Late last month, I wrote about a survey that found obtaining IT certifications can mean good news for your paycheck, career and bottom line. But a new study by IT consulting firm Foote Partners suggests otherwise, particularly thanks to the sluggish economy.
The IT Skills and Certification Pay Index report for the third quarter indicates that global instability and a lack of confidence in the U.S. economy has led to a flattening of salaries between workers who have IT certifications and those who do not, Channel Insider reports. Foote found that 13 percent of noncertified IT skills saw an increase in pay over the past year, while only 5 percent of certified skill sets saw a pay increase during that time.
Instead of specific certifications, hiring managers are now looking for the "hybrid IT business professional" who holds not only a strong IT background but also has skills in business, sales and marketing.
David Foote, co-founder of Foote Partners, told Channel Insider that less than 20 percent of all IT professionals today work within the traditional IT department, meaning many are entrenched in the workings of other business units.
"They have not been valuing certified skills as much as they have those that are without certification, where the experience and on-the-job performance of a person accounts for more juice in hiring and skills acquisition decisions than having an acronym on one's business card," Foote said.
How do your skills and certifications stack up?
Brittany Ballenstedt
Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.
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