Survey says: Certifications helping tech professionals gain career rewards

If you have yet to wrap your head around the incredible value of certifications, then look no further than a recent survey conducted by Pearson VUE. The survey results strongly indicate that certification provides impressive advantages to IT professionals in the United States.

The Pearson VUE survey found that IT professionals in the United States are more likely to experience career benefits when they attain certifications than those who labor in other regions of the world. Professionals in the United States are 35 percent more likely to see career benefits when obtaining certifications than the global average.

Pearson VUE media personnel said that the survey was conducted online earlier this year, from May 22 to June 24, and included responses from more than 30,000 IT exam candidates in 184 countries. Respondents qualified by having taken a certification exam from any one of 12 leading certification program providers in the past two years.

Exam candidates who opted to receive marketing communications from Pearson VUE were later contacted about participating in a certification satisfaction survey. Of those surveyed in the United States, nearly two-thirds had taken an exam to improve their career profile, and out of that group nearly 70 percent reported a positive impact on their professional reputation.

Bob Whelan, Managing Director of Pearson VUE said in a press release announcing the results of the survey that responses indicate that IT professionals in the United States place a high value on training and certification. "The world of IT is evolving at a rapid pace," Whelan said, "and respondents know the impact that credentials have on their careers both in the short and long term."

Nearly 90 percent of respondents said that they are likely to take a certification exam — and over 60 percent plan to take further instructor-led training — within the year. Survey results also indicate that nearly 40 percent of exams recently completed by those surveyed were paid for by employers, showing that many employers view certification as a sound investment.

Many have argued in recent years that IT certifications don't have a much impact as they once did. Some see getting certified as a waste of time. Many argue that certifications don't mean much to an employer, and that experience will trump certifications anytime. The Pearson VUE offers some relief for those defending against such attacks. Certification, it would seem, is still important to employers, and certs are valuable in helping IT professionals in the United States obtain career rewards.

Another example comes from a recent survey performed by CompTIA in 2011. That survey concluded that nearly two-thirds of IT hiring managers rate certifications as having extremely high or high value when evaluating a candidate's expertise. The survey also found that nearly 90 percent of IT hiring managers indicate that IT certifications are a high or medium priority during the candidate profiling process. At the time of the survey, eight out of 10 human resource professionals surveyed believed that IT certifications would grow in usefulness and importance in coming years.

While the results of both surveys results strongly indicate that IT certifications still have plenty of value, especially in the U.S. job force, it is always important to make sure you are getting the right certifications for your line of work. Before starting a certification program, always look into whether that cert will make a difference to future employers.