Digital transformation continues across New Zealand organisations, creating opportunities for IT professionals to play a leading role in supporting change in their business.

With technology at the centre of business growth for all companies, transformation requires an IT team with the right skills. So how do IT professionals ensure they have the skills to support digital transformation?

According to research conducted by IDC, this is where role-based certifications, rather than technology-based certifications, prove their worth.

The research found the responsibilities of IT professionals now tend to span several domains, and that they worked with several different technologies.

Technology-focused certifications were found to be insufficient to prepare IT professionals for the full scope of their responsibilities in such situations, says IDC in its “Benefits of Role-Based Certifications” white paper of June 2020.

However, research demonstrated that IT professionals who achieved a relevant role-based technical certification performed on average 26% better than uncertified colleagues with the same responsibilities.

This shows the value of role-based certifications, such as the range of Microsoft Azure certifications, for IT professionals who want to help lead digital transformation in their organisation.

But there are also professional benefits to becoming a Microsoft Certified Azure professional.

According to a salary surveys, Microsoft Azure professionals can both command a higher salary and enjoy greater demand as job candidates.

The survey found that:

• 68% of Microsoft Azure professionals had a salary increase when they last changed jobs,
• Those salaries increased by an average of 23%,
• 72% of respondents believed certifications made them more marketable
• 58% of respondents said their certification improved career progression opportunities.

Azure certifications also make IT professionals more valuable to employers, according to survey respondents. This is because a certification serves as a benchmark of a certain level of knowledge, with 61% of respondents saying it was a way to verify their skills and prove their abilities with Microsoft.

Respondents also said completing a certification helped them become better at their job making them more efficient and productive, while their industry knowledge improved.

The survey also asked whether Azure professionals receive any unique or interesting benefits. Some of the less conventional benefits mentioned included company store discount, daily travel allowance, and a dog-friendly office.

So, while we’re not saying being Azure certified will give you a better chance of being allowed to bring your dog to work, we’re not ruling it out either…

Either way, the benefits of gaining a Microsoft Azure certification for your career progression and your current or future employers are numerous.

And the great news is you can now become Azure certified for less.

Power up your Azure training with free certification

Auldhouse has introduced a Power Up Azure training bundle to help Microsoft scale cloud capability with its New Zealand customers. The bundle includes:

• Microsoft Azure training delivered by the most experienced Microsoft Certified trainers in New Zealand,
• Official Microsoft digital courseware,
• Access to hands-on labs six months post-class,
• A Microsoft exam voucher so you can validate your new skills.

The bundle is valid for any scheduled Auldhouse Microsoft Azure class which has an associated exam. For more information visit: https://auldhouse.co.nz/microsoft-azure-power-up