Building your IT career is something you want to plan for properly. If someone out of the blue asked you what your strategy for climbing the IT career ladder was, what would you say? Do you have one? Becoming a highly revered IT professional in your area of specialization will require a lot of deliberate effort.

Your first step needs to be choosing the best certification that is going to get you started. IT certifications validate your skills, knowledge and intelligence in a specific area. They speak for you before employers helping to persuade them that you are the right person for the position in their organization.

On top of that, IT certifications determine your earning potential. Some certifications pave way for a better earning potential than others. Making a wise choice is therefore important. Below is a list of top five best IT certifications.

Project Management Professional (PMP)

A PMP certification will not only make you extremely valuable to IT organizations but will also attract employers from many other industries. The reason is it’s not only IT, where project management is required. There are many industries that need project management professionals. The PMP certification confirms that you have what it takes to see through a project from the initiation stage all the way to closing the project, having achieved all the goals of the project. This certification often attracts six-figure salaries ranging from $100,000-$110,000.

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

The ever increasing cyber attacks in current times have made many organizations to go scrambling for cyber security professionals. IT security professionals ought to obtain the CISSP certification. It is the ultimate certification for any IT professional who would like to prove their competence in securing their employer’s systems from security breaches. Through the certification you will learn how to provide network security in addition to risk management techniques. Six-figure salaries are also offered to professionals with this certification.

ITIL Certifications

ITIL certifications focus on teaching business best practices, which can guarantee provision of exceptional services. Knowledge of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best prepares IT professionals to deal with change and the different demands of varying companies in varying industries. The flexibility this certification gives you and its ability to improve your problem solving capacity is what makes it among the best certifications for 2014.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

Most organizations today use Cisco technologies in designing their networks. The CCNA certification enables you to install, operate and troubleshoot small to medium-sized networks. Many networking concepts are taught in CCNA classes and via this certification, your knowledge of Cisco networks and networking products will greatly increase. CCNA professionals earn over $80,000 per year.

Microsoft Certified Systems Associate (MCSA)

This certification focuses on improving your knowledge of Windows systems and your troubleshooting skills of Windows OS as well. Professionals with this certification can offer technical support plus carry out system administration and operation analysis. This also a much looked upon certification by employers in the IT industry, which will get you a salary of over $80,000.