from our Cloud Certification Survey, a rundown of top cloud computing certs, and more. There are even things not directly related to the Cloud, like career advice for aspiring technical trainers, and an overview of the return of adaptive testing.

Is your employer paying you what you’re worth? Our annual Salary Survey issue is back, with data from more than 4,000 certified IT professionals. There’s a new Salary Survey 75 list, a new list of which certifications are high on the to-do list of working IT pros, and much more. Also in this issue, we have suggestions for teachers helping students to master Microsoft Office, guidance for promoting the value of your IT credentials in a crowded market, and a look at technology trends that could change the industry in 2018.

The world has need of employable cybersecurity professionals. Many more of them than we have now, in fact. Experts estimate that there are currently more than 1 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs, and there will be 1.8 million unfilled jobs by 2022. That’s just one of the looming cybersecurity challenges discussed in this issue, along with the results of our latest certification survey. Also in this issue, we give tips to promote success in online learning, consider the value of a college degree in computer science, and more.

Do you know what a zettabyte is? It's a whole lot of data — 1 sextillion ordinary garden variety bytes — and also not very much at all. Merely a single year's worth of traffic on the internet. What are we doing with all of that data, and how can it benefit us? It can benefit working professionals who hold Big Data certifications, for one, as we learned from our latest salary survey. Also in this issue, we help you get better at motivating students to take and pass certification exams, check in on the state of digital badging, and more.

More than 25 years after its initial (and humble) release, Linux is the mouse — make that penguin — that roared. The open source OS not only supports vast swaths of the internet, but popularized a software development model that is currently among the hottest trends in IT. Linux certifications aren’t particularly plentiful, but certification is still an excellent way to both enter and explore the Linux realm. And the salary can be pretty good as well. This issue of the magazine also looks at the hiring crunch in cybersecurity, ponders the future of IT exams, and more.

As of 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated the median annual income for computer and IT occupations in the United States to be $81,430, more than double the median annual income for all occupations of $36,200. If you add a certification to that already supercharged earning power — look out! In this issue of the magazine we take an intense look at the impact of certification on IT salary through the prism of our annual Salary Survey. There’s lots of other good content as well, including Part 2 of our quest to answer the oft-asked certification question: What does it take to build a great certification program from scratch?

It’s been estimated conservatively that 20 billion internet-enabled devices and objects will be linked to the internet by 2020. That’s a lot of connections, and there’s a great deal of opportunity in IT realm of networking. In this issue of the magazine, we provide salary data on popular networking certifications and look at networking from a number of different angles. We also tackle a frequently asked question that has an answer too complex for any mere FAQ: What does it take to build a certification program from scratch? Grab a copy of this issue and find out for yourself!

Failure is good when it advances our understanding of what doesn’t work. If we’re humble and willing to learn, it can lead us in new and exciting directions previously unconsidered and unimagined. Of course it’s less expensive and frustrating to fail virtually than in the real-world. So it is that virtualization and accompanying certifications are opening new and wondrous possibilities in IT. That’s why virtualization ranks among the top five categories in which companies plan to increase spending in 2016. This issue also includes a Q&A with the inventor of E-Mail and a look into the bright future of IT certifications via a look back.

FROM THE EDITOR THE TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGIN’, OPINION STEM NEEDS TO INCLUDE CYBERSECURITY, JOBS AND SALARY TAKE A STEP UP TO PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, CERTIFICATION SEVEN PROJECT MANANGEMENT CERTS, CERTIFICATION ARE YOU (SECURITY) MANAGEMENT MATERIAL?, BUILDING CERTIFICATIONS WITH BIG DATA, HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PROJECT MANAGERS, and more.....

The people have spoken. More than 11,700 IT professionals from 101 countries around the world responded to our annual Salary Survey. We used all of that data to create a bigger, better index of the top-salaried certs in the survey — the Salary Survey 75 is back — find out what certifications are at the top of everyone’s to-do list, and more. You can also read up on what you need to know to succeed at any IT job interview, how to study effectively for any certification exam in just minutes a day (and why it works), and more.

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Each issue of Certification Magazine includes feature articles, columns, research and resources to help certified IT experts advance their careers through skills development, education and professional credentialing. Certification Magazine examines the various job roles of IT experts, looks at existing and emerging certification programs and shares ideas, resources and advice from industry icons and thought leaders. Visit CertMag.com to learn more!

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Certification Magazine - January 2021

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