In Q3 2014, IT positions made up 11% of all job openings, and IT certifications can help get you in the door. An overwhelming majority of IT professionals and their hiring managers agree on the value of certifications. 93% of hiring managers believe certifications are beneficial. IT certifications offer: a competitive edge in a cut-throat job market, heightened career advancement opportunities, and increased value to employers and their organizations.

1. The Value of Certification

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The Skills Gap Reality
Many businesses are struggling with IT hiring due to large skill
gaps in the workforce
2
Sources: Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights, October 2014,
CompTIA’s International Technology Adoption & Workforce Issues study
Base: 1,252 business and IT executives from Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India,
Japan, Mexico, Middle East, Thailand and the UK
More than
600,000
IT jobs were open in Q3 2014
58%
Of businesses are
concerned about the
quality or quantity of IT
labor available

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What IT Certifications Offer
A competitive edge
in a cut-throat job
market
3
Heightened career
advancement
opportunities
Increased value to
employers and their
organizations

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The IT Edge
While most career fields see hundreds of applicants per job
opening, the IT industry is hiring.
4
Source: Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights,
October 2014
As of September 2014, more than
200,000
core IT positions remain unfilled
In Q3 2014, IT positions made up
11%
of all job openings.

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Thanks to the high demand for technical skill sets, IT professionals
experience unemployment at significantly lower rates.
5
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
September 2014 rates
Sought-After Skill Set
General unemployment
stands at
5.9%
Unemployment in the
IT sector is only
2.8% Hire Me!

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High-Growth Opportunities
6
This photo is for
placement only
More than 700,000
new IT jobs will be
added over the
same 10-year
period 2012 to 2022
The Bureau of Labor
Statistics estimates
fields in technology
will experience
faster than average
growth (some over
20%) between 2012
and 2022
IT encompasses a
wide range of
fields, from
programming to
security and
management

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Value on Both Sides
An overwhelming majority of IT professionals and their hiring
managers agree on the value of certifications
7
Sources: CompTIA’s 2nd Annual IT Career Insights study
Base: 1,381 U.S. IT professionals and
2nd Employer Perceptions of IT Training & Certification study
Base: 400 US HR professionals
70%
Of IT professionals
believe CompTIA
certifications are
valuable or very
valuable
93%
Of hiring managers
believe certifications
are beneficial
Value on both sides

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Getting a Foot in the Door
Among those who pursued a CompTIA certification:
8
Source: CompTIA’s 2nd Annual IT Career Insights study
Base: 1,329 U.S. IT professionals
2/3 cited
improving
employment
opportunities as a
major reason
45% were
preparing for a
career change

9. 9
Passing the exam made it possible for me to earn 17
college credits. That enabled me to take advanced
courses in college much sooner, which reduced the
time it took to graduate by one and a half semesters.
I saved over $3,000 in tuition and books.
-Christian Johnson, Hill International

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A large number of businesses across countries expect the value
of IT certifications to increase over the next two years including
10
61%
of Canadian
businesses
59%
of German
businesses
87%
of Brazilian
businesses
Pro-Certification Employers Worldwide
Source: CompTIA’s International Technology Adoption & Workforce Issues study
Base: 1,240 business and IT executives from Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India,
Japan, Mexico, Middle East, Thailand and the UK

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Up the Ladder
IT certifications offer verification of an employee’s skills,
paving the way for career advancement
11
of those earning CompTIA
certifications were preparing
for career advancement
44%
Source: CompTIA’s 2nd Annual IT Career Insights study
Base: 1,329 U.S. IT professionals

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Source: Global Knowledge, 2014 IT Skills &
Salary Report (median averages)
Salary Stack Up
CompTIA
A+:
$73,000
CCNA
Security:
$80,000
CompTIA
Network+:
$74,000
These are the average salaries for certified employees:

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Certified = Satisfied
13
Source: CompTIA’s 2nd Annual IT Career Insights study
Base: 1,271 U.S. employed IT professionals
A strong majority of IT professionals find satisfaction in their work
76% are
satisfied
16%
receive a
raise
32% are
rewarded

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Organizations believe employees with IT certifications add value to their work
14
believe staff holding
IT certifications are
more valuable 58%
53%
believe certified staff
perform better than
non-certified employees
Value Added Hiring
Source: CompTIA’s International Technology Adoption & Workforce Issues study
Base: 1,246 business and IT executives from Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India,
Japan, Mexico, Middle East, Thailand and the UK

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Value-Added Hiring Continued
A strong majority of hiring managers around the world place a high value
on IT certifications
15
Source: CompTIA Employer Perceptions of IT Training and Certification
Base: 800 US hiring managers, 350 UK, 230 South Africa
Overall, 61% of
hiring mangers
place a high value
on IT certifications
64% of US hiring managers
highly value IT certifications
46% of UK hiring managers
highly value IT certifications

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Certifications address the skills gap by confirming skills and reducing turnover
16
Sources: CompTIA’s 2nd Annual IT Career Insights study
Base: 1,061 U.S. employed IT professionals and
International Technology Adoption & Workforce Issues study
Base: 1,246 business and IT executives from Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Middle
East, Thailand and the UK
Building a More Loyal Workforce
73%
of businesses
believe it’s
important to test
knowledge gains
after training
84%
Of certified
workers remain
with their
current
employer

17. "CompTIA certification exams serve as a
third-party validation that a person has the
skills employers look to hire for a job.“
- Tony Chen, Professor, College of DuPage
17

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Improving Productivity
Certified employees bring measurable expertise to business operations
18
Source: CompTIA’s IT Training and Certification: Insights and Opportunities study
Base: 1,155 IT certification holders
Nearly half agree
they are better at
insightful
problem solving
Over a third
agree they are
better able to
understand new
or complex
technologies
3 in 10
believe they
are more
productive

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Aside from technical
competency,
businesses believe that
employees with IT
certifications possess:
19
Source: CompTIA’s Employer Perceptions of IT Training and Certification study
Base: 804 US IT hiring managers
Training Leaders
Better
communication
skills
Better
project
management skills

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Bolstering the Ranks
Hiring managers see a variety of benefits in hiring employees with IT certifications
20
Over half said
certified
employees save
their business
time and money
on the hiring process
Nearly half said
certified
employees learn
faster
on the job
Source: CompTIA’s Employer Perceptions of IT Training and Certification study
Base: 800 US IT hiring managers

21. "At the end of the day, it all boils down to
certification being an internationally
recognized credential. If you can put that on
your resume, you'll have a competitive
advantage over another individual who
doesn't have it.”
- Mark Milton, Director of People Services/Career Academy,
Goodwill Industries
21

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For more information about the value of IT skills certifications and how to
earn them, visit certification.comptia.org
22
Source: CompTIA’s International Technology Adoption & Workforce Issues study
Base: 1,256 business and IT executives from Brazil, Canada, France, Germany,
India, Japan, Mexico, Middle East, Thailand and the UK
Ready to Get Certified?