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Jump-Start a Career in Virtualization Through Certification
October 30, 2009
By Julieann Scalisi and Brad Moczik
In tough economic times, active job seekers look for ways to bolster their resume, as work experience alone often is not enough. In the IT field, one way to stand out, and above the crowd, is by attaining respected industry certifications—especially certifications in the area of virtualization.
Virtualization breaks the one-to-one relationship between software and hardware so entire software workloads can be centrally and dynamically managed over a pool of hardware resources. This reduces data center power, cooling, and floor space costs while increasing the utilization, efficiency, and flexibility of IT resources. Whether it's application virtualization with Citrix XenApp or server virtualization with Citrix XenServer, thousands of organizations large and small alike have already implemented some form of virtualization.
After realizing the significant benefits of virtualization, CIOs and IT directors are looking to extend these solutions deeper into their organizations. Many also are looking at applying these benefits to desktop management through desktop virtualization solutions such as Citrix XenDesktop. As a result, IT professionals skilled in virtualization are in high demand. According to a recent article in Virtualization Review, Dice.com reported the number of jobs for general virtualization skills advertised from January 2008 through the first week of November 2008 increased by 37 percent whereas the total job count was down 12 percent during the same period. If demand for virtualization skills is high now, it is bound to grow even more once the overall job market improves.
Individuals hoping to capitalize on this demand can demonstrate virtualization skills through industry certifications, such as those offered by Citrix Education. These certifications map to a range of experience levels, so whether you're a recent college graduate seeking a career in the high-growth IT industry or an experienced IT professional, there is a certification curriculum for you. For example, the Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) certification allows candidates to demonstrate the basic configuration and administration skills for a single product. For the experienced professional, obtaining the Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer (CCEE) or the Citrix Certified Integration Architect (CCIA) certifications signifies mastery over designing and building a Citrix virtualization solution comprising several products.
Job seekers holding virtualization certifications benefit organizations immediately. Instead of learning the basics about virtualization products, certified new hires focus on learning the organization's business and specific virtualization implementation. Furthermore, employers know certified new hires are armed with a set of best practices, which help ensure virtualization products are properly installed, configured, and secured without the need for a costly and time-consuming trial-and-error process. And unlike many new technologies, virtualization is a platform that affects all key IT verticals. Virtualization is fueling other emerging technologies such as cloud computing, so whether a job seeker's IT specialization is in networking or server engineering, virtualization certifications are relevant and will show potential employers the candidate is prepared to support their virtualization needs.
Most large enterprises and many small-to-medium businesses have adopted virtualization, but usually only within a pocket of the organization. Certified IT professionals—especially those holding advanced certifications such as the CCEE and CCIA—have the skill set to help properly scale and extend their virtualization infrastructure deeper into their organization. The sooner organizations can scale out the infrastructure, the sooner they can realize the following benefits:
• Greater leverage of the existing investment.
• Higher ROI through increased agility and less downtime.
• Lower TCO through reduced data center expenses.
Logically, the sooner job seekers become certified, the sooner they can improve their odds of landing a job in one of the fastest-growing segments of IT. Interested IT professionals or job seekers can become certified by passing a related exam or series of exams. Corresponding training courses exist for those who want to learn more about virtualization products or brush up on their product knowledge before taking an exam. Many Citrix training courses are available in a self-paced online format for those who need a flexible training option due to work or school. Learners who want a rich classroom experience and peer interaction can attend an instructor-led course at one of the worldwide authorized learning centers.
No matter which format learners choose, training courses contain robust hands-on exercises with the actual virtualization products. Fully hosted lab environments are provided allowing students to learn by doing. Citrix understands there is no better way to understand technology than by working with it firsthand. Each course contains a lab space where students follow prescribed steps to complete exercises that demonstrate the many functionalities and use cases for Citrix virtualization products. For Citrix XenServer, a base version product is available for free download on www.citrix.com. Those interested in learning more about Citrix virtualization technologies can sign up for training and exams at www.citrixeducation.com.
By obtaining a virtualization certification, job seekers add clout to their resumes and tap into one of the hottest areas in IT today. Potential employers recognize the value of certifications and know certified individuals have the skills needed to unlock the full power of their virtualization investments. Certification holders have the foundational knowledge necessary to address emerging IT initiatives such as desktop virtualization and cloud computing. Whether you are a fresh college graduate or a seasoned IT veteran, you can boost your hiring appeal and capitalize on the growing demand for virtualization skills. Get started by signing up for one of the instructor-led or self-paced online training courses. Or, if you think you are ready, take (and pass) the corresponding certification exam and become a member of respected, certified professionals in the exciting IT field of virtualization.
Julieann Scalisi is managing director, Citrix Education at Citrix Systems, Inc., and Brad Moczik is a technical training developer at Citrix Systems, Inc.
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