Getting Your SNIA Certification
Years ago the key to getting into the top salary brackets was a diploma from a leading university. Today, especially in the IT field, the key is certification.
For instance, Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) Certification publishes a three month running account of salaries for people with SNIA Certification to their names. Comparing SINA Certification to the IT industry as a whole during the three month period ending 4 July 2008, we find the average minimum salary for SINA was 40,000 pounds and for IT alone, 37,364. The average salary for SINA was 55,000 pounds and for IT, 40,958. When one compares the average maximum salary SINA comes in with 70,000 pounds as compared to IT's 44,958. Salary wise certification does makes a difference.
As networking continue to grow and the demand for new networks increases so does the demand for SNIA Certification. Companies want their networks maintained by people that have proven they know what they are doing. Most human resource departments know little to nothing about the details of networking. They do know what a certificate is and what it signifies. Your SNIA Certification becomes your key to employment and promotion.
The Storage Networking Certification Program (SNCP) The structure of the certification process is fluid in that it changes over the years to reflect the growth of storage technologies. In doing this SNIA has established a uniform standard that still reflects state of the art skills assessment. The first step in the program is the SNIA Certified Storage Professional (SCSP). The holder of this certificate has passed the SNIA Storage Network Foundations exam (S10-101). The exam material is vendor neutral but is a recommend prerequisite for the Hitachi Data Systems Certification Program. After certification as a storage professional, the certification process enters into two parallel tracks. The first track is the SNIA Certified Storage Engineer and requires passing the SNIA Storage Networking Management/Administration exam (S10-200) and the Storage Network Foundations exam (S10-101). The second track measures skill levels as a SNIA Certified Storage Architect. Once again to sit for the SNIA Architect - Assessment, Planning and Design exam (S10-300), the candidate must have passed the Storage Network Foundations exam (S10-101). A holder of the three previously mentioned certificates is eligible to become a SNIA Certified Storage Networking Expert (SCNE-E). To qualify for this certification the candidate must complete one of the SNIA Certification Partner credentials. As storage technology improves, requisite skill levels change to maintain newer storage devices. Individuals that hold the 2004 SNIA SCP certification must now take the 2008 SNIA Storage Networking Foundations exam (S10-101) before sitting for the SNIA SCSE, SNIA SCA or SNIA SCSN-E credentials.
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