10 Best Foundation Level Certifications

You can affix more credibility and authenticity to your resume or CV by pursuing different certifications since they make you a more marketable candidate to the hiring managers and recruiters. Having a certification also showcases the sincerity towards your career and how committed and competitive you are. At the foundation level, they are an amazing way to stand out from the crowd and they can even help to boost your pay. Once you are into the professional landscape, for development and growth, you will start considering more advanced certifications. You will also have an understanding of your field of interest and the other skills you need for your desired career path. At the foundation level, it is recommended to stick to the generalized certifications since they will help get your foot in the door.

Significant reasons to pursue certifications

Earning certification comes with advantages at its bay. Take a glance below.

• Firstly, IT certifications can perk up employability and improve your resume.
• Secondly, certifications show your level of expertise and capabilities to the employers.
• Thirdly, when a potential candidate gets certification from a renowned institution, it showcases that they are skilled and well experienced as they claim.
• Fourthly, IT certifications impart confidence as well as valuable knowledge not only to beginners but also to experts.

10 best foundation-level certifications

Here’s a list of the 10 best foundation-level certifications to kick start your IT journey or to give your career path a novel direction:

1. Certified Ethical Hacking (CEH)

A cybersecurity certification, the Certified Ethical Hacking training will endow the security connoisseurs with the necessary knowledge and skills to look for loopholes and vulnerabilities in an organization’s IT framework. The principal aim of the CEH certification is to aid the security engineer and also to learn the tools of a typical hacker. Through techniques like penetration testing, an ethical hacker can access, identify, and fix and the loopholes in the system. In simpler words, in ethical hacking, professionals use the tools of cyber criminals against them. Three different levels of the Certified Ethical Hacking (CEH) exam are available and they are Core, Advanced, and Expert.

2. CompTIA A+

For individuals who have no experience in Information Technology, the CompTIA A+ certification training will provide the elementary knowledge that is required to kick start an amazing career in IT. Primarily designed for beginners, this certification is considered one of the most well-liked and popular in the Informational Technology field and can even be seen as a prerequisite for hiring certain positions. It can take you to support-related roles like help desk or service center, but with some experience, these foundation-level opportunities can convert into higher-level positions in the systems administration. This certification will validate your various skills such as configuring systems, computing hardware and installing software. In order to earn this certification, you need to pass two consecutive exams, one is performance-based and the other one is multiple-choice based.

3. CompTIA Security +

Are you are the one who wants to become an IT auditor, network security engineer, penetration tester, cybersecurity consultant, security analyst, security administrator, or security analyst? Well, then, the CompTIA Security+ certification training should be your go-to option. The certification exam will cover numerous information security aspects like technology cryptography, vulnerabilities, risk management, technology, tools, attacks, threats, and identity management amongst others. This cybersecurity certification will verify your skills to configure systems and ensuring that networks, devices, and applications are secured and are in compliance with the various laws and regulations.

4. CompTIA Cyber Security Analyst (CySA+)

The CySA+ certification training has no prerequisites which mean that anyone can take this exam. But it is recommended that those who are looking to acquire this certification must have around three years of practical experience in Information Security or should have at least the CompTIA Security+ certification. This certificate will validate your skills and knowledge that is required to configure and use threat detection tools. Interpreting the results to identify vulnerabilities, performing data analysis, and identifying dangers to an organization’s system are other skills that are taught when you take up this certification. Among other skills that are learned during the certification, a few of them are: analyzing and interpreting data, identifying and addressing vulnerabilities, effectively responding to and recovering from incidents, leveraging intelligence suggesting preventive measures, and threat detection techniques.

5. CompTIA Network +

If you want to work in the area of network administration then, the CompTIA Network+ Certification training is ideal for you; since,  it will verify your skill to manage, design, as well as troubleshoot a large range of wireless and wired networks. Some of the foundation-level jobs that this certification can lead you to are: IT specialists, IT technicians, and Helpdesk Technicians. In order to pass the certification, you have to take and pass an exam that incorporates 90 questions that are both multiple-choice and performance-based questions. Network troubleshooting, network security, implementing and designing networks, and managing and maintaining network devices are some of the topics that are covered during this certification. Designed exclusively for IS consultants, junior system engineers, network field engineers and technicians, as well as junior network administrators, this certification can prove to be a cardinal addition to your resume. However, there is a prerequisite for the certification which says that you must have completed the CompTIA A+ certificate and should have at least 9 to 12 months of related experience.

6. CompTIA Advanced Security Professional (CASP+)

Best suited for technical professionals who want to focus exclusively on technology rather than managing, this certification should be the ultimate choice. The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) certification training is a performance-based and hands-on certification for cybersecurity. On one hand, the cybersecurity managers would help in structuring the policies and frameworks that need to be implemented, and on the other hand, a CASP+ professional will aid in figuring out how to accomplish the solutions within those frameworks and policies. This certification validates any advanced-level competencies in an organization’s cybersecurity operation and architecture, integration, and risk management.

7. Certified Information Systems Security Professionals (CISSP)

Accredited by the ISC (International Information Systems Certification Consortium), CISSP is another coveted cybersecurity certification. It will indicate that a candidate has skills in implementing, managing, and designing some of the best cybersecurity programs. With this certification, a candidate will become a specialist in various cybersecurity issues that relate to application development, risk management, mobile security, cloud computing, and much more. The CISSP certification has a certain set of prerequisites that include a minimum of five years of paid or relevant work experience in either two or more CISSP CBK (Common Body of Knowledge) domains. Those candidates who do not have these requirements can still take the certification exam but they need to wait up to 6 years to obtain the necessary security experience.

8. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Routing and Switching

For being involved in networking or for getting an entry-level position in a helpdesk, the CCNA certification training is an excellent option. This certificate implies that a candidate has some degree of understanding of Cisco IOS and Cisco CLI software operating models. The CCNA Routing and Switching certification training will showcase your ability to identify the Cisco router and switch models, cabling, accessories, and interfaces. With this certification, you will learn how to install, operate and configure routers as well as switches on a business level. This certification will also teach you to identify and develop solutions to some common network issues. You will also specialize in security, voice, or wireless networking which can lead you to an array of jobs such as system administrator, network administrator, and network engineer.

9. Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)

A foundation-level certification, the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification training is primarily designed for those who want to start a career in Information Technology. It is also a suitable option for those candidates who are looking forward to changing their career paths. This Microsoft certification will cover all the rudiments of the software, hardware, infrastructure, and databases. The job opportunities which this certification opens are specialists in networking, security, system administrators, and IT auditors. The advantage of this certification is that it does not have any prerequisites and provides the much-needed groundwork for technological understanding. It should be noted that with MTA, you cannot qualify as a Microsoft Certified Professional but it will help you to reach that particular point. After this certification, you can opt for the Microsoft Technology Specialist (MCTS), which will provide you with more hands-on experience with the Microsoft technology platform. Several MTA exams are available in the area of database, development, or IT infrastructure. Passing any one of these certifications will help you to take home the MTA certification.

10. Microsoft 365 fundamentals

This Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certification training covers all the essentials and basics of the Microsoft 365 suite of services and products. This certification is proof that you have an understanding of the options available in Microsoft 365. And also acts as a reward for adopting the cloud services, implementing the Microsoft 365 cloud service, and the Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud model. After earning this certification, you would be able to explain and describe the cloud concepts, the services, and the notions of the core Microsoft 365, compliance, safety, trust, and privacy. In the exam, your knowledge of the Microsoft 365 services, products, and pricing structures would be analyzed.

Conclusion

According to recent reports, it was shown that 23% of IT connoisseurs experienced a 20% hike in salary after getting certified and according to Comp TIA, 72% of employers actually want IT certifications for specific positions, and other 92% believe that IT certification helps guarantee the authenticity and credibility of their IT staff. Therefore, the above-mentioned list would give you insights into the best IT certifications to either kick start your career or do give it another direction, irrespective of the fact whether you are a professional or a novice. So, don’t waste your time anymore and choose the certification that suits you best.