With the recent formalization of DevOps as a cultural movement that is transforming the way in which IT areas work and collaborate, there has also been a launch of accredited DevOps training and certification programs, which give IT professionals an opportunity to learn all the fundamental principles of this new discipline and get proof of their knowledge through an official certification.

You may ask: “Why should I get a DevOps certification if I can learn everything about it by just searching on the web?” Well, there are truly a lot of resources related to DevOps on the web, but accredited training certainly goes beyond the information you can find on different websites, magazines, or blogs like this.

Let me highlight the most important benefits an accredited DevOps certification will bring to you as an IT professional:

A common vocabulary and understanding.

Disciplines like DevOps involve many new terms that you will need to be familiar with in order to be able to communicate effectively with peers involved in the same initiative. In order for a new DevOps approach to be correctly adopted organization-wide, everybody needs to understand clearly what DevOps is, and have their expectations set on both what benefits they will get from the program, and what their responsibilities are. The web introduces DevOps in many different ways, and if people have different approaches to it, there will be many misunderstandings and misconceptions throughout the enterprise. Accredited training provides a homologue understanding of DevOps, and equips IT professionals with the vocabulary and concepts they need to master the practice.

Solid knowledge and experience from experts.

Many people can give their opinion and define DevOps from their own point of view, but an accredited training and certification program is not just an opinion, or a personal understanding of a conceptual model. Accredited training programs are born when a group of subject matter experts gather and work toward a consensus of the correct definitions, terms, concepts and practices that should be universally accepted—those are people who have been in the field for decades! Bodies such as The DevOps Institute are made up of members who are worth of being trusted and acknowledged as an authority in the subject. At the next level, accredited training organizations that offer these accredited training programs are subject to exhaustive audits and quality reviews to ensure they are delivering the programs in the right way, and with certified trainers that have enough experience to share valuable insights to students during the class.

A wider view of DevOps.

Much of the information available on the web for DevOps focuses on DevOps alone, without explaining how this discipline fits into the current frameworks and best practices that have already been adopted by the IT organization. The accredited DevOps Foundation training program explains in detail how DevOps relates to ITSM, Agile and Lean practices, and provides guidance for leveraging all practices with each other, in order to obtain the highest value from all these initiatives working holistically.

Correctly articulate the value to the business.

If your management comes and asks you what the business benefits from adopting DevOps will be, you will be much better equipped to objectively answer that if you have a clear understanding of DevOps and its components. Your knowledge will provide useful input to your organization’s decision-making process.

A proof that you know DevOps.

It is ok learning something new by your own, but then how can you prove others that you know it? A certification gives you and others proof that knowledge has been acquired, and that you have enough understanding and comprehension on the subject to be awarded an official certification that is valid worldwide.

An enhancement to your resume.

Credibility on certifications has just increased in the last few decades, to the point where many people (and contractors) now believe more in them than they do on an MBA for specific positions. Certifications can build on your resume to a degree where you can easily get a promotion or a better job, as these certification programs provide specialization on the subjects that are current in the IT industry, and that many companies are looking for in the people they hire.

Global Lynx, being a Registered Education Partner of The DevOps Institute, offers a comprehensive portfolio of DevOps Certifications, which equip IT professionals with the DevOps capabilities they require depending on their role.