Are IT Certifications Really Important?

The following comes from TechRepublic's article, "10 Reasons IT Certification Will Be Important in 2009". I know that 2009 has come and gone, but these 10 reasons still apply in 2010:

A recent TechRepublic’s article entitled “10 Reasons IT Certification Will Be Important in 2009” , provided the following10 good reasons why IT certifications are more relevant than ever:

1. Job Retention – Lay-offs are the norm right now and the people who are not being laid off are the ones with the most skills and knowledge.

2. Salary Maintenance – Many companies, especially city and state governments, are asking employees to take salary cuts. With a certification, companies will be much more likely to pay you what you’re really worth. That way, if you’re forced to take a salary cut, you’ll be making what you should be making, so it’ll hurt a lot less.

3. Hiring and Promotion Eligibility – New and timely certifications are the key to standing out in a heap of resumes and having a leg up on the competition.

4. Career Improvement – Most IT professionals do their job and only their job. There aren’t many opportunities to gain more responsibilities, challenges and therefore more pay, unless you’re promoted. But how many times have you been promoted lately?

5. New-Generation Certs Increase Relevance – Everything in technology needs reworking. Certs are not an exception. As real-world needs evolve, so must certifications and so must you!

6. Organizations Will Become More Discriminating – Organizations are outsourcing their computer services and support to save money, but they need to be sure that the consultants they hire are competent. So show ’em your cert!

7. New Products Will Gain Momentum – Out with the old, in with the new! Who is going to have an upper-hand on new product upgrades? Well, as soon as you get certified…YOU!

8. Organizations Must Minimize Downtime – Downtime and repair of anything IT can cost a company a ton of money. Cert guys ensure a speedier recovery.

9. Organizations Need to Reduce Costs – A Kotler Marketing Group study published by CompTIA proved that certifications enable organizations to reduce expenses, identify knowledge gaps and improve productivity.

10. Confidence Proves Handy During Turbulent Times – You need this more than anything right now. Pick yourself up and get your certification.