IT系国際資格はどれを取得すべき?世界や海外で通用する8つを紹介Which international IT certifications should you get? Introducing 8 that are accepted around the world and abroad.

There are so many different types of IT certifications that many people wonder which one they should obtain. In Japan, a wide range of certifications are valued, but in the future, you should acquire an international IT-related certification that is useful worldwide. In this issue, we will introduce international certifications that you should acquire in order to become an active member of the IT industry!
 

Many people may not have an image of what an international IT certification is, even if they are told that it is an IT certification. First, we will briefly explain the definition and positioning of internationally accepted IT certifications.

Mainly globally deployed certifications

There is no clear definition of an international IT certification, but it generally refers to certifications that are deployed globally. For example, the following qualifications are examples.
Qualifications where the same qualification is regularly implemented, including in Japan
Qualifications from overseas that are localized and developed into a Japanese version by a Japanese branch office or organization in Japan
Qualifications conducted by a Japanese organization commissioned by an overseas organization
Although this is just an example, it is important to understand that qualifications that fall under these categories are referred to as international qualifications in IT. Interpretations may differ from engineer to engineer, but in general, this is correct.

Position of Japanese qualifications in the world

Since there are many IT certifications in Japan, it is important to understand the international positioning of these certifications.
First, IT certifications offered in Japan are basically valid only in Japan. Only a few of them are internationally known and are basically offered by Japanese organizations for the Japanese market. For example, a popular national IT certification in Japan is the one offered by the Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan. Although these certifications are easily recognized, they are not widely recognized worldwide.    
 

We have selected five international certifications that are accepted around the world and demonstrate IT skills.

PE(Professional Engineer)

Professional Engineer (PE) is an official license for engineers established in each state in the United States. The “Professional Engineer Regulatory Board” of each state grants a license to engineers who meet certain requirements to show that they are professionals. Note that since this is a state-by-state licensing system, the requirements differ depending on where you seek to register as a Professional Engineer. However, there are some basic principles that Professional Engineers share, and you do not need to be extremely aware of the differences from state to state.

Also, since “engineer” includes a wide range of positions, the Professional 24 is divided into technical fields; IT engineers are classified under “Electrical and Computer” and must pass this category. The Professional Engineer system is a bit complicated, and “passing the exam” and “registering in each state in the U.S.” have different meanings. It is best to understand that you must first pass the exam, then select the state in which you wish to register, and go through the procedures there. Therefore, the exam itself can be taken in Japan, and if you pass the exam in Japan, you can apply to the state of your choice in the US. As a general rule, in order to take the exam in Japan, you must have graduated from a four-year engineering college or equivalent, so please keep that in mind.

ITIL(Information Technology Infrastructure Library)

ITIL, to begin with, refers to a set of books that consolidate best practices in IT service management. ITIL can be understood as a type of management theory among the various management theories that exist in the world of management. Japan has its own Japanese management theory, and ITIL should be considered as reflecting American or European management theory.

ITIL is basically a set of books, and there is a certification system in place to certify that you understand the content of these books. There are several levels available, in order of simplicity

• ITIL 4 Foundation
• ITIL Managing Professional
• ITIL Strategic Leader
• ITIL Practice Manager
• ITIL Master

If you only want to demonstrate minimum skills, the simplest “ITIL 4 Foundation” is fine. However, if you want to prove your management skills worldwide, you can aim for the highest level, “ITIL Master”. This is the highest level of ITIL Master certification, and it is the best way to prove your IT management skills, as it requires a very broad range of management skills.

In addition to passing the exam, you will also need to attend related training courses in order to be certified for certifications other than ITIL 4 Foundation. Please pay attention to this.

CISA(Certified Information Systems Auditor)

CISA is one of the international IT certifications for engineers, specializing in information systems auditing and security. In Japanese, it is called Certified Information Systems Auditor, and there are differences in the worldwide names depending on which organization sponsors it. However, the parent organization is the same, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the United States, so obtaining the certification can be valuable as an international certification in any country.

Although security-related knowledge is required, the certification should be viewed as an international IT certification related to auditing systems. System auditing is the role of evaluating whether applications are operating in accordance with laws and regulations. In Japan, this skill is demonstrated when working with major auditing firms, known as the Big 4, to actually audit the system.

If an engineer obtains this certification, it is also useful in terms of being able to develop applications that are audit compliant. For example, in auditing, there is the perspective of “Are application privileges properly managed? The CISA certification will provide a significant advantage in system design and development because it demonstrates that the engineer has a comprehensive knowledge of these issues.

Anyone can take the exam, but at least five years of work experience is required to be certified as an International Qualification. The work experience must be within the past 10 years from the date of application for certification and within 5 years after passing the exam.

CIW(Certified Internet Webprofessional)

The CIW is a certification administered by Certification Partner, Inc. in the United States that certifies the skills of Internet engineers. It is an international certification that is offered in more than 70 countries around the world, and has attracted so much attention that the number of successful applicants is increasing every year. The same certification can be taken in any country, so if you take the Japanese version of the exam in Japan and pass it, your skills will be recognized internationally.

Because of the wide range of skills required of engineers, the certification is divided into four series

• Fundamentals - Web Foundations Associate Series
• Design - Web Design Series
• Development - Web Development Series
• Security - Web Security Series

Each of these series has its own level of certification, allowing candidates to demonstrate their IT skills in terms of both discipline and level. In addition, since each of these certifications is recognized as a separate certification, it is possible to prove your skills by obtaining the Web Foundations Associate and Web Design certifications.

認定情報技術者制度(CITP)

The Certified Information Technology Engineer System is an international certification offered by the Information Processing Society of Japan to certify the IT skills of engineers. We explained that Japanese certifications are basically not international certifications, but this one falls under the category of international certifications. In fact, in order to be recognized as an international certification, it is accredited by the U.S. period. Therefore, it can prove that you have exceeded a specific skill level in the U.S. or other countries with similar standards. Until now, there have been many cases where it has been difficult to prove compatibility of qualifications between Japan and other countries because of differences in skill standards between Japan and other countries. However, this one is created with international standards from the beginning, so you can easily demonstrate your IT skills just by obtaining it.

International certifications include those related to IT products used worldwide. The following is a selection of the most representative of these certifications.

MOS

The Microsoft Office Specialist certification is an acronym for Microsoft Office Specialist and certifies skills related to software released by Microsoft. It is an international certification that can certify the same skills worldwide, and is aimed at IT engineers as well as people who use Microsoft products on a daily basis. There are separate certifications for each product and level, which can be summarized as follows

• Word (general and expert levels)
• Excel (general and expert level)
• PowerPoint (general level)
• Access (general and expert level)
• Outlook (general level)

Basically, the test is to understand the functions of each product and to be able to use them correctly. However, it is important to keep in mind that all products are now highly functional, so you will be required to understand and use them all.

MOS is a world-renowned international certification, but its evaluation varies greatly depending on which certification you obtain. For example, “Word (Expert Level)” certifies advanced functions in Word, such as style functions, long-form functions including table of contents and index creation, and data importing from other application software. As such, it can prove useful for creating documents such as various design documents. Access (Expert level) is also related to databases and can prove that the candidate has knowledge related to development and design.

Oracle Master

Oracle offers a variety of IT products and also offers certifications related to these products. These certifications are called “Oracle Master,” and are characterized by the fact that there are different levels for each product. It is safe to say that they are representative of international certifications that are closely related to engineers.

Oracle Database

Oracle Database is an international certification related to Oracle Database sold by Oracle Corporation. 4 levels are established, and it is very famous as an IT vendor certification. The four levels of certification are well-known as IT vendor certifications, and the higher level of certification, Gold or above, is characterized by the requirement to attend a prescribed training course sponsored by Oracle.

The Bronze certification tests basic knowledge of databases, and requires an understanding of database mechanisms and theories such as normalization. In addition, the candidate must understand the basic usage of Oracle Database.

The Silver and Gold exams no longer test basic knowledge of databases, but focus on how to use the Oracle Database. This database engine is used worldwide and has a large number of functions, so the test is designed to determine whether or not you can use these functions. Among database engineers, it is often said that “if you can get Gold, you will have no trouble getting a job,” and its value as an international certification is recognized worldwide.

Java SE

Java SE is an international certification that certifies skills in the Java programming language provided by Oracle Corporation. There are several international certifications related to programming languages, but this one is recognized for its high reliability because it is offered by Oracle Corporation. Bronze is the highest level of Java certification.

The Bronze exam can be taken by engineers who have never worked with Java before, and tests basic knowledge of Java, with minimal Java-specific content. Therefore, if you are an engineer, you do not need to take the Bronze certification.

The Silver certification is the next level, and it certifies the basic programming skills required to develop Java applications. It is an international certification that proves a level of skill that allows you to take direction from a higher-level engineer and implement it, rather than come up with algorithms and study libraries on your own.

Finally, Gold can prove that you have a proper understanding of the intent of the design and can proceed with implementation based on that understanding on your own. This is a much higher level of programming skill than Silver.

Cisco Certification Examination

Cisco is one of the world's leading manufacturers of networking equipment. To demonstrate skills in their products and networking in general, they offer what is called the Cisco Technician Certification Exam. There are four levels of certification, three basic and one very high level, and you can choose the international certification that best suits the skills you wish to prove.

Entry Level

The following two entry-level exams are available, each of which tests basic IT skills and basic knowledge of networking to counter cyber attacks.

• Cisco Certified Support Technician(CCST サイバーセキュリティ)
• Cisco Certified Support Technician(CCST ネットワーキング)

Although this is an international certification conducted by Cisco, it is important to understand that the questions are not dependent on Cisco's products and are general in nature. If you are an engineer with practical experience in networking and related security, you will only be asked about knowledge that you can almost cover in your daily work. On the other hand, if you are an engineer with no experience, you should aim to pass this test by acquiring minimum skills through classroom learning.

Associate Level

There are three different exams available at the Associate level.

• Cisco Certified Network Associate
• CyberOps Associate
• DevNet Associate

The Cisco Certified Network Associate exam is basically an entry-level exam for network engineers, and is recommended for engineers who want to work internationally. The content of the exam has been revised significantly in 2020. It will be difficult to pass the exam unless you not only master the basic skills as a network engineer, but also have practical experience working with Cisco equipment.

Professional Level

The Professional level is an international certification that certifies engineering skills that fall under the category of “Network Professional”. The candidate is required to pass each of the core examinations and the concentration examination (Concentration Examination).

Core Exams

• Implementing Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies

Concentration Exam

• Implementing Cisco Enterprise Advanced Routing and Services
• Implementing Cisco SD-WAN Solutions
• Designing Cisco Enterprise Networks
• Designing Cisco Enterprise Wireless Networks
• Implementing Cisco Enterprise Wireless Networks
• Implementing Automation for Cisco Enterprise Solutions

The Cisco SD-WAN Solutions require not only basic knowledge of networking, but also a wide range of skills in security-based design and implementation, as well as actual operation and maintenance. If you want to prove your skills as a network engineer, you should aim to acquire this certification, which is one of the most difficult international IT certifications.

One of the features of the Concentration Examination is that you can choose elective subjects according to your area of expertise. Although a high level of skill is required regardless of which subject you choose, it is an advantage to be able to aim for certification in an area in which you are more confident.

Many people would like to obtain an international IT qualification to help them promote themselves. Finally, we will explain what strategy to use to obtain an international qualification.

Any qualification can be an appealing point

Basically, by obtaining the international qualifications introduced here, you can prove your own skills. Therefore, as long as it is suitable for your skills, you can use any of them to promote yourself. In particular, the five types that can prove your IT skills will be recognized worldwide by obtaining them. In addition, international qualifications related to specific products such as Oracle Master will be highly evaluated in projects that utilize that product.

However, IT engineers should be careful not to focus only on obtaining international qualifications. For example, just because you want to increase your appealing points, it is not desirable to obtain "ORACLE MASTER DBA" without participating in a database project. Obtaining an international qualification takes time and money, so consider the cost performance.

It is important to link it to practical experience in order to use it to promote yourself

When obtaining an international IT qualification, it is important to link it to practical experience. Qualifications are objective proof of your skills, and it is important to have practical experience that utilizes your skills separately. If you want to use it to promote yourself, make sure it is aligned with the IT work you are in charge of.
For example, if you are in charge of network work, obtaining a Cisco certification will allow you to better promote your skills. Also, if your main job is management-related or you want to be involved in related projects, obtaining ITIL is a good idea.
Basically, it is not enough to simply have an IT qualification. People are valued for having the skills to obtain a qualification, so you also need work experience and practical skills to meet that.

We have introduced some of the most representative international IT qualifications. Generally, these qualifications are sponsored by overseas organizations, but there are also global standard qualifications sponsored by Japanese organizations. By obtaining an international qualification instead of a Japanese qualification, your skills will be more easily recognized around the world and you will have something to sell yourself on.
Also, if you have an international IT qualification, you can use it as an selling point when looking for a job through a recruitment agency. It will help you differentiate yourself from engineers who do not have the qualification. Let's aim to pass the international qualifications introduced this time to sell yourself.

In fact, there are many jobs at United World where international IT qualifications are useful. Please feel free to contact us.

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