Innovation, competition, and productivity – these are the buzzwords that define the direction of business today, much of which is being driven by Big Data and Analytics. Data is emerging as a critical corporate asset, redefining core operations, core competencies and business models, resulting in a considerable increase in the number and variety of Big Data certification courses available online.
Securing the right talent to fill skill gaps is the biggest hurdle that companies face while trying to integrate data and analytics into their existing operations. Here’s where a certification can play a key role in helping existing personnel within a company acquire these crucial skills, expanding their repertoire and helping them fulfill multiple roles within the organization framework.
Merits of pursuing a Big Data Certification
Being certified is a great way to make a career shift to a promising field. Certifications have long since been a reliable proof of competency and an accepted norm in the fast-changing technology world. When technologies keep changing every few months, it is challenging to complete full-fledged degree courses and become competent. Certifications are the way to go, acting as speedy and practical “crash courses” to build the required talent. So here is why you should consider learning the tricks of the data and analytics trade, by doing a big data certification, today!
- Positive optimism about the technology: An IDC forecast states that the Big Data market is predicted to be worth $46.34 billion by 2018, with great prospects in the areas of Big Data related infrastructure, software and services over the next five years. IDC has also predicted an annual growth rate of 23.1% over the period of 2014-2019 and annual spends to reach $48.6 billion in 2019. These numbers ooze optimism. In fact, the public sector too is awakening to the advantages of data and analytics, and formulating a number of information security policies and programs to give impetus to technological and skill-building investments. Big Data is now seen moving out of the experimental phase and taking on real projects.
- Strong salary prospects: The growing attention to Big Data and Analytics is creating a talent flux- organizations want to propel forward their Big Data expertise, but the market just does not have the volumes and/or quality of talent to meet these newfound burgeoning demands. The International Data Corporation (IDC)3 has predicted a talent need by 2018: 181,000 people with deep analytical skills, and five times for data management and interpretation skills. This skew in demand-supply gives data professionals a financial-edge over run-of-the-mill IT professionals. A report by Analytics India Magazine in association with AnalytixLabs indicates that the average salaries of Analytics professionals in India stand at Rs. 11.7 lakhs per annum, whereas that of IT professionals is at Rs. 8.65 lakh per annum, Moreover, only 39% of analytics professionals have salaries under 6 Lakhs vs 58% in IT. Thus, you stand to gain financially, provided you have the required professional skills. So, learn all you can and make a financially lucrative career switch!
- Career progression through Big Data certifications: The gain is not only immediate, there is also a long-term logic in learning the ropes of Big Data and Analytics. Doing a Big Data certification is the way to leapfrog your career from a traditional IT job to a futuristic Data Analytics profession. Moreover, you can choose from a number of Big Data certifications according to the career path you wish to adopt- Architecture, Data Science, Business Analytics, Big Data Development (Hadoop, R, Python etc.), Administration- the options are many to suit your preference. Most of these courses have a skill-level based progression from beginner to intermediate to expert, allowing you learning-access to progress fast in your new career. For example, the Big Data Hadoop Developer Certification by Simplilearn helps learners master the concepts of the Hadoop framework, a critical Big Data and Analytics competency.
- You only need a short learning investment: What’s more, there is no need take a career break, go back to college and spend years gaining a degree or diploma in Big Data and Analytics. Big Data and Analytics is a fast-evolving technology – there are little or no pre-requisites in terms of formal education, making it easy for any IT professional to dabble in the field and gain expertise in a matter of few months by doing a Big Data certification Today the learning market offers a range of courses to suit the busy professional. From online learning modules, to self-paced learning, learning has evolved into an experience in itself, and deliver the right market-led skills to help career professionals plug-and-perform into the skill-gaps. Learn while you earn, and advance your career through continuous learning!
- Applicability across various industries: Almost every sector today is looking at leveraging the power of big data and analytics. While industry domain expertise is important, becoming a certified Big Data and Analytics expert means that you have a variety of job opportunities, across industries and need not be constrained by sector. This is important for remaining relevant and flexible in a cut-throat talent market.
What should you learn?
It is important to choose a Big Data certification that suits your career aspirations. A number of career paths are available within the Big Data and Analytics stream- Developer, Data Architect, Business Analyst, Solutions and Services Expert (for specific branded products), Database Administrator, Data Scientist, Data Engineer, and so on. You need to choose the certification after analyzing what suits you in terms of interest, career progression, opportunities etc.
One such learning-solutions provider is Simplilearn, with its wide variety of Big Data certifications such as Big Data Hadoop Architect, Data Scientist, Big Data Hadoop and Spark Developer, Big Data and Hadoop Administrator, etc. The authenticity and usefulness of Simplilearn courses stem from the fact that Ronald van Loon, one of the Top 10 global Big Data influencers, sits on the advisory board and acts as the Course Advisor for Simplilearn. In addition to this, Simplilearn has also launched the JobAssistTM program to help certified learners find relevant jobs in the domain.
So why wait? Choose your go-to Big Data certification wisely and embark on a refreshing and promising learning path to realize your career dreams.
