Are Certifications Valuable for Storage Administrators?

Certifications have been a controversial subject for IT professionals. Are they badges of honor won through hard work and expert knowledge? Or are they meaningless pieces of paper used to bolster resums in the eyes of recruiters?

Certifications can be valuable if you look at them as an opportunity to gain knowledge and expand your skills rather than merely a chance to hold a piece of paper.

The current certification landscape is slanted towards server and networking platform skills, but we're seeing more storage certifications becoming available – both vendor-specific and business process-based.

Major storage vendors offer certifications pertaining to their hardware and software. Storage administrators can also turn to industry standard certifications from organizations such as the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) . Additionally, certifications in disciplines such as ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) and project management can add to your knowledge base, skill set, and overall marketability to employers.

The overall goal for any IT professional should be to have a well rounded skill set that improves your career opportunities. With a combination of technical and business-related certifications, an IT professional instantly becomes more marketable in any industry.— Tim Arland, Principal Consultant for Storage Solutions, Forsythe Solutions Group Inc.