If you work in IT or you’re an aspiring IT professional, ITIL certification is a great way to upskill and futureproof your career or gain new skills to help you break into the world of service delivery frameworks. Many IT workers are beginning to see the value in gaining an ITIL certificate, and companies across many industries and professions are seeking professionals who can adapt the theoretical elements of information systems to meet tangible business needs. This article will go over what ITIL is as well as some of the biggest career benefits of gaining ITIL skills.
What is ITIL?
ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library, and put simply, it’s a set of best practices for IT services management. ITIL functions as a model for IT service providers to follow when prescribing managed services and support to the business or company they’re working with. The purpose of ITIL certification is to give IT professionals the skills and best practices to allow them to more effectively align their IT services with the goals of the business or company they’re assisting.
What Are the Career Benefits of Getting ITIL Certified?
Gaining an ITIL certification will give any IT professional or aspiring IT professional a number of career-boosting benefits. Some of these include:
Improved Job Prospects
ITIL is one of the most widely-recognised and in-demand IT certifications. Businesses across many industries require IT professionals who understand how to leverage managed services in ways that can help accelerate and achieve both short and long-term business goals. Individuals who possess this rare and distinctive skillset are scarce in most sectors, so holding an ITIL certification regardless of the industry you work in can instantly boost your job prospects and add a layer of security to your overall career trajectory.
Increased Earning Potential
ITIL-certified professionals typically earn more than their non-certified counterparts. This is mainly due to the massive disparity in IT professionals who possess ITIL certification and knowledge compared to all other IT verticals. The scarcity of this rare skill set means those who are ITIL-certified can negotiate for higher salaries and higher-paying contract work.
Enhanced Knowledge of a Complex Framework
By becoming certified in ITIL, you will deepen your understanding of the framework and how to apply its practices to real-world business scenarios. This understanding will also have positive effects on other elements of your theoretical IT knowledge, as you’ll be able to reframe a lot of what you already know in the context of advanced frameworks and how elements within frameworks generally interact.
Manage IT Projects More Efficiently
ITIL certification can help you better manage IT projects by teaching you how to effectively plan, implement and monitor project activities. If you have trouble with managing your time and task prioritisation, learning the ITIL framework and its theoretical components can help to improve your day-to-day productivity. Efficient service delivery is important, as it ensures a business’s goals and needs are being met in a timely fashion that won’t cause bottlenecks in other areas of the business.