10 top vendor-neutral cloud computing certifications

As the cloud becomes more critical to IT departments and businesses worldwide, it’s difficult to gauge whether you have the right skills or knowledge to advance in a competitive job market. If you’re looking for a way to get that extra edge, whether you’re job hunting, angling for a promotion or just want tangible, third-party proof of your skills, cloud certification is a great option, especially those that are vendor-neutral.

Certifications measure knowledge and skills against industry benchmarks to prove to employers that you have the right mix of cloud skills, knowledge and expertise. Here are 10 vendor-neutral cloud computing certifications you should consider in 2015.

What it’s all about: According to CompTIA, the Cloud Essentials Certification covers the basic fundamentals of cloud computing and shows that individuals understand cloud computing from both a business and a technical perspective. In addition, the certification covers migration to the cloud and governance of cloud computing environments.

How to prepare: CompTIA offers study and training materials, and, while it’s not required, CompTIA recommends that individuals taking the exam have at least six months experience working in an IT services environment.

https://certification.comptia.org/getCertified/certifications/cloud.aspx

What it’s all about: Delivered by cloud provider Rackspace, Cloud U is a vendor-neutral curriculum designed for IT professionals and business leaders that covers and certifies knowledge of the fundamentals of Cloud Computing. CloudU content is available to any professional at any time, but if you want a formal recognition of your knowledge about Cloud Computing, you should complete the courses and requirements for a certificate.

How to prepare: Study each Cloud U lesson whitepaper, and then successfully complete each of 10 Cloud U quizzes based on the whitepaper’s content. Successfully complete a 50-question final exam drawn from materials covered in the ten Cloud U lessons.

http://www.rackspace.com/knowledge_center/cloudu/