Is training with a training provider the way to go for a certification?

The IT domain is very dynamic in nature. Trends and scenarios change within a matter of months. Your skill-set might be in high demand right now but it may become obsolete in a few months down the line. Hence IT professionals need to undergo certification programs to keep their skills abreast with the market. There are thousands of IT certifications which are available in the market these days. Most of them train you on new technologies. There are certifications by different vendors such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco, Apple and others. The training and certification industry has become a multi-billion dollar industry in itself.

Based on your existing skill-set and requirements in your job, you select a certification which you want to undertake. For example, if you are working in company X and your work is to deploy cloud solutions at your client site. Then you may choose to get certified for cloud computing. This will not only add credibility to your resume but also will empower you with the skills required to do the job more effectively.

Now that you have chosen the certification you want to do, the next question which comes up is that if you should undergo a training program with a training provider or do self-study. Opinions are divided on both the formats. A lot of people propose that self-study is the best way to prepare for a certification exam. While this might be true in the way that you will definitely learn more and will explore a lot of new ideas and information, you might not learn the exact details which you will need to clear the certification exam. In-fact, an empirical study shows that the success rate to clear the certification exam increases considerably when the candidate undergoes a training program to prepare for the certification exam.

These training programs are designed in such a manner that focussed information is provided to the candidate which will help them learn the concepts quickly and prepare for the exam. This increases their probability of clearing the exam considerably. The trainers which undertake these training sessions are industry experts and are well aware about the learning requirements of the students.

If you decide to train with a training provider, choosing the right training vendor also becomes extremely important. There are hundreds of training vendors in the market who are ready to take your money in the name of providing training. Hence the onus now lies on you to select the right vendor.