Do Certifications Still Matter In a Post-Pandemic World?

Certified Image

In a word, yes. Though technology and markets have changed, and attitudes toward working at home vs. working in an office vs. working on an island with a satellite… OK, I’m getting carried away here, but certifications still matter. Our CEO, Jeff Coruccini, outlined this in a blog post at the beginning of the year, but let me add some statistics here about certifications themselves:

According to CompTIA, the certification body for A+, Network+, and Security+, three industry-leading certifications, 96 percent of human resource managers use IT certifications as part of the screening process for candidates. 96 percent; that’s 24 out of every 25 human resource managers. According to Coursera, 59 percent of cybersecurity jobs require at least one related certification.

But lest you think these percentages are limited to IT jobs, consider this. According to Indeed, 62 percent of those surveyed for QuickBooks positions indicated they got a higher starting salary because they obtained a QuickBooks certification. And let me share a personal anecdote. My first IT training full-time position was at a hospital. I had Microsoft Office Suite (MOS) certifications; those certifications put me at the high end of the starting salary range, a full 25% higher than if I had not obtained those certifications.

Certifications are more than proof that one has expertise in the certification earned. They also prove several characteristics that make for an outstanding employee:

A willingness to learn, often in a very compact amount of time
The ability to study and research
The fortitude to finish a project from start to finish
The ability to succeed on a task after not succeeding. In this context, that would mean retaking an exam if one does not pass on the first attempt (it happens to the best of us)

So, which IT certifications are most important for those starting an IT career? This article from Coursera lists the top 10 IT certifications in 2023, and we have courses for six of the top seven certifications on the list. If you are looking at an IT career path and have not started the journey of obtaining any certifications, consider this an invitation to do so. I’ll be rooting for your success down your chosen path.

2020-21 Career Pathways Update

Hello, everyone. At the beginning of each year we set internal goals and one of my goals is to set the course order and career pathways we will pursue the coming year. Inevitably, demands and priorities change, and so do exam objectives for courses we plan on filming seemingly right before filming, but I digress.

One adjustment we have had to make is to update career tracks to reflect the ever-evolving Microsoft certification transitions from fundamental certifications to role-based certifications. The theory behind this is that certifications are more valuable when tied to a certain job role rather than just a cursory knowledge of a system. Personally, I think it is a great idea as this allows for those pursuing certifications to better target the areas of expertise they want.

That said, one of the main reasons for this career pathways adjustment, besides the fact that cloud computing is growing rapidly, is that as of January 31, 2021, all fundamental exams are being retired. This includes all exams starting with 70- and all MB- exams (for Microsoft Dynamics) as well.

With that said, allow me to present to you the highlights of all the career pathway changes:

NEW: Cloud Administrator

Exams: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900), Azure Administrator (AZ-104), and Azure Security Engineer (AZ-500)
This is replacing Windows Server 2012 MCSA (exams 70-410, 70-411, and 70-412)
Reason: Microsoft is pushing Azure, its cloud infrastructure, heavily and the adoption rate is picking up speed

UPDATED: Programming

Exams: Oracle Java Associate (1ZO-808), Flutter Certified Application Developer (AFD-200), and Azure Solutions Developer (AZ-204)
These are replacing the soon-to-be-retired Microsoft programming exams (70-480, 70-483, and 70-486)
This is a much “wider” track in that we have one general certification (Java), one for mobile app development (Flutter), and one for cloud (Azure)

NEW: Artificial Intelligence

Exams: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900), Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900), and Designing and Implementing an Azure AI Solution (AI-100)
According to LinkedIn, 133 million jobs will touch AI-enabled automation by 2022

NEW: Database Professional

Exams: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900), Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900), and Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azure (DP-100)
This is an excellent track for someone looking to become a data analyst

NEW: Advanced Database Professional

Exams: Implementing an Azure Data Solution (DP-200), Designing an Azure Data Solution (DP-201), and Administering Relational Databases on Microsoft Azure (DP-300)
This basically replaces the MCSA for SQL Server

The timeframe for these tracks is from now to about 12 months from now for all of these and, per usual in the IT business, these are subject to change. But this should give you an idea as to how we are evolving our offerings to match with the best possible employability scenarios for you as you pursue your journey.

MTA Introduction to Programming Using JavaScript Released Today!

Today, we are excited to announce the release of our MTA Introduction to Programming Using JavaScript course.

MTA Introduction to Programming Using JavaScript (98-382)

The MTA Introduction to Programming Using JavaScript (98-382) course is an excellent course for those looking to gain valuable introductory JavaScript skills. Topics covered include: learning about JavaScript operators, keywords, and methods, using variables, data types, and functions, implementing decisions and loops, interacting with the DOM (Document Object Model), and interacting with forms. In all of these topics, students will clearly see how JavaScript is used to enhance existing webpages. Furthermore, this course covers the material on the MTA 98-382 exam, and will help anyone looking to improve their employability prospects in the areas of designing and building webpages.

Our hope is that through our courseware we may provide learners with the guidance, preparation, and skills they need to succeed. For more information and to learn about additional LearnKey products visit our website.

MTA Introduction to Programming Using Python Released Today!

Today, we are excited to announce the release of our MTA Introduction to Programming Using Python course.

MTA Introduction to Programming Using Python (98-381)

LearnKey’s MTA Introduction to Programming Using Python (98-381) course covers Python, a very versatile programming language which can be used to power websites, build games, and even program hardware. This course is also an excellent course for someone new to programming, as many of the topics covered are basic programming topics which carry over well to other programming languages. Specifically, this course covers data types and operators, decisions and loops, input and output, code documentation and structure, troubleshooting, and modules and tools. The course topics directly map to the MTA 98-381 exam and will help anyone looking to improve their employability prospects in Python and for programming jobs in general.

Programming in C# Course Released!

Today, we are excited to announce the release of our Programming in C# course.

Programming in C# (70-483)

LearnKey’s Programming in C# course is geared toward those who have some programming experience and are looking to improve their employability prospects for jobs requiring intermediate C# knowledge. The course is also geared toward those looking to take and pass exam 70-483, a Microsoft Certified Professional-level exam. 70-483 is one exam that leads toward the MCSA: App Builder certification. Specifically, this C# course covers managing program flow, creating and using types, debugging applications, implementing security, and implementing data access.

Animate CC Course and Workbook Released!

Today, we are excited to announce the release of our Animate CC course.

Animate CC

LearnKey’s Animate CC course covers topics such as, setting project requirements, understanding rich animated media, the Animate program, creating rich animated media content using Animate, and testing and publishing these documents. Mapped to cover the exam objectives for the Animate CC ACA exam, this course will improve the employability prospects for anyone looking for work requiring skills in developing rich animated media through Animate.

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Course Released!

Today, we are excited to announce the release of our Entrepreneurship and Small Business course.

Entrepreneurship and Small Business

LearnKey’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business course is designed to prepare a student to sit for the Entrepreneurship and Small Business certification exam. The course provides scenarios and example questions to apply knowledge of fundamental entrepreneurship and small business management concepts. Topics covered include: defining an entrepreneur, recognizing an opportunity, starting and operating a business, how to market a business, managing sales, and basic financial management. The course is designed for a student who has taken a small business management class, but will prepare any student for the ESB exam.

Introduction to Programming Concepts and QuickBooks 2017 Courses Released

Today, we are excited to announce the release of our Introduction to Programming Concepts and QuickBooks 2017 courses, and the Access 2016 MasterExam.

Introduction to Programming Concepts

This 90-minute course is an introduction to basic programming concepts and is perfect for those who want to learn how to program, but don’t know where to start. Rather than focusing on a single programming language, this course will teach prospective programmers three basic principles: introduction to objects, program design basics, and coding basics.

QuickBooks 2017

LearnKey’s QuickBooks 2017 course is designed to improve the employability prospects for any company needing someone who can work with QuickBooks efficiently. The course also serves as a preparation for the QuickBooks Certified User Exam. The course goes through all ten exam domains: QuickBooks Setup, General Product Knowledge, List Management, Items, Sales, Purchases, Payroll, Reports, Basic Accounting, and Customization. This course will give users the confidence to work effectively with QuickBooks for businesses of all types.

Access 2016 MasterExam

LearnKey’s Microsoft Access 2016 MasterExam will help you prepare to take exam 77-730. This educational training product is intended to be used in combination with LearnKey’s video courseware. The MasterExam has hundreds of questions to test your knowledge, helping you become a certified user of Access 2016.

Access 2016 Released!

Today, we are excited to announce the release of our Access 2016 course.

Access 2016 (77-730)

In Access 2016, the relational database app in Microsoft Office, you can design your own databases or use templates to create databases to share with others, namely coworkers. LearnKey Senior Instructor Jason Manibog will take you through creating databases, creating tables, building queries, building forms, and building reports. These five topics are also the topics on the Microsoft Office Specialist exam for Access 2016 (Exam 77-730). This, combined with what you will learn about relational database structures, will improve your employability prospects in any position needing skills with small to medium-sized relational databases.

What I Have Been Up To This Year

Greetings, one and all. I hope you all had a good January. The snow and cold around here means no golf for me which means no fun, but, I digress. I’m here to talk upcoming courses, as in what our crew has been filming and putting together for upcoming releases. This month, we actually filmed three of these and I’m here to fill you all in on what we are working on and how these courses will help your certification prospects and your employability. After all, our CEO, Jeff Coruccini, penned a couple of weeks ago our vision of Improving Employability Everyday, something I always have in mind when playing the architect for these courses. Now, onto our upcoming courses:

Access 2016

This course is going to be the fifth and final course on Office 2016 and will cover the material needed for the MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist) exam for Microsoft Access, exam 77-730. This exam, and the course, has five main topics: Creating and managing databases, building tables, creating queries, creating forms, and creating reports. We cover all of that material. However, having helped companies large and small build Access databases for the better part of 15 years, this much I know: One has to have a good handle on the concept of relational database design and on how to go about proper planning for a database in order to be successful with Access. So even though those two topics are not on the exam, we cover those as well.

Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming

What does a bowling ball have to do with programming? Well, to find out, you will want to take our upcoming Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming course. Seriously, though, many people think, or are told, that the first step in learning programming is to learn code. As this course will detail, learning code comes after we learn about objects and their characteristics, designing programs, and designing program workflow. The code, then, is just the result of the plan and then becomes easier to learn. This is also the first course in our new programming tracks of courses, something this space will detail more of very soon.

MTA Security Fundamentals

Over the last year, Microsoft has made strides in updating their MTA (Microsoft Technology Associate) certification program. The MTA program is a great entry-level certification program in the areas of development, databases, and IT infrastructure. Microsoft has “refreshed” the 98-349 exam for Operating System Fundamentals, which I detailed recently, to remove Windows 7-only content and add Windows 10 content. That course will be out sometime this spring.

Another course that has gotten a “refresh” in objectives is the Security Fundamentals course for the 98-367 exam. The core topics of understanding security layers, operating system security, understanding network security, and understanding security software are still there, but they have been updated to reflect the current trends in basic security fundamentals. So, we are doing the same with this course.

Each of these courses will have the usual video training, along with pre-assessments and post-assessments, practice labs, and many helpful test tips (for the Access 2016 and MTA Security Fundamentals courses).

So, with improving employability prospects and certification prospects in three areas: databases, programming, and security, hey, maybe January isn’t such a bad month after all, even without the golf.