As the recovery begins to take hold, many of us want to move on from the COVID-19 crisis and get on with our lives — and our work. But if you or your technicians or engineers are still experiencing some downtime, it might be a good time to focus on learning a new skill or getting another certification under your belt. 

According to Global Knowledge’s 2019 IT Skills and Salary Report, 63 percent of certified employees said the value of their certifications exceeded $10,000 a year. And 22 percent said it equated to as much as $30,000. That’s a lot of value from a virtual piece of paper, even when you take the cost of the exam and/or study materials into account.

But getting certified isn’t just about the potential pay bump. It can make you and your team more flexible at a time when the field service industry is evolving. We hope this guide can help and inspire you to make the most of 2020.

Top certifications requested on Field Nation

Many buyers on the Field Nation marketplace seek out specialized IT technicians, and sometimes require that technicians have certain certifications to be considered for work orders. Here are a few of the most sought-after certifications on the Field Nation marketplace:

Top Cisco certifications

There are many CISCO certifications, but a few stand out on our platform. However, all Cisco certifications can be valuable assets that open up more opportunities to you on or off the platform.

Associate-level certifications

• CCNA (CCNA Routing and Switching, CCNA Security, CCDA: Cisco Certified Design Associate, and CCENT: Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician are now rolled into a single, foundational CCNA certification)

Professional-level certifications

• CCNP Enterprise (replacement for CCNP Routing and Switching)

Low voltage licensing

• Low Voltage License (allows electrical work with systems up to 95 volts in most states)

ProAV certifications

• Crestron Technical Institute – training and certifications for AV Installers, Design Engineers, and Programmers
• Extron certification – available to industry or AV professionals interested in validating their knowledge of current technologies

Other top technician certifications on Field Nation include:

• CompTIA A+ Certification
• CompTIA Network+
• MCP: Microsoft Certified Professional
• Various certifications from Dell’s new certification portfolio

Top certifying bodies for IT certifications

BICSI

BICSI is a professional association supporting the advancement of information and communications technology (ICT) professions. It currently serves more than 26,000 members and credential holders.

Online courses

Over 100 online courses are available in categories including:

• Data Center
• Intelligent Building
• Optical Fiber/Copper
• Outside Plant Design
• Project Management
• Safety
• Telecom Distribution
• Wireless

Certifications

Additionally, BISCI offers certifications in:

• ICT Cabling Installation
  • Installer 1® (INST1®)
  • Installer 2, Copper® (INSTC®)
  • Installer 2, Optical Fiber® (INSTF®)
  • Technician™ (TECH™)
• Data Center Design
  • Data Center Design Consultant® (DCDC®)
• Project Management
  • Registered Telecommunications Project Manager® (RTPM®)
• Outside Plant
  • Outside Plant (OSP) Designer®
• Distribution Design
  • Registered Communications Distribution Designer® (RCDD®)

Deals or discounts

In addition to paid courses, BICSI offers free and discounted training.

AVIXA

AVIXA™, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, is one of the leading resources for AV standards, certification, training, market intelligence, and thought leadership.

Its members include individuals in manufacturing, systems integration, distribution, consultancies, programming, live events, technology management, content production, and multimedia. 

Online courses

AVIXA offers a variety of general, specialized and continuing education online courses on:

• Installation
• AV design
• Networking & technology
• Technology management
• Project management and business
• Live events

Certifications

All three of AVIXA’s certifications are ANSI accredited under the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) ISO/IEC 17024:2012 General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification Schemes of Persons program. They include:

• CTS – General
• CTS-D – Design
• CTS-I – Installation

Deals or discounts

With a free, basic membership, you get access to free webinars, and a 30-day online training pass discount ($175).

CompTIA

CompTIA is one of the world’s leading tech associations. Their organization sets industry standards and seeks to foster development by offering membership benefits and quality certification programs.

Online courses

CompTIAs online learning resources are all about getting you prepared for taking certification exams. These options include:

• CertMaster Learn – a comprehensive eLearning platform
• CertMaster Labs – provides hands-on experience in virtual environments.
• CertMaster Practice – an online knowledge assessment tool to prepare for certification exams

Certifications

In addition to online courses, CompTIA offers two certification pathways, core skill certifications, and certifications associated with project management and training.

• Infrastructure pathway
• Cybersecurity pathway
• Core skills certifications
• Additional professional certifications

Deals or discounts

There are six ways to get a voucher discount through CompTIA. These discounts include bundling and financing options, and coupon codes.

Apple

Apple charges for its AppleCare Mac Technician (ACMT) credential opportunity for anyone not employed by an Apple Authorized Service Provider (or that has a Self Servicing Account). If you are employed by a company with a GSX account, you have access to the training materials for free.

Don’t have a GSX account? You can get training from LearnQuest —an Apple-authorized global training provider. Then, you can purchase and take the tests via Pearson VUE.

Deals or discounts:

Through May 31, Pearson is offering 30% off virtual classes with the promo code Virtual30. 

Google

Offered online through Coursera, Google has online certificate programs in Project Management, Data Analytics, UX Design, and IT Support. In the IT support space, they have two certificate options:

• Google IT Support Professional Certificate (also prepares you for CompTIA A+ exams, and you’ll earn a dual credential when you complete both)
• Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate

Deals or discounts:

Google is offering 100,000 needs-based scholarships for all of its online certificate programs. Coursera also offers a 7-day full access free trial.

Additional certification and training websites for technicians

Field Nation asked a few technicians about the types of resources they use to develop their own knowledge and skillsets. Here‘s a list of some of their favorite alternative training options.

• ITpro.tv – CompTIA’s official video training partner, offering 5,800+ hours of IT skills and training courses
• PluralSight – browse thousands of expert-led, in-depth courses on software development, IT ops, data analytics, information and cybersecurity, and more. Plus, you can validate your skills with online assessments
• O’Reilly Learning – intensive, hands-on training in critical technology, design, and business topics, led by instructors, tech innovators, and expert practitioners
• Cloud One – Conformity – AWS Partner Network (APN) Advanced Technology Partner with AWS Competencies in Security and Cloud Management Tools. Free Cloud Conformity knowledge base, a 2-week free trial
• Udemy – affordable online IT and software courses taught by professionals
• TestOut – online courses, labs, and certifications IT professionals
• Cybrary – a cybersecurity and IT career development platform
• Nerdio Academy – training on Azure for MSPs
• Pax8 –  Microsoft certification training
• Netsurion
  • Knowledge Center: Webcasts, videos, articles, white papers, tools and quizzes on network management and cybersecurity
  • Additional Netsurion training videos
• CBT Nuggets – offer on-demand training videos, virtual labs, Kaplan® practice exams for top certifications, and coaching
• StormWind Studios – offer IT training classes, hands-on labs, and practice exams for cert prep
• NPower – education for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities to help them pursue careers in IT

Top general skills websites

Lynda.com

Now owned by LinkedIn, Lynda.com is an online learning platform that helps anyone learn business, software, technology, and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Some local libraries can get you free access to Lynda.com. Your library card number can act as your user ID.

Related IT courses on Lynda.com include:

• IT and hardware
• IT training
• Audio engineering training and tutorials
• Network administration training and tutorials

Coursera

Coursera has hundreds of free courses — on-demand video lectures, homework exercises, and community discussion forums. There are also paid courses with quizzes, projects, and a shareable Course Certificate upon completion.

In terms of IT-related courses, Coursera offers:

• Information technology courses
• Physical science and engineering
• Data science

Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie is an organization that doesn’t focus on technical training, but offers important leadership and soft skill development.

• Leadership training
• Presentation training
• Sales training
• Customer service training
• People skills training
• Org development training

We hope you find these resources meaningful in your career development! If you know of any certifications we should add to our list, email us at [email protected].