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Get LPI certified, get a job - Linux skills in demand


Johannesburg, 13 Nov 2015

With the meteoric rise in cloud computing, overwhelmingly dominated by Linux, the demand for Linux IT professionals, along with their salaries, has risen to all time highs, and the trend looks set to continue.

Cloud computing has changed the IT landscape forever and with it the skills that employers demand of IT professionals. No longer is it sufficient to know Windows or Cisco only. Whether you are just entering the labour market or a long-time Windows system administrator, you will need to master Linux if you wish to remain relevant.

"The cloud is dominated by Canonical's Ubuntu Linux distribution, with estimates putting its share at well over 50%, but other distributions such as Centos, Debian and SuSE are also extensively used," says Peter Hlophe, Jumping Bean's training manager.

"What is clear is that professionals need to understand Linux and not a vendor-specific distribution if they are to be effective in the cloud space," he continued.

When asked which Linux certification he would recommend for Linux, he replied: "The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) is currently the only vendor-neutral Linux certification recognised by business around the world, and at Jumping Bean, we have seen a healthy increase in demand for LPI training. It is a sought-after certification."

The Linux Professional Institute is a vendor-neutral body that is responsible for the LPI certification and the Linux Essentials certificate. The Linux Essentials certificate enables IT professionals to prove to employers they have the foundational Linux knowledge, while the LPIC certification, from level 1-3, provides a progression path for individuals from Linux Server Professional to Linux Enterprise Professional.

According to the Linux Foundation 2015 Job Survey Report, nearly all hiring managers are looking to recruit Linux professionals in the next six months.

"Linux-certified professionals will be especially well positioned in the job market this year, with 44% of hiring managers saying they're more likely to hire a candidate with Linux certification, and 54% expecting either certification or formal training of their SysAdmin candidates," said the report.

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