2015S

HIGH
PAYING
BUSINESS CERTIFICATIONS

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The global job market is heading towards objective learning and goal-oriented
training. Both employees and employers are on the lookout for short term courses
that certify an individual with a specific skill. Professional certifications act as a
differentiator against the competition. They validate your skills and give you an
edge over your peers. Research shows that 91% of hiring managers consider
certification a criterion for hiring and another 84% of hiring managers believe that
certified professionals are far more productive than their non-certified
counterparts.
Heres a list of 7 trending business certifications of the year that can boost your
salary package. The rankings are based upon the average salary a professional
draws after receiving the respective certification.

TOGAF
CRISC
CSM
PMP
SALESFORCE DEVELOPER
DATA SCIENTIST
DIGITAL MARKETING

TOGAF

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Vital Stats
The Open Group Architecture Framework or
TOGAF is an Enterprise Architecture framework
that helps in designing, planning and implementing the information security architecture of an
enterprise.
TOGAF as a professional certification program
for individuals and organizations was
launched by the Open Group in 2004.
Architects across the globe have taken this certification, and today,
well over 25000 professionals are TOGAF certified.

Industry Relevance
The TOGAF certification enables professionals to
acquire specific knowledge about the standard
framework and methods of enterprise architecture
and help them demonstrate their proven
knowledge of the framework.
There has been an exponential growth in the
Enterprise and IT Architecture vertical and it is expected to grow more
rapidly in the near future.
IBM, HP, Oracle, Deloitte, Capgemini, Cisco, and other leading giants are
implementing TOGAF methodologies to transform their business, there
by increasing the job opportunities for TOGAF certified architects.

Salary

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TOGAF certified Enterprise Architects are

earning a whopping $124,000 compared to their
non-certified peers and are most sought-after by
Fortune 500 companies.

Skills
Generic skills such as leadership, team-building,
and soft skills
Business skills comprising business cases,
processes, strategic planning
Enterprise Architecture Skills comprising modelling,
system integration, applications & role design
Project Management Skills
Technical Skills
Legal knowledge about data protection laws, contract law,
procurement law etc.

Eligibility Requirements
A candidate may achieve certification either through
self-study or by attending TOGAF Accredited
Training Course.
TOGAF 9 Foundation (Part-1): There are no set eligibility
requirements for taking up the TOGAF 9 Foundation
(Part-1) examination. Any aspiring candidate who wishes
to build a career in Enterprise architecture can take up the examination.

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TOGAF 9 Certification (Part-2): For taking up TOGAF 9 Certification

(Part-2) Exam, a candidate must have passed the TOGAF 9 Foundation
(Part-1) Exam from the same ATTC provider.

Examination Format & Cost

How to acquire the TOGAF Certification:
TOGAF 9 (Part-1):
This Exam consists of 40 multiple choice questions.
You need to write 22 or more correct answers to qualify
in this exam. The passing score is 55%. Each correct
answer scores one mark.
Exam Duration: 60 Minutes

Exam Fee: USD 320 + Local Taxes

TOGAF 9 (Part-2):
This exam consists of 8 multiple-choice questions that are based on
complex scenarios with gradient scoring. Passing score is 60%. The exam
is open book and a correct answer scores 5 points, the second best
answer scores 3 points, and third best scores 1 point. A hardcopy or PDF
of the applicable textbook is provided by the test center.
Exam Duration: 90 Minutes

Exam Fee: USD 320 + Local Taxes

TOGAF 9 Combined Part 1 & 2

This exam consists of 48 questions and is taken by those aspirants who
wish to take the level 2 certification in a single examination. It comprises
two sections and each section must be cleared with pass marks similar to
those on the separate exams (Part 1: 55%, Part 2: 60%).
Exam Duration: 150 minutes

Exam Cost: USD 495 + Local Taxes

CRISC
Vital Stats
A CRISC professional is Certified in Risk and
Information Systems Control
The non-profit group ISACA offers
CRISC certification
CRISC as a certification was introduced in 2010
More than 17000 professionals across the globe
have earned this certification.

Industry Relevance
This certification is specially designed for
IT professionals, Project Managers and other
professionals who wish to identify and
manage risks with an appropriate Information
System (IS) control.

Salary
A certified CRISC professional earns an average
annual salary of $119,227

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Skills
Ability to identify and manage risks.
Problem-solving skills
Ability to work in teams
Time Management
Relevant business knowledge
Ability to plan and establish goals
Competence in auditing

Eligibility Requirements
A minimum of 3 years of cumulative experience in
performing the tasks of a CRISC professional across
at least three CRISC domains
Pass the CRISC (offered worldwide every
June and December)
Adhere to the ISACA Code of Professional Ethics
Agree to comply with the CRISC Continuing Education Policy

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Examination Format & Cost

Examination
ISACA uses a 200-800 point scale with 450 as the
passing mark for the exam.

Cost
$545 for members

$725 for non-members

CERTIFIED
SCRUM MASTER

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Vital Stats
Offered by the reputed Scrum Alliance.
This coveted credential is offered to those
professionals, who have successfully completed
CSM training and have proven their skills in Scrum
terminologies, practices and principles in the
CSM exam.
CSM provides better and greater job opportunities to professionals
who wish to build a strong base in scrum and agile practices and
development.
There are more than 262,000 Certified Scrum Masters.

Industry Relevance
Project managers across industries
Product owners
Software architects
Developers
Testers
Coders

Salary
According to payscale.com- A CSM professional
has a median salary of $112, 000 a year. Also,
a Certified ScrumMaster earns 3% more than
a ScrumMaster.

Skills
A CSM must be proactive.
Ability to develop and foster teamwork.
Ability to promptly and clearly disseminate
information
Effective communication skills
Great problem-solving ability
Ability to handle stressful situations
Ability to take a call and make decisions

Eligibility Requirements
Although there are no set eligibility requirements for the
certified scrum master certification, it is advisable to have
some understanding of the principles and possess working
knowledge of the overall scrum process. The candidate
must understand the individual roles of product owner and
development team.

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Examination Format & Cost

Examination
35 multiple choice questions
Write 24 or more correct answers to pass the exam.
Candidates can take up the exam only after the
completion of two days training.
The test takes about an hour to complete.

Cost
The fee for the CSM exam is included in the course and will be paid by
the trainer. There will be two free attempts after which $25 will be
charged.

PMP

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Vital Stats
PMP is the most sought-after certification for
Project Managers offered by the reputed PMI.
According to PMI Today magazine (Jan 2015
edition), there are 639,023 PMP certified
professionals across the globe.
The PMP certification exam covers five areas
relating to the lifecycle of a project: initiating, planning, executing,
monitoring and controlling, and closing.

Industry Relevance
Construction
Government
Public Sectors
IT
Manufacturing

Salary
According to PMI, Project Management is among
the top skill sets in-demand at organizations
across the globe. The median salary for a PMP
professional is $109,405.

Skills

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Excellent Communication Skills

Masterful soft skills
Effective Leadership Skills
Time-Management Skills
Sound Industry & Solution Knowledge
Conflict-Management
Organizational & Multi-tasking skills
Human Resource Management
Risk Management

Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the certification program,
you need to have enough Project management
working experience.
Criteria:
Secondary degree with at least five years of project
management experience with 7500 hours leading and
directing projects and 35 hours of project management
education.

or
Four-year degree with at least three years of project management
experience, with 4500 hours leading and directing projects and 35
hours of project management education.

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Examination Format & Cost

Examination
175 scored multiple-choice questions and 25 pretest
(unscored) questions that sum up to 200 questions.
The allotted time for the completion of the exam
is 4 hours.
A candidate is required to write 137 correct answers to pass the exam.

Cost
At present, the examination fee is
USD $405 for PMI member

USD $555 for non-member

SALESFORCE
DEVELOPER

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Vital Stats
The Salesforce Developer certification is a
necessary credential that bestows necessary skills
and knowledge of designing custom-made
applications and analytics while being aided by
declarative features of the Salesforce platform.
The growth in demand for Certified Salesforce
professionals has shot up to 159% since the
year 2008.
Salesforce.com is the main accreditation body that dictates the
structure of the Salesforce Developer certification.

Industry Relevance
The Salesforce Developer course suits all professionals
who handle the setting up, configuration, and
maintenance of Salesforce applications in the
organization. It is best suited forDevelopers
System administrators
Architects Sales
Operations professionals
IT managers

Salary
The Salesforce Developer earns an average
pay of $99,000.

Skills
Excellent written & verbal communication skills
Ability to present well
Research Habits
Listening Skill
Providing Solutions
Trust Building
Referral Maximization
Storytelling

Eligibility Requirements
Salesforce.com stipulates a minimum set of
requirements that all qualified candidates must
possess.
A degree in BBA, BCA, MCA or MBA.
Have a good understanding of the basic concepts and
functionalities on Salesforce platforms.

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Examination Format & Cost

Examination format:
90 minutes
A format of 60 multiple-choice questions.
The percentage passing score is 68%, which is the
minimum score for all candidates.

Cost
Exam Cost: $200
Exam Duration: 90 minutes

Exam Cost: $200

DATA SCIENTIST

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Vital Stats

About 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created

every day, and 90% of the worlds total data has
been generated in the last two years.
The advent of Big Data has helped organizations
take better decisions, enhance customer
engagement, optimize operations, prevent
threats & fraud, and capitalize on new sources of revenue. With data
emerging as one of the world's latest resources for competitive
engagement, industry-specific skills are required to fully harness the
power of Big Data.
Gartner has predicted that there will be a need for 4.4 million data
scientist in 2015, but only one- third of those jobs will be filled with
skilled employees.
McKinsey predicts that the US is going to face a shortage of skilled Big
Data professionals with analytical skills by 2018.
Harvard Business Review has called Data Scientist the sexiest job of
the 21st century.

Industry Relevance
Big Data continues to be an exploding space with
tremendous job opportunities in :
Agriculture
Healthcare
Manufacturing

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IT
E-Commerce
Telecom
Retail
Digital
Public Sectors

Salary
The median salary for a data scientist is about
$95,000 (Ninety-five thousand dollars) per
annum.

Skills
Technical Skills:
To work on real data, it is essential for data
scientists to work with languages like R, Python,
SAS, Hadoop, and more.

Non-Technical Skills:
Business Implications
Intellectual Curiosity
Effective Communication Skills
Problem Solving Skills

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Data Science is expected to mature, consolidate, become the mainstream

career option, and even surprise us with advancements in the field. The field
is expected to mature over time and slowly shift to a cloud environment.
Data science practitioners would like to be able to build predictive models
in temporary cloud environments to increase their performance
requirements. Unlike the current trend of single algorithm or tool being
used to solve most of the data-related problems, the future is predicted to
break this stranglehold. Data scientists are building new data algorithms to
suit their needs, which are predicted to take advantage of parallel data
processing to improve efficiency.

Eligibility Requirements
Although there are no defined pre-requisites for taking up
certification training, it is important to brush up on a few
skills like Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, and
Statistics (basics).
To become a data scientist, having the basic hands-on
knowledge of statistics is necessary. Though there is a lot
of debate doing the rounds in data science circles, regarding
statistics being outdated and stodgy. However, as statistical modeling is an
important part of the job profile of a data scientist, candidates need to have
the basic knowledge of stats, so that they can apply this logic to R or to
other languages.
Fundamental knowledge of computer science is essential for taking up any
training in Data Science. As is widely known, Data Scientists need to write
code, for the simple reason that if one can't use R or similar languages, they
cannot work on real world data. One need not be an expert in coding, but
basic knowledge is always helpful.

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Preferred Educational
Qualifications
The debate regarding the best qualification to
learn Data Science is still pretty much on. While a few
experts claim that a Bachelor's degree with good
practical skills can do the trick, some others believe
a Master's degree or a PhD is needed to prove your skills
in this field.
However, as aptly mentioned in Data Science: An Introduction/ A Mash-up
of Disciplines, this field is a mash-up of several disciplines like Math,
Science, Advanced Computing, Visualization, Data Engineering, Hacker
Mindset, and Domain expertise. So it's difficult to single out a particular
field that can act as a pre-requisite for learning data science.
In general, one will find a minimum of 80% of data scientists with a Master's
degree and about 40% possessing a Ph.D. qualification. The most common
fields of study are Mathematics and Statistics, Economics, Computer
Science and Engineering, amongst others.
Though a few institutes are planning to start a Bachelor's degree program
that will be in line with the Computer Science programs in general, training
is provided for Master's degree programs. Apart from these programs, some
institutes offer certification training in online, live-virtual classroom, and
classroom learning modes, to facilitate students across the globe.

DIGITAL
MARKETING

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Vital Stats
Often referred to as online marketing, internet
marketing or web marketing, digital marketing
has gained popularity over the last decade. With
the advent of e-commerce websites, the scope for
a digital marketer has increased multifold.
Online Marketing is booming and this industry
offers numerous career opportunities for candidates
who possess appropriate training and education.
Online Marketing has now become an in-demand skill that is used to
launch and manage successful businesses online.
There is no single governing body for digital marketing courses.
However, Google, OMCP, Online Marketing Institute, MarketingProfs,
etc. are a few well-known names in the online marketing training arena.

Industry Relevance
Fresh graduates
Business owners
Web Designers
Web Marketers
Professionals early in their career
Marketing Professionals

Salary

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The certification is a stamp of approval for domain

knowledge in the field of online marketing.
This enhances the job prospects of individuals
enabling them to gain entry in various Fortune
500 and e-commerce companies like Amazon, Ebay
and other top organizations. A survey conducted on Moz.org suggested
that the global average salary of online marketers is $65,766 and Entry
level salaries start at around $35,000. The average salary for online marketers in the United States is $86,253. The job market is very hot, and
there is a very strong demand to fill positions in the future.

Skills
Knowledge of Data Analysis
Content Marketing
Email Marketing
SEO & PPC
Data Visualization
Social Media
Technical Skills
Team work
Soft Skills

OMCP Certification
The highly-recognized industry standard for a certification in online
marketing is OMCP (Online Marketing Certified Professional). An OMCP
certification verifies the members dedication to professional development
by considering members active participation in industry groups and
events.

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OMCP conducts certification exams for entry-level as well as experienced

professionals - thus, theres a course for everyone. OMCP conducts training
at two levels, namely OMCA (entry-level) and OMCP (experienced).

Disciplines included in the OMCP Examination

The OMCP examination covers all the skills necessary to increase the
online presence and reputation of a business, product, or service. The
certification aims at benefitting business in the long run by following practices based on accepted methodologies. It doesnt include the current
track record of online businesses, agencies, consultants, and individuals.

The examination includes:

SEO(including Mobile and Local)
Web Analytics
Online Advertising (PPC, Social, Display, Video & SEM)
Landing Page and Conversion Rate Optimization
Social Media Marketing and Online PR
Email Marketing

Eligibility Requirements
OMCA Certification:
Passing score of 70% or greater on the OMCA exam
Secondary degree or equivalent (e.g., High School
diploma or Associates degree)
600 hours of experience in online marketing OR
proof of completion of an OMCP-Approved course
within the six months prior to your application

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OMCP Certification:
A

For aspirants enrolling between February 28, 2015 to July 1, 2015:

Passing an OMCP
And either
Completion of an OMCP-approved course within past 12 months.
Or
2000 hours of experience

For aspirants enrolling after July 1, 2015:

Passing score on the OMCP exam
Four-year degree (bachelors degree or the global equivalent)
And either
2000 hours of experience
Or
1000 hours of experience and completion of an approved
practitioner-level course

Application to the OMCP certification must be submitted within 90

days after completing the OMCP exam and/or relevant coursework.

Examination Format & Cost

Examination
OMCA examination requires a minimum of 75 minutes to
complete. The exam covers fundamental principles of
Content Marketing, Conversion, Email Marketing, Mobile
Marketing, PPC, SEO, Social Media, and Web Analytics.

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OMCP examination consists of a base exam of the aforementioned eight

principles of online marketing and two electives of the candidates
choice. The exam takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete in total.
75 minutes for the base exam
30 minutes for electives
Once the Base (Fundamental) examination is cleared, the candidate will
be prompted to move to the elective exams.

Cost
The cost for the OMCA exam series is $225, and for the OMCP exam
series is $395 (fundamental examination + two electives).