If you’re pursuing a career in IT security, certifications can only help you. Certification-critics often say a certification means nothing, and acumen and experience are the true differentiators, but as a holder of dozens of IT security certifications, I beg to differ. So do employers.
A particular certification is often the minimum hurdle to getting an one-on-one in-person job interview. If you don’t have the cert, you don’t get invited. Other times, having a particular certification can give you a leg up on competing job candidates who have similar skill sets and experience.
Every certification I’ve gained took focused, goal-oriented study -- which employers view favorably, as they do with college degrees. More important, I picked up many new skills and insights in IT security while studying for each certification test. I also gained new perspectives on even familiar information I thought I had already mastered. I became a better employee and thinker because of all the certifications I have studied for and obtained. You will too.