4 Reasons Why Now Is the Best Time to Get Yourself Certified
Especially during a pandemic
It was a Thursday evening when an email popped up on my phone. Our university offered a limited number of students and lecturers to get a Microsoft Azure Artificial Intelligence (AI) certification.
You had to attend a one-day webinar, put in 20 hours of work, practice for the exam and then pass it within 21 days of the webinar.
The best thing was, all costs were covered — no fees for the webinar, resources or sitting the exam.
I had won an all-inclusive trip to level up my career. Why shy away now?
Then I realised how much work I’d have to put in.
I revised all weekend, studied every tutorial, practised all day and night.
On the morning of the exam, my nerves started playing up. It was my very first online examination. Was I going to get more than 70% correct for a pass?
As the clock started ticking, I attempted to answer the first question, and despair embraced me. Each question was more challenging than the previous one.
Towards the end of the exam, I regained my confidence. The hour was up, and the moment of truth awaited me.
I recall drumming my fingers on the table and saying a quick prayer. And then, there it was!
I’ve seldomly felt such relief and wonder. A solid pass of 84% meant I could pride myself with an Azure AI Fundamentals certification.
But why on earth would you want to go through this torture to get certified?
1. Fill In the Gaps
You just finished a course on Artificial Intelligence at your company. The following week a colleague asks you a simple question. Even though the course was only a few days back, you can’t think of the correct answer.
Frustrated, you go online and google the results. You get back to your colleague with an answer which he could’ve found himself.
Sound familiar?
Certifications help solve this problem. Like cement that fills the gap in your wall, certificates help fill the gap in your brain. They connect the dots and provide the “Aha” moment.
Today may be the right day to look for a certificate to build your confidence in your work topics.
2. Become An Expert
Companies love experts. The truth is, we all do. We feel safe and assured when an expert informs us.
Certifications can help you pave the way to your success. Your Cloud Computing Certification will help you get that next Data Science job.
When revising for your certification, you practice what you’ve learnt. After a few days of passing your exam, you can level up your experience. You are now the go-to person in your department on a specific topic.
We all start as beginners. It’s the effort and energy we put in that makes us stand out.
“Experts were once amateurs who kept practising.”~Amit Kalantri
3. Increase Your Credibility
In your first year of high school, you are a small fish in a big pond. “Hundreds, if not thousands, of other students visited the same school.”
A humbling thought.
By the time you graduate high school, you’re a big fish in the small pond. The pond size remains the same. The point remains that you’re now recognised, you know most of the teachers and students, and you might even be a leader for some of the school’s responsibilities.
Your network has increased, and thus you’ve become a big fish.
When you join a university or the working force, the story is flipped again. You’re back to the small kid in awe of all the people at that school.
Now, if you were a recruiter, would you instead hire the big fish or the small one? The answer is simple. Every recruiter would want to hire someone with experience and a good network who’s willing to go the extra mile.
If you get that certification, you’re right on track to becoming a bigger fish. You’ll be noticed for commitment, grit and stamina.
What person do you want to be?
4. Get a Pay rise
The training firm, Global Knowledge, crunched some numbers that demonstrate the need for learning new skills.
On average, an IT specialist who learnt a new skill got a pay rise of 12,000$ while the raise for certified was 13,000$. This sum is almost double the rise of an average IT professional, with 5,000$.
Your career will significantly benefit from that certification. Not only will you get a good job, but you will also increase the chances of getting a promotion.
Your boss sees your extracurricular commitment and will want to reward you for it. Your newfound knowledge can now help bring the company ahead.
A certificate on paper may seem unimportant and useless, but the power it holds is staggering.
Start Now
Getting that certification isn’t easy. But then, all challenging moments in life are there to help us grow and improve.
Many fields have their criteria and certifications. Here are a few in-demand career paths you can choose from:
- Project management
- Business analyst
- Supply chain
- Human resources
- Sales
- Accounting
- Information Technology
- Computer Network
Once you know what field you want to get certified in, check out this list of great online certifications to level up your career.
So when studying gets hard, remind yourself of these points. You’re getting certified to:
- Fill in the gaps
- Become an expert
- Increase your credibility
- Get a pay rise
Levelling up your career may the best you can do for yourself in 2021.