How Data Privacy Certifications Can Advance Your Career
Whether you’re a 20-year veteran employee or a new graduate looking to make it big, certifications can help you make significant leaps in your career trajectory. This is especially true for security and digital privacy professionals owing to just how dynamic the world of digital privacy is.
Legislation is drafted, amendments are made and privacy professionals are expected to stay on top of these new developments to ensure their respective organizations can develop and maintain their business strategies accordingly.
Privacy certifications can be beneficial in this case as they equip you with both the knowledge and expertise to carry out your job more effectively while helping you climb the corporate ladder.
How Privacy Certifications Help
Still not convinced? Well, here are some other ways privacy certifications can help you make headway in your professional career:
Professional Credibility – Arguably, the most significant point in favor of achieving a privacy certification is the sheer authority and credibility it lends. Suppose your organization has decided to radically change its data privacy practices and support infrastructure. When considering what changes should be implemented, someone with a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) certification who is trained and educated by highly qualified experts on the topic would have much greater influence than someone with interesting ideas but nothing to back up the authority of those ideas.
Networking Opportunities – A certification isn’t much different from a typical university degree in this respect. Once you enroll in any certification program, you’ll find yourself in an environment interacting with other professionals who have varying experiences and backgrounds. This will present you with the opportunity to connect with others who hold a diverse set of skills and expertise and hopefully lead to better career opportunities and prospects.
Better Income Prospects – It’s one of those taboo subjects within the industry, but let’s face it, better income prospects are something that every employee has considered at some point. Privacy professionals are no different. The good news is that privacy certifications are a reliable way to ensure you can increase your chances of improving your income by becoming better at what you do.
Stand Out From The Crowd – Considering just how many countries have begun legislating their own versions of data protection laws, data privacy has become one of the most in-demand industries in the world. Naturally, you’ll find yourself competing with hundreds and thousands of similarly promising candidates. The best way to stand out? Have the appropriate certifications. Not only will you gain an advantage over the competition, but you’ll find your job easier to do if you have the necessary credentials.
Career Flexibility – Of course, data privacy is a relatively young field. Some may argue that it wasn’t until the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect that organizations began to take it seriously. Whether or not that’s true, it has become a field that promises intellectual and career growth. However, if you’re not someone with a background in the field, a privacy certification can be your ticket into the industry, paving the way for you to switch career tracks.
Certifications To Consider
Of course, knowing the benefits of privacy certifications is just the start. The next step is choosing which certification to begin with. This is where the stakes associated with your decision get a little higher. Choosing the proper certification could determine your immediate career progression. The good news is that there is no shortage of privacy certifications to choose from. The bad news is there is no shortage of privacy certifications to choose from—it is easy to get confused about which certification would be best for you.
To make that decision easier, here are five privacy certifications you can consider that are both highly valued and prized in the industry.
CIPP – The Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) certification is for anyone that wants to focus on the more practical aspects of data privacy. Offered by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), this certification focuses on the intricacies of the various data protection laws and how organizations can achieve compliance.
There are four further concentrations of the certification listed below:
- Asia (CIPP/A)
- Canada (CIPP/C)
- Europe (CIPP/E)
- U.S. private sector (CIPP/US)
This segmentation is due to the varying laws and regulations in effect in each of these regions. If this certification piques your interest, you can choose the region in which you’d prefer to gain expertise and where you want to specialize.
CIPT – The Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT) is another certification offered by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). As the name suggests, this certification focuses more on data privacy’s technical and backend aspects. Ideally designed for individuals with a background in software engineering, information technology and information security, CIPT focuses on the best practices in cybersecurity, privacy protocols and data infrastructures to eliminate possible data breaches.
PrivacyOps – Designed by the team behind Securiti’s AI-powered and machine learning-based tools that can help any organization achieve compliance with any data protection regulation globally, the free PrivacyOps certification can help privacy professionals gain an understanding of what’s new in the world of data privacy as well as the best tools and techniques to deliver data privacy to all users.
CIPM – The Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) is the third major certification offered by the IAPP. CIPM’s core focus is on strategizing the role of data privacy within an organization’s short- and long-term plans. Hence, it is suitable for managerial-level employees with a penchant for risk management, privacy operations, administration, auditing or privacy analytics.
The certification’s principal focus is on developing a data privacy philosophy, measuring an organization’s success in adapting data privacy principles and structuring and leading data privacy teams.
HCISPP – The Health Care Information Security and Privacy Practitioner (HCISPP) certification offered by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC)² has the distinction of being the only data privacy certification that focuses entirely on data privacy matters within the health care industry.
Since patient information and the need to understand regulations related to patient information are central tenets within the health care industry, this certification can aid anyone who hopes to understand the unique data privacy requirements in the health care industry.
