If you’ve been looking for a new career to start a fresh path in life, you’ve probably read a little bit about IT. If you’re fascinated with technology and good at solving problems, IT may be a good career for you. The best part about considering a career in IT is the fact that you can get an IT certification and get started without spending years in college. Here’s what you need to know.

Getting an IT Certification

In order to land most IT jobs, you’ll have to have some sort of IT certification. The good news is, there’s tons of information about IT certifications online that can help you learn more about them. Essentially, these certifications prove that you passed a test that shows you have certain IT skills. You can get multiple certifications if you want to specialize in various fields of IT.

In order to obtain an IT certification, you will have to take an exam to prove you are knowledgeable on that topic. While there are courses that you should take to help you study and practice for these exams, there are no required courses to be eligible to sit for an exam. If you’re looking for a career you can get into quickly, IT is a good choice.

Types of IT Certifications

When it comes to types of IT certifications, there are endless options for you to choose from. When choosing certifications, it’s important to make sure you’re creating a career path in IT for yourself. If you start off with networking-based certifications, you should continue getting relevant certifications if you want to advance in that specific field. Otherwise, you can always switch it up and try a different field of IT for a bit.

The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification is one of the most popular entry-level certifications to get. This teaches you everything you need to know about installing and configuring enterprise-level routers and switches. This exam is fairly affordable and takes about 90 minutes to complete with somewhere between 50 and 60 questions.

If you want to expand your knowledge of networks and do more than simple installation and configuration, Network+ certification is a good one to go with. Network+ teaches you how to manage, design and troubleshoot both wired and wireless networks, which means you can be an IT technician for numerous different companies.

CompTIA A+ is another popular certification, although it’s more of a general starting point for IT. If you’re not sure exactly what field you want to branch out into, CompTIA A+ certification is a good way to get your feet wet and figure out what parts of IT you like.

If you’re interested in working with Apple products, you need to become an Apple Certified Associate. The good news is, this test is very affordable and you can take it from the comfort of your home.

Fields of IT

While every IT field is somewhat similar, they’re also very different. One IT professional may be an expert when it comes to constructing and managing wireless networks, but that doesn’t mean they know how to work with a specific type of product. Choosing the right field is an important part of making sure you have a successful, long-term career in IT.

Some of the most popular IT fields include being an IT consultant, cloud architect, health IT specialist, mobile application developer or website developer. If you just want to do general IT work, being an IT consultant or IT technician is the best way to go. If you want to be on the cutting edge of technology, you might want to look into becoming a cloud architect. Each of these fields has a different set of skills required, however, so you will have to get the right certification for your field.

Finding a good career can be hard, especially if you don’t want to spend years in college. The good news is, you can get started in IT in no time at all thanks to all the certifications out there. If you’re considering a career in IT, take a look at some of the certifications available online and start studying today.