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Recapping on part one of IT certifications 101, their importance is increasing, growing in popularity and their benefits are nothing short of powerful.

Number four on The 10 best IT certifications:2012, is Cisco Certified Network Associate certification. This is also a great alternative to another more complex certification, the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert certification, which requires a huge exam. CCNA is also a fine substitute because most organizations do not require a CCIE.

CSSA, Certified SonicWall Security Administrator, is number five on the list because it’s helpful to IT professionals that deal with small business.

Number six, PMP. Project Management Professional certifications are provided by the Project Management Institute. An IT certification on PMP is,  “Globally recognized and demanded, the PMP^® demonstrates that you have the experience, education and competency to lead and direct projects.”

Eckler continues the list with CISSP as number seven. Certified Information Systems Security Professional is administered by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium.  This IT certification is important because it deals greatly with legal regulations and security.

ACSP, falls at number eight on the list of Top 10 IT Certifications. The purpose of the Apple Certified Support Professional certification is to prove mastery of all things Apple.

IT Certification number nine is the CompTIA certificates Network+ and A+.  According to CompTia, the Network+ the exam is comprised of “network technologies, installation and configuration, media and topologies, management, and security. Candidate job roles include network administrator, network technician, network installer, help desk technician and IT cable installer.”  The A+ certification has two exams.  Both these IT certifications made the list because of their fundamental skills.

Lastly, CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician finishes up the Top 10 list.  According to CompTia, this 60 minute exam “is intended for IT professionals who are CompTIA A+ certified or have 500 hours of hands-on IT technical experience in the lab or field, plus the knowledge/skills necessary to deploy and support healthcare IT systems in clinical settings.”

So, depending on your field of expertise, the list above should help in determining which direction to go in. Remember, the reasons to get an IT certification far outweigh the reasons not to. They can only help enhance your career.