Employers Seeking Certs

Training company Global Knowledge has published an article about the most in-demand certifications, based on a small poll of recruitment managers from IT staffing firm Technisource. The poll contains some known information, with some interesting new nuggets.

Microsoft and Cisco are the vendor certifications most sought after, which is no surprise.

One bit of information less well-known is that many employers like job candidates to hold security certifications in addition to other credentials. The reason, according to the article, is that in the current economy businesses aren't hiring at previous levels, so the IT people will often have to wear multiple hats. Since security is becoming more important than ever, job-seekers should have some experience in that realm, even if their main duties don't involve security. One executive is quoted as saying that "a candidate's security skills could be a deciding factor for employers, even if the skill isn't in the job description."

Another interesting tidbit from the story is that help desk certifications are growing in importance. Many entry-level certifications, like Microsoft's MCP, are seen as help desk types of credentials, but it appears that specific help desk certs are starting to emerge.