As the new year begins, it is time to review skill sets, anticipate what’s ahead, and prepare for the future! Bolstering your IT skills and certifications is essential to achieve this.

IT certifications do not only improve your employability in a volatile job environment; they also boost your preparedness to take on new challenges and cope with new trends.

Here are the top IT certifications in 2023, covering a wide variety of disciplines and experience levels, so you can find the right certification for you.

1. ITIL Foundation Certification

There is a high demand for ITIL-certified individuals as a result of companies’ initiatives to improve project delivery and services via the application of quality standards. A Foundation certification in Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a terrific way to get ahead of the competition and increase your chances of landing a better job.

The target audience for this course consists of IT leaders, IT architects, IT audit managers, IT managers, and IT executives. You will get a grasp of the ITIL 4 framework, key ideas, and terminology of the ITIL service lifecycle as components of the ITIL Foundation certification program. This course will introduce you to the ITIL framework and show you how to apply it to enhance IT service management.

This certification exam is 60 minutes long, and you must get a score of at least 65% to pass. This multiple-choice test consists of forty questions, and you must score at least 26 out of forty to qualify.

2. CISM by Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA)

The ISACA Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) accreditation is on the upskilling path of a majority of IT professionals.

There are several reasons justifying CISM’s continued relevance in 2023. Cybersecurity is a significant responsibility for companies tasked with protecting sensitive data from persistent threat actors. This certification demonstrates to employers and colleagues how an IT professional can successfully oversee security teams and operations.

CISM verifies the capacity to manage, plan, and analyze the information security of an enterprise. It demonstrates proficiency in the following areas: information security governance management, information security risk management, information security programs, and incident management.

Before they can take the test, which costs $575 USD for ISACA members or $760 USD for non-members, professionals should have five years of full-time work experience in the relevant fields.

3. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

Even though the CISA certification is less widely known than other IT certifications, it is among the oldest and most prestigious, having been founded by ISACA in 1978. The CISA certification verifies competence in auditing, security, and risk management. Employing CISA-certified IT professionals ensures that a company’s most valuable assets are safe and well-maintained.

To obtain this certification, you must clear the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) examination. This comprises five domains: IT system audits, governance and management, system acquisition, development, and implementation, IT operation, maintenance, and service management, and asset protection. IT auditing is the most typical work prospect for this certification, which is a role that can earn you a six-figure salary!

4. The PMP certification

This certification is extremely popular among technical professionals looking to graduate to managerial, leadership, or strategic roles.

The Project Management Institute offers the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential. This certification verifies that you are capable of managing both projects as well as project teams. It is one of the highest-paying credentials that prepare candidates for the PMP or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) examinations.

It provides several learning aids, practice tests, and post-learning materials using Project Management Institute (PMI) vocabulary.

However, obtaining this qualification is difficult. You will be assessed on the five fundamental project lifecycle phases: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closure. And before you can sit for the certification test, you must have completed a minimum of 35 hours of relevant training. Bachelor’s degree holders must additionally possess 4,500 hours of experience in project management (individuals who don’t have degrees will need 7,500 hours).

But the effort is worth it, since PMP-certified professionals may earn upwards of $150,000 per year in the U.S.

5. AWS Solutions Architect

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the biggest public cloud service provider in the world, so it makes sense to brush up on your AWS skills (with the requisite certification) in 2023.

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification is an entry-level professional credential, suitable for individuals just starting their IT careers. This certification provides a trustworthy endorsement for cloud architects who have hands-on experience designing fault-tolerant, cost-effective systems on AWS.

Those who want to take this test should have a solid understanding of the AWS Well-Architected Framework and a basic understanding of programming, however, AWS states that substantial coding expertise is not necessary. Candidates must successfully complete the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) examination to obtain this credential.

As previously stated, AWS advises one year of practical experience creating solutions on its platform prior to taking this test. Exam fees are $150 USD, and you are allotted 130 mins to finish the 65-question test.

6. Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) and other Cisco certifications

Like AWS in the cloud, Cisco is the world’s premier networking hardware provider and is responsible for powering the connectivity core at several large companies.

The Cisco Certified Network Professional, or CCNP, certification is a logical progression for workers who currently have a CCNA qualification. This certification concentrates on corporate network technology and enables individuals to select a core specialization.

There aren’t any prerequisites necessary to take this test. Likewise, CCNA certification is not necessary. There are online tools and information databases that might assist you in preparing for the CCNP examination. Cisco also provides training programs to applicants that are interested.

On the other hand, for those with fewer years of experience, the CCNA or Cisco Certified Network Associate might be a better choice.

After receiving Cisco’s 300-415 ENSDWI certification, you could also become an SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) specialist. This course is ideal for systems integrators, systems installers, network admins, as well as solution designers. Simply choose the Cisco certification best aligned with your domain and years of experience in 2023.

7. CompTIA certifications for beginners

Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) provides a wide range of certifications and entry and mid-levels, which are very helpful for improving your skills.

CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+) is a pre-career certification that focuses on fundamental IT skills and knowledge. It is one of the finest IT certifications for novices starting out on their IT careers. The ITF+ demonstrates proficiency in IT concepts and terminology, database basics, application development, and software development. Candidates are required to complete the CompTIA IT Foundations test.

CompTIA A+ is a fantastic IT certification for those with a couple of months of experience who want to advance their careers in information technology. The easy-to-obtain certification proves that you possess fundamental IT abilities, like software debugging, virtualization , cloud computing, OS, and operational processes. Candidates must successfully complete two examinations — Core 1 (220-1101) and Core 2 (220-1102).

8. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Certified Professional Cloud Architect

You will always find this GCP certification on the list of top qualifications for IT professionals, and that’s due to its market demand.

It verifies a professional’s ability to construct cloud architecture with security and compliance in view. This certification also demonstrates your ability to manage implementation, manage infrastructure, enhance procedures, and more. To acquire this certification, however, it is advised that individuals would have had a minimum of three years of experience creating and managing solutions on Google Cloud prior to taking the test.

In addition, it addresses themes associated with the optimization and administration of GCP resources, like operational costs management, monitoring, and automation.

Individuals need to complete a multiple-choice assessment provided by Google to receive the certification. Importantly, a lot of the skills and principles you will learn here may be transferable to other cloud environments.

At the beginning of 2023, we hope you are starting off on the right foot — and have all the skills in place to achieve your professional goals in IT. These eight certifications (covering essential domains like cloud expertise) are among the best in the industry, as they can provide and ratify the skills you need to succeed.