Looking Ahead
Certification Magazine|January 2020
What is the future of IT certification?
AARON AXLINE
Looking Ahead

What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

It’s a question commonly asked at job interviews (and on more than a few first dates). The point is to get candidates to peer into the future and make an educated guess at how they think their career trajectories will develop, based on how their personal and professional lives are trending.

IT professionals ask a version of this question when trying to predict the future of their chosen industry. It isn’t easy to chart the course of modern technology — the only constant in IT is its constant state of change. But tech workers must monitor the evolution of technology with a close eye, so they can adapt their skills and knowledge to stay employed in an industry known for its volatility and unpredictability.

The people who manage IT training and certification programs must also constantly assess the present state of the tech industry, and attempt to predict which skills and disciplines will be the top priorities in the near future so they can develop the next wave of IT certifications.

But there is a larger question hidden behind all of the commonplace certification program activity: What is going to happen to IT certification itself over the next five years?

Will it remain an ongoing series of training material revisions and exam updates? Will employers continue to place the same value on IT certification as they do now? What current certification programs could wane in popularity over the next five years, and what are the potential top industry credentials of 2024?

Role-based certifications

This story is from the January 2020 edition of Certification Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January 2020 edition of Certification Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM CERTIFICATION MAGAZINEView All
Wanted: Your Cloud Computing Skills
Certification Magazine

Wanted: Your Cloud Computing Skills

Employers need cloud computing expertise, but demand is outstripping supply

time-read
6 mins  |
October 2020
The Job Before Your First Job
Certification Magazine

The Job Before Your First Job

An IT internship can be your strong first step toward a rewarding professional career

time-read
10 mins  |
October 2020
Professionalizing the CLOUD
Certification Magazine

Professionalizing the CLOUD

A conversation with the exam architect behind the hottest certification in cloud security

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2020
SETTING HIS SIGHTS ON SUCCESS
Certification Magazine

SETTING HIS SIGHTS ON SUCCESS

Ohio IT student has mastered computer repair, cybersecurity, and certification

time-read
10 mins  |
October 2020
The Typist Who Became a Technologist
Certification Magazine

The Typist Who Became a Technologist

Long time Utah IT educator got her first exposure to computers in high school

time-read
10+ mins  |
October 2020
Pick a Cloud, Any Cloud
Certification Magazine

Pick a Cloud, Any Cloud

Which cloud computing models best support business aims — and which ones should you learn?

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2020
Here, There, and Everywhere
Certification Magazine

Here, There, and Everywhere

Distributed cloud computing is bringing the cloud closer to all of us

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2020
Master of Efficiency
Certification Magazine

Master of Efficiency

A skilled operations analyst fine tunes processes to help organizations flourish

time-read
6 mins  |
October 2020
Learn Smarter, Not Harder
Certification Magazine

Learn Smarter, Not Harder

Everyone is doing online learning now — but that doesn’t mean they’re doing it right

time-read
10 mins  |
October 2020
From Horizon to Horizon
Certification Magazine

From Horizon to Horizon

No matter where you look, cloud technology is blanketing the IT industry

time-read
9 mins  |
October 2020