Where Do You Want to Go Today? Get There Faster with Certification
Posted by TestOut Staff on
On April 4, 1975, two men in Albuquerque, N.M, ventured into a fairly new market with some new ideas and founded what was at the time a language software development company. That company would one day become one of the largest, most influential companies in the world, showcasing the now ubiquitous name of Microsoft.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen couldn’t have known how successful their venture would become when it all began. Now, not only is Microsoft continually distributing best-selling products like the Xbox, Microsoft Office and the Microsoft Windows operating system, but the company is training the next generation of IT professionals with its unique certifications.
The Microsoft Learning website has called for more qualified professionals in the workplace, urging any and all to get certified. The site lists a number of reasons and statistics to support why Microsoft Certification may be a solution to unemployment problems.
Starting at ground level, Microsoft reports that five times as many high-salary positions require Microsoft Office experience than all non-Microsoft software skills combined. According to a recent CompTIA study, 86 percent of hiring managers surveyed see IT certification as a high or medium priority when looking for new hires. A Microsoft Certification Program Satisfaction Study states that 91 percent of hiring managers list certification as an important part of their hiring criteria.
Most IT hiring managers surveyed by CompTIA rate certifications as having high value in indicating someone’s skills or expertise in a certain area. And according to another study performed by Microsoft in 2013, those who hold Microsoft certifications like the MCSA earn up to $16,000 more, annually, than their peers.
These statistics are compelling evidence that Microsoft certification, as well as certification in general, has its benefits. To an employer, certification brings peace of mind, knowing that their candidates or eventual hires will be productive. Certification lowers the risk that a candidate will not be able to perform certain tasks they are called upon to carry out. This is why you should take some employment advice from one of the most successful companies in the world, and start your certification training today.
About the Author — Jake Slater is the social media manager for GoCertify and a graduate of Brigham Young University. Jake created his first Word doc in 2002.