TrainACE - IT and Cybersecurity Training Blog

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification has set the standard for security certifications since its launch in 1994. However, adding those letters to resumes is no easy task for cybersecurity professionals. The certification exam for the CISSP is typically described by those who have taken it as difficult. The certification requires five years of full-time paid work experience in a relevant security field.

[This post was updated in June 2025 to reflect the latest CISSP exam changes and cybersecurity career trends.]

The CompTIA Security+ certification proves that you have the foundational knowledge for beginning cybersecurity roles. It’s a certification that serves as a stepping stone toward more advanced credentials and cybersecurity positions. Security+ provides the skills needed for jobs like systems administrators, security administrators, network administrators, and junior IT auditors.

Are you thinking about starting a career in information technology? Or are you already working in IT and ready to start earning some professional certifications? If so, the CompTIA A+ certification should definitely be on your radar.

Employment growth in the computer and information technology industry is expected to increase by 13% during the 2020s. It’s predicted that almost 700,000 new jobs will be added, making the demand for technology professionals even higher than it is currently. That demand, which is greater for technology jobs than any other occupations, stems from the need for cloud computing, collecting and storing big data, and cybersecurity professionals.

Information technology (IT) certifications come with certain benefits. Not only are they a valuable way to increase skills, but for many IT professionals, they provide an advantage in the job market. Recruiters, HR managers, and other hiring personnel often look at professional credentials on resumes first when filling IT positions. And it’s not just in hiring that having certifications will give you an edge. It’s also in earning potential. Certified employees typically earn higher salaries than their uncertified counterparts. In the IT world, that means a lot because some of the highest paying jobs are in this industry.

Suppose you are thinking about becoming a system administrator in your organization's information technology (IT) department. In that case, you need to have specific training and experience and get things done. To know if you are a good fit for a system administrator role, it's important to understand what it is, what you'll do in that role and the benefits of this career path.

Getting into information technology (IT) career is an exciting choice because of the numerous paths you can take and roles you can fulfill. Progressing in an IT career can take you to many different places, and your progression may not look like anyone else’s. If you are looking to advance in this industry, IT project management is an area you should consider.

Being an IT project manager requires that you have technical skills as well as traditional business acumen, a combination that allows you to keep critical IT initiatives on track. If this sounds intriguing to you, take a closer look at what an IT project manager is, what they do, and why it’s a solid career path, especially in the metropolitan Washington, DC area.

Security and risk management are huge concerns for most organizations, especially those in the government. The Risk Management Framework (RMF) is a set of criteria that directs how organizations’ IT systems must be built, protected, and monitored. RMF is the process that is used by all federal government departments, including the Intelligence Community (IC) and the Department of Defense (DoD). The RMF incorporates information security and risk management activities into early development stages to help avoid risk.

If you are in a job role that focuses on or around authorizing and maintaining information systems, or you would like to be, then earning the Certified Authorization Professional (CAP) certification is the best way to deepen your skills and advance your career. The CAP credential demonstrates that you have the skills and abilities to assess risk associated with IT security and your ability to implement security requirements and maintain documentation.

If you’re looking to build an IT career and are trying to decide whether a network engineering career path is right for you, one question you’re probably asking yourself is how much salary you will be able to make once you have your CCNA.

Let's outline what CCNA is and why it’s important, then break down the CCNA average salary both nationally and locally for the Washington DC region.

You’ll often see Cisco’s CCNA certification referred to as an entry-level accreditation, but closer examination of Cisco’s suggested prerequisites recommends that candidates have at least two years of network experience before taking the test. This can be confusing as the term 'entry-level' suggests that a candidate with limited experience can pass the exam in a relatively short period of time and get an entry-level IT job.

So, if Cisco is recommending candidates need years of experience, is CCNA entry-level?