IT Certifications to boost your career

The current dynamic nature of the business environment has resulted in a major change in the corporate world. “Change is the only constant”, and this is adequately justified by the project management industry. With the latest technology, updated methodologies, and increased complexity, this industry is redefining the norm every single day. Due to the very same reason, firms are heavily relying on the competencies of the Project Management certified professionals for fulfilling the ultimate purpose.

This is where ReviewNPrep comes into the picture. Our career journey tool helps provide a comprehensive overview of all the trending certifications along with the substantial reviews provided by certified practitioners.

The growing importance of completing projects efficiently has resulted in the emergence of the latest trends in project management happening across the world in 2020 and beyond. Top IT companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft hires Technical Program Managers aka TPM’s to execute the projects. To be an efficient and effective TPM you need to know the latest trends in the industry. Let’s dive into how ReviewNPrep helps in the seamless execution of these trends.

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation

Artificial Intelligence is in vogue when it comes to healthcare, finance, and software development. AI has made processing simpler by answering certain questions like which tasks can be automated or who are actively engaged in a task or for the matter, the number of tasks that can be completed by an employee after making a comparison with his/her weekly report. It can not only be used to assign tasks but more importantly in evaluating the performance of all the professionals by capturing insights. Microsoft identifies the importance of AI and offers Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-100) certification to the professionals who yearn to boost their career opportunities in the field of AIReviewNPrep features the preparation journey of all the certifications offered by Microsoft along with detailed reviews on how to prepare for the respective certifications.

2. Data and Project Analytics Tools

The latest trend reveals that data analytics is highly imperative for a project due to the increased involvement of data and numbers. TPM’s and Project Managers polish themselves to make sound decisions owing to the data insights. The journey of a project from appropriate planning to successful completion depends upon the collection of data to perform various functions of determining the team size, the skills possessed by each professional, or positioning professionals in a team. Specialization in AWS Data Analytics does the job as it explains how AWS Data Analytics services fit in the data life-cycle. Along with this, Microsoft offers Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate to help professionals prepare for their career journeys so that they meet budget requirements, schedules and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure data visualization. You can read more on AWS Data Analytics preparation journey and Azure Data Engineer on our website.

3. Agile Approaches

Agile refers to a cumulative approach of delivering a project rather than a waterfall model. In order to facilitate changes in the software, Agile doesn’t necessitate a unidirectional approach. It is oriented towards a successful end-product. Unlike the waterfall model, this approach can ensure appropriate changes at the development stage itself, before testing the product. It assists the developers by integrating the entire project design into modules. There are three main certification authorities for Agile – ScrumAlliance.orgScrum.org, and PMI.org. Read our original blog that has comparisons on various Agile Certifications.  Current scrum masters can get all the information about how Certified SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course can turn out to be fruitful in bagging a leadership role. Certified SAFe Agile Product Manager, Certified SAFe Agile Software Engineer and Certified SAFe Agilist are other related certifications offered by Scaled Agile Inc. available for scrutiny at ReviewNPrep.

4. Data Representation and Reporting

Increased usage of Project Management Software’s has resulted in tracking the project progress but it doesn’t really fulfill the purpose of data presentation. Certain features like data reports, graphical presentations along with the project outline help in boosting the understandability of the project. Now, the software also provides the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) factor to analyze the performance of each individual. The reports to be formed are customizable at the option of the designer. Tableau offers Tableau Desktop Specialist certification for polishing the foundational skills and understanding the basics of Tableau Desktop. A bit of advice would be to steal a glance at the reviews and preparation tips posted on ReviewNPrep as it is always better to learn from the first-hand experience holders to master any exam.

IMPORTANT: Check out the new and improved Tableau Desktop Certification Practice Exams on our Marketplace.

5. Synchronization of Efforts

Individual efforts count for a lot when it comes to mainstream work. However, when the work is no longer mainstream but a collaboration especially in terms of syncing code, individual efforts need to be harmonized in order to ensure the successful implementation of project plans. Enter DevOps, a crucial pillar to the success of any software project. A good TPM should have the right knowledge of current cloud based DevOps offerings. ReviewNPrep has closely compiled the preparation journey of Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer and AWS Professional DevOps Engineer certification which focuses on efficient development operations that can balance service reliability and delivery speed.

6. Risk Management Strategies

Risk Management is one of the areas that require the utmost attention for the successful completion of the project. There are some factors involved in the process of implementing a standardized risk management policy. The foremost is to document a risk assessment strategy before the project kickstarts. This helps in analyzing all kinds of risks involved pertaining to the client, management, or project type. Next is to ensure the prioritization of risks by using a technique such as SWOT Analysis or Root Cause Analysis. PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP) certification or a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, allow TPM’s gain expertise in capitalizing on the market opportunity and mitigating the risk factor. An examinee can always refer to Project Management Page to get started with the preparation of this certification.

7. Preference for Remote Work

Remote working refers to being able to work flexibly at the comfort of one’s home. Remote work has been on the rise since 2012 and is seen to have sky-rocketed in 2018. Commuting to an office every day is often a challenge for some employees and being able to work remotely has been a blessing for them. This approach works with all the organizations as long as an employee works for the allotted number of hours and is accessible during the core working hours. Remote work helps in realizing a pool of diverse and talented potential with reduced costs. What’s more, in November 2019, Microsoft announced the beta of a new exam focused on Microsoft Teams – a great tool for remote workers. The MS-700: Managing Microsoft Teams (beta) exam pass qualifies a candidate as a Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate.

8. Business Value of Emotional Intelligence

Machines can process, learn, generate output, but the only thing lacking here is the soft skills that are critical to successful TPM’s. Humanity is what binds everyone together and despite the evolution of technology, this factor still remains the second most desired skill by organizations after complex problem-solving skills. Emotional Intelligence along with a set of social skills is termed as a professional asset and it highlights the role of Project Managers as a negotiator, an attentive listener, a motivational leader, a tactful guide, and a pro coordinator. Excelling at the people skills and integrating with diverse employees is the right recipe for project’s success.

A platform designed to implement emerging trends, ReviewNPrep is a one-stop-shop featuring reviews by certified professionals, for upcoming professionals.  The valuable reviews are a must for anyone considering certification and also a great final check before your exam!

Comment below if you witness the effects of these emerging trends in your workplace!

Have questions? Participate in discussions on our Forums. Click here.