But here’s the reality: not all certifications pay off. A recent study by the Burning Glass Institute found that only 1 in 8 certificates result in significant pay increases within the first year.

Still, that doesn’t mean certifications are worthless. When chosen wisely, they can be the very edge you need in your next job search.

Tech It From Me

Do Certifications Really Help Your Career? The Truth About Credentials in 2025

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When Certifications Actually Pay Off

Despite headlines suggesting most credentials don’t deliver a big payday, the reality is that some certifications consistently open doors to higher salaries and better opportunities. The difference comes down to industry demand, skill relevance, and the type of credential pursued.

Healthcare: High Demand, High ROI

Healthcare is one of the clearest examples where certifications pay off. Credentials for nursing, radiology, and medical technicians not only improve hiring chances but also result in an average $5,000 salary increase within the first year (WSJ). With labour shortages across hospitals and clinics, employers actively seek certified professionals to fill critical roles.

IT & Cybersecurity: Job Market Winners

Technology certifications are another area with strong returns. Programs in cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data analytics continue to be among the most requested by employers. For example, graduates of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Cybersecurity Certificate had a job-switching rate nine percentage points higher than peers without the credential.

In an era where cybercriminals exploit weak security, certifications like CompTIA Security+, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), or AWS Cloud Practitioner show employers that candidates have validated, job-ready skills.

Business & Project Management: A Mixed Bag

Business-related certifications can also deliver benefits—but with nuance. Project Management Professional (PMP) and Six Sigma remain highly respected in operations and management roles. Employers often use these certifications as benchmarks for leadership potential.

However, not all business certificates carry weight. As the WSJ highlights, even a Harvard project management certificate didn’t guarantee significant salary gains. The lesson? Employers value certifications tied directly to in-demand skills over brand names alone.

Emerging Fields: Sustainability, AI & Data

Finally, emerging industries are starting to show strong certification ROI. Fields like green energy, artificial intelligence, and data science are experiencing rapid growth. Earning credentials in AI fundamentals or sustainability management may not provide an immediate pay bump. Still, they strategically position job seekers in industries projected to expand dramatically over the next decade.

Why Prestigious Certifications Don’t Always Pay Off

It’s easy to assume that a certificate stamped with the name of an Ivy League or other prestigious university will automatically fast-track your career. After all, who wouldn’t be impressed by “Harvard” or “Stanford” on a résumé? But the data shows otherwise: brand recognition doesn’t always translate into career growth.

The Wall Street Journal points out a surprising example—graduates of Harvard’s project management certificate program saw only a 3.7% improvement in advancement opportunities and no meaningful salary bump compared to peers without it (WSJ). That’s a disappointing return on what can be a significant financial investment.

This reflects a broader truth: employers don’t hire brand names—they hire skills. If the certification doesn’t demonstrate mastery of a skill or knowledge the company urgently needs, the prestige factor won’t matter.

Why Prestige Can Disappoint:

1. Misalignment with Job Market Demand – A certificate in a generalized field (like project management) may not stand out when thousands of other candidates have similar credentials. By contrast, specialized certifications in fields like cloud security or data analytics often translate directly into job postings.
2. High Cost, Low ROI – Big-name universities often charge a premium for certificates that don’t outperform community colleges, online providers, or employer-partnered programs. Workers may end up with more debt than opportunity.
3. Credential Inflation – As I discussed in From Y2K to AI: How IT Departments Have Changed, the labour market has shifted from valuing degrees alone to prioritizing practical, verifiable skills. Today, even advanced degrees are no longer enough without applied experience—certificates are subject to the same inflation.

What Matters Instead

Rather than focusing on prestige, professionals should prioritize:

• Industry Recognition – Certifications like CISSP in cybersecurity or PMP in project management are trusted benchmarks across industries, regardless of where they’re obtained.
• Employer Partnerships – Credentials co-created with employers (like Google’s Career Certificates or AWS training) carry weight because they map directly to job requirements.
• Relevance to Job Postings – A mid-career professional will get more traction from a specialized certificate in cloud computing than from a generic leadership program—even if the latter comes from a top school.

A recognizable university logo may look nice on LinkedIn, but employers care about whether your certification proves you can solve their problems.

Certifications as Evidence—Not Magic

Getting a certification doesn’t guarantee you a new job, promotion, or pay raise. Instead, think of certifications as evidence of your skills and initiative—proof points that employers can see at a glance. They can help you get in the door, start a conversation, and stand out in a stack of resumes.

But on their own, they aren’t enough.

Why Certifications Matter

• Skill Validation – A certificate demonstrates that you’ve invested time in learning a new competency. For a hiring manager, this can be the deciding factor between two candidates with similar résumés.
• Career Signal – Certifications show initiative. They signal to employers that you’re committed to continuous learning—something essential in fast-moving fields like IT and AI.
• Resume Boost – In competitive job markets, certifications can get your résumé past automated filters (ATS systems), which often scan for keywords like “AWS Certified,” “PMP,” or “CompTIA Security+.”

Why Certifications Alone Aren’t Enough

Employers aren’t hiring the certificate—they’re hiring you. Without the ability to apply that knowledge in real situations, a credential is just a line on paper. As I discussed in Behind the Buzzwords: What Is a Large Language Model, Really?, knowledge without application often falls flat. The same goes for credentials.

To make certifications work for you:

• Pair them with projects – If you earn a cloud computing certificate, spin up a real AWS or Azure environment and document what you’ve built.
• Tell the story in interviews – Don’t just say “I have a PMP.” Instead, explain how project management principles helped you lead a team to deliver results.
• Keep them updated – Tech evolves fast. Certifications that were hot five years ago may already be obsolete.

The Real Value: Competitive Edge

Certifications give you an edge—but they’re part of a larger toolkit that includes experience, networking, and adaptability. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes, the fastest-growing roles often require both formal training and on-the-job practice.

In short, certifications are not magic bullets. But used strategically—as proof of skills, initiative, and adaptability—they can set you apart from the competition and help you land opportunities that may otherwise be out of reach.

How to Pick the Right Certification

With hundreds of thousands of certifications on the market, the real challenge isn’t earning one—it’s choosing wisely. Too many job seekers waste time and money on credentials that sound impressive but don’t improve their career prospects. Here’s how to make sure yours does.

1. Research ROI Before You Enroll

Not every certification delivers a financial return. According to the Burning Glass Institute, only about 1 in 8 certificates leads to significant pay increases within the first year. Before signing up, check whether employers recognize your target certification and whether it translates into real-world salary growth.

2. Scan Job Postings for Skill Demand

Look at the job descriptions for the roles you want. Do you consistently see mentions of AWS, PMP, SQL, or cybersecurity? Those keywords are a direct clue to the certifications that matter most. Aligning your credentials with in-demand skills dramatically increases your chances of getting noticed by recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

(Pro tip: Tools like LinkedIn Jobs or Indeed can help you spot recurring skills.)

3. Look for Employer Partnerships

Programs created in collaboration with employers tend to carry more weight. For example, Google Career Certificates in fields like IT support or data analytics are co-designed with industry input, which makes them far more practical for hiring managers. Similarly, AWS and Microsoft certifications are widely trusted because they tie directly to the platforms companies already use.

4. Prioritize Relevance Over Prestige

As we discussed above, big-name universities don’t guarantee results. A community college cybersecurity certification or a CompTIA credential may be more valuable than an Ivy League badge—simply because they map directly to what employers are hiring for.

5. Stack Certifications Strategically

Don’t stop at one. Layering certifications can create a compelling profile:

• IT Example: CompTIA Security+ → AWS Solutions Architect → CISSP.
• Healthcare Example: Medical technician certificate → radiology specialization → advanced imaging credential.
  Each step signals career progression and growing expertise.

The Takeaway

Choosing the proper certification is less about prestige and more about employer demand, ROI, and practical application. If you align your learning path with industry needs and back it up with hands-on experience, certifications can become powerful tools for career growth.

Before you invest, ask yourself: Will this certification prove my skills in a way that employers value right now? If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.

Related Reading:

• From Y2K to AI: How IT Departments Have Changed—and Where They’re Headed
• Will AI Really Replace All Mundane Jobs? My Take on Geoffrey Hinton’s Bold Claim
• Behind the Buzzwords: What Is a Large Language Model, Really?

(Feature image generated with the help of Dall-E.)

Tech It From Me

From Y2K to AI: The Evolution of IT Departments

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Intro: What 30 Years in IT Taught Me

I started my IT career in the mid-1990s, back when “tech support” meant crawling under desks, configuring IRQs, and praying that Windows 95 wouldn’t crash during a presentation. Fast forward to today, and we’re dealing with cloud orchestration, cybersecurity frameworks, and AI-powered everything.

As I look back on nearly three decades of change, I ask a simple question:

Where is IT going next?

Breaking Into IT in the 90s

I got my start at New Horizons Computer Learning Centres in Calgary, thanks to a gentleman named Doug Thompson. Doug had the foresight to leave oil and gas and dive into tech — and he, along with a lady named Roma, gave me my first shot. I started as a computer instructor, which taught me how to explain complex things simply — a skill that’s served me every day since.

From there, I joined Shopplex, an early online shopping mall that eventually became Teilhard Technologies — a B2B dot-com company that grew fast… and failed faster. The dot-com crash was brutal, but it taught me the real difference between hype and value.

The 2000s: From Tech Support to Strategic Partner

The 2000s were the golden era of in-house IT maturity. We implemented Active Directory, stood up Exchange servers, and learned how to run IT like a service.
Frameworks like ITIL brought structure, while the rise of the PMO brought us into strategic business discussions.

IT wasn’t just about “fixing things” anymore.
We were optimizing workflows, leading digital transformations, and becoming trusted partners in growth.

2010s: Cloud, Mobility, and Outsourcing

Then came the cloud — and everything changed.

Suddenly, we weren’t racking servers… we were managing vendors.
Instead of configuring Exchange, we were deploying Office 365.
Instead of controlling every switch and firewall, we were negotiating SLAs with managed service providers.

Outsourcing ramped up. Help desks went offshore. Infrastructure teams got lean.
And while some organizations gained efficiency, others lost depth, context, and innovation capability.

The AI Era: Why I Call It Augmented Intelligence

I have a personal preference: I don’t call it Artificial Intelligence.
I call it Augmented Intelligence — because that’s what it should be.

AI shouldn’t replace us — it should amplify us.
It should free us from repetitive tasks, improve our insights, and help us move faster.
But too many companies don’t know how to implement it well. They’re buying the tools, but not building the culture.

Smart IT teams know: AI isn’t a magic bullet. It’s a powerful toolkit — and it needs leadership.

The Risk of Deprioritizing IT

Today, I’m seeing a troubling trend: IT is often treated like a cost center — not a value driver.

It’s being outsourced, minimized, and deprioritized in the name of efficiency.
But when you weaken your IT function, you don’t just save money — you lose agility, security, and internal innovation.

IT is your nervous system. If you neglect it, the whole organization suffers.

So What’s Next?

I believe the AI future is hybrid:

• Smaller, high-impact internal IT teams
• Strategic use of automation and AI
• Vendor partnerships managed by people who understand both tech and business
• And an IT function that’s not buried in service tickets, but sitting at the leadership table

The best companies won’t eliminate IT — they’ll elevate it.

Want the Full Story?

You can listen to the full episode of Tech It From Me – Episode 7 here:

Listen to the Episode »
Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms.

Join the Conversation

Have you lived through some of these changes in IT?
Are you navigating AI, automation, or a cloud migration right now?

I’d love to hear from you.

Email me at inspire@techitfromme.com
Or leave a comment wherever you listen to podcasts.

Tech It From Me

Will AI Really Replace All Mundane Jobs?

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Welcome to Tech It From Me – where we unpack the headlines shaping our digital world.

This week, we’re diving into a bold claim from Geoffrey Hinton, the so-called Godfather of AI. He recently said:

“AI will replace everyone doing mundane intellectual labour.”

That’s a heavy statement. But is it true?

What Did Geoffrey Hinton Actually Say?

Geoffrey Hinton, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto and pioneer of deep learning, appeared on the Diary of a CEO podcast. His main points:

• AI will replace mundane intellectual labour.
  Jobs like call centre agents and paralegals are at risk because they involve repetitive tasks AI excels at.
• Joblessness threatens human happiness.
  Even if governments provide universal basic income, Hinton warns mass unemployment could cause unhappiness and societal issues.

And there are real examples. During the NBA Finals, an entire commercial was produced entirely by AI for just $2,000 in two days – no human production crew, no actors.

The Industry Response

Companies are paying attention:

• Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy said AI will reduce the need for certain roles while creating new ones.
• Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, predicts AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years, with unemployment rising to 20% if adaptation lags.
• Mark Daley, Chief AI Officer at Western University, argues jobs will transform rather than disappear entirely. As he said:

“We’ve never had a technology transition where we’ve got machines that think.”

Why I Don’t Fully Agree with Hinton

Here’s my take.

AI is incredible at performing tasks. But it’s terrible at caring.

An Analogy: Singing with Emotion

Anyone can technically sing a song. But why do certain singers move us deeply? Because they sing with emotion, drawing from heartbreak, hope, joy, or pain they’ve felt.

AI can replicate lyrics and notes perfectly. But it can’t make you cry or inspire you – it doesn’t feel.

Human Empathy Still Matters

In so-called mundane jobs:

• Customer service reps calm angry customers not just by following scripts, but by detecting subtle tones – a crack in a voice signalling tears, or a pause revealing hidden fear.
• Legal assistants catch document nuances that AI misses because they care about preventing client risk.

These traits are fundamentally human. AI can simulate empathy with phrases like “I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this today.” But real empathy comes from actually caring. You hear it in someone’s tone, sighs, and pauses.

Where AI Will (and Should) Take Over

Let’s be real – AI will replace purely repetitive data tasks:

• Data entry
• Summarizing meeting transcripts
• Processing invoices
• Writing draft marketing copy

And that’s good. It frees us to focus on creativity, strategy, and relationships – work that truly matters.

What Does This Mean For You?

If you’re worried AI will replace your job, ask yourself:

What do I bring that an algorithm can’t?
Is it empathy? Intuition? Creativity? Leadership?

These are your greatest assets in an AI-driven world.

A Personal Example

Years ago, at a Fortune 100 company I worked for, a data analyst flagged a reporting error that neither our Business Intelligence software nor our AI plugin caught.

Why? Technically, the data matched all validation rules. But he knew the business context so well that he saw something was off.

Digging deeper, we discovered inventory cost percentages had been shaved off, leading to unnecessary inventory purchases. His judgement saved the company millions in potential billing disputes.

That wasn’t mundane. That was human judgement in action.

**Transcript** >> Click here to view or download the full episode transcript

Tech It From Me

Tech Layoffs: How to Protect Your Career and Stay Relevant!

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Microsoft just laid off 9,000 people.

Let’s be honest – layoffs in tech aren’t rare anymore. Amazon, Google, startups… no one is immune. As an IT professional, how do you build a career that stands strong no matter what the market throws at you?

Here’s what I’ve learned from my own journey.

The Reality of Tech Layoffs

You’ve seen the headlines. Microsoft cuts 9,000 roles. Amazon, tens of thousands. Google, the same story.

Why does this happen? Sometimes it’s missed revenue targets, other times, strategic pivots or integrations after acquisitions. And often, it’s about increasing shareholder value by reducing payroll costs.

Whatever the reason, when it happens to you, it feels personal.

The truth is, companies can be profitable and still lay people off. Layoffs are often strategic financial decisions, not reflections of your performance.

My Layoff Stories

I’ve been laid off twice in my career.

The first time was after more than 15 years with a company. Imagine dedicating over a decade and a half of your life to building teams, delivering results, and then one day, it’s over. That call took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, over video. It was brutal.

That experience taught me the importance of protecting myself and my family. I had to advocate for myself in ways I never had before.

The second time came just two years into my role at a global company. A few months before my layoff, the CIO told me, “Mike, you know what your problem is? You’re too nice.” Two months later, I received my full bonus. I must be doing a good job! Three months later, they let me go. The reason? “We’ve decided to move in a different direction.”

What hurt most was hearing that after I left, they told my team I only brought problems, not solutions. That narrative never came up in my performance reviews.

That’s when I realized: companies will create their own narratives to justify decisions.

If you’ve been laid off, remember – it’s often not about your value or capability. Sometimes, it’s just business.

Staying Relevant – Beyond Degrees

So, how can you protect yourself?

Stay relevant. Keep your skills current.

Here’s my belief: You don’t need a university degree to succeed in IT.

Throughout my career, I’ve hired incredible people who never graduated from university. What mattered was:

• Can they demonstrate their ability to do the job?
• Are they adaptable?
• Do they understand how their work impacts the business?

One of my best hires didn’t have a degree, but they had deep technical knowledge, a strong work ethic, and solved problems under pressure.

Personally, I’ve reinvented my skills multiple times – from programming BASIC on a TI-99/4A as a kid, to networking, databases, cloud, security, and leadership. Not all of it came from school. Much came from hands-on work and continuous learning.

That’s what keeps you relevant.

Protecting Yourself – Legally and Financially

Now, I’m not a lawyer, so always seek professional legal advice. But here’s what I’ve learned:

Never accept the first termination package without legal review.
Companies craft these to protect themselves. The deadlines they give you to respond? Not always final. Ask for an extension, and consult an employment lawyer who specializes in severance negotiations.

Build a financial safety net.
Even if it’s just $25 or $50 every payday, automate your savings. Here’s a strategy I love:

Start this Friday by saving $1. Next Friday, save $2. The Friday after, $3. Keep increasing by $1 every week for a year. By the end of the year, you’ll have saved $1,378, plus a bit of interest if it’s in a high-interest savings account.

Having a buffer buys you confidence and time to negotiate your exit properly and to find the right next opportunity without panic.

Negotiate upfront.
Your hiring package matters too. Companies expect negotiation. Discuss salary, vacation, title, and severance terms upfront if possible. You’re worth it.

The Power of Your Network

One of your biggest assets in a layoff isn’t just your skills – it’s your network.

• Keep your LinkedIn updated before you need it.
• Stay in touch with colleagues, bosses, and mentors.
• Comment on their posts, share insights, and check in occasionally.

During my first layoff, I signed up for a Udemy AWS Cloud Practitioner course. I passed the certification exam, and my next role required knowledge of AWS. That small investment of under $80 paid off fast.

In my career, opportunities have come through my network, including my current role.

Your reputation, combined with your relationships, will carry you through times of uncertainty.

How Leaders Can Retain Great People

For the leaders reading this: retention isn’t about free coffee or ping pong tables. It’s about:

• Trusting your team
• Empowering their growth
• Valuing their input
• Creating psychological safety to own mistakes and learn

I’ve had team members follow me from one company to another, not for perks or pay alone, but because of how I treated them. Respect and authentic care go a long way.

Final Thoughts: You Are the CEO of Your Career

Your career is a business, and you’re the CEO. Invest in yourself. Protect yourself. Build relationships that last beyond any job title.

Layoffs don’t define your worth. They just redirect your path.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this, check out the full episode on the Tech It From Me podcast wherever you listen. Until next time – keep building the career you deserve.

**Transcript** >> Click here to view or download the full episode transcript