Whether you are starting to look into getting into Information Technology as a career, are just starting out in it, or are a seasoned veteran in the industry, there is a constantly updated list of imperative skills to have in order to keep your job or to get a new one. Having these skills without proof is not enough, which is why obtaining IT certificates is important. Having the correct IT certificates can actually give you a jumpstart on your opponents in competition over jobs. Here are the top five current IT certificates that you should get in order to stay competitive in the industry.

One of the many Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certifications, or even better, all of them, would be imperative. A large majority of businesses run on Windows, whether you like it or not, and while it is easy enough to figure out what is going on in the systems, you still need to have the proof.  This will show employers that you have the knowledge to handle their Enterprise Exchange servers with ease.

An MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) certification is also fairly important. This is another Windows specific certificate, and is important for showing a more specific area of expertise that can help you get a more specialized job that you will enjoy more.

CompTIA’s Network+ certification is simply a must have for any IT professional. It is a basic certificate that shows knowledge and understanding of the basic network principals across all types of systems (Windows, Mac, Linux, and more). It would be very hard to obtain an IT job without a Network+ certificate.

Just like the Network+ certification, an CompTIA A+ certificate is practically required for any available IT job. It shows a basic understanding of all hardware across all types of systems. While there are quite a few veteran IT professionals who cannot diagnose simple hardware problems under the hood, having this certificate and the knowledge that comes with it will give you a huge leg up on the competition.

The last certificate on our list is the Cisco Certified Network Associate, or CCNA, certification. Just as most of the business world runs on Windows, it also runs on Cisco wireless internet systems. If you don’t think wireless is a big deal, I would tend to ask why you were even considering IT as a profession. This is simply imperative to have if any of the IT jobs you are looking at have wireless networks, because, chances are, they are Cisco networks. Therefore, having the specific knowledge along with proof of your skills in the specific area will just serve to provide you another leg up on those competing with you for the same jobs.

While there are a great many IT certifications, we’ve just covered the basic five you should have before looking for a new job. You should also make sure that you get these if you already have a job in an IT department, and do not want to get replaced by a new person who had the initiative to obtain them.

If you are looking to obtain one of these certificates and would like some study aids to help you prepare, check out our parent site TestKing. They have a massive amount of certification tools for many different kinds of certifications that can put you on the right track.

With that said, what certifications do you have or want to obtain? Please share with us in the comments.