3 Linux Certifications That Help Linux Systems Administrators

Linux admins seem to fall more into the category of self-taught tech junkies who spend their life whittling away at the command-line. Despite any and every presumption, there are several sought after Linux certifications employers look for in job candidates.

These certifications make a big difference in showcasing validating your skills.

1. CompTIA Linux+ (3 Certifications in 1)

There’s no easy way to say this. Not everyone passes the Linux+ exam. It’s not the easiest test in the world and no, not everyone and their mom has one of these certs stashed away in their closet or desk. The course and certification is jam-packed with helpful info and fundamental skills and concepts. Also, due to the CompTIA partnership with the Linux Professional Institute (LPI), when you earn a Linux+ certification, you also receive the SUSE Certified Linux Administrator (CLA) certification and the LPI LPIC-1.

In my own Linux+ class back in the day, we installed Arch Linux among the countless other things we completed throughout the course. The experience alone opened up a new world to my eyes, not only to the material, but the other students pursuing the certification.

The certification helps prove your knowledge and even gives you an advantage when applying to IT jobs. In the last two years, job demand for Linux pros steadily grown. Not only does the demand continue to rise, but some jobs such as a Linux systems administrator have remote working options.

2. Red Hat Certified Systems Administrator (RHCSA)

Do you work in or plan to land a job in a Red Hat environment? The RHCSA validates a Systems Administrator’s proficiency in working from the command-line, filesystem, storage and logical volume management, and other essential administration tools.

Red Hat training conducts their own exams for the RHCSA. The exams tests with hands-on exercises and tasks related to the material. Since passing the test is a challenge, the certification is absurdly significant.

An RHCSA will continue to carry extra weight as OpenStack expands and businesses and organizations migrate to Red Hat. Already, the New York Stock Exchange, Adobe, parts of the federal government and countless additional organizations run on versions and software from Red Hat. Become certified now and get updated with their latest desktop version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.

3. Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)

For the RHCE, you need a RHCSA as a prerequisite. The Red Hat Certified Engineer certification verifies the skills and ability of experienced Senior-level Linux Systems Administrators. The training and certifications go beyond the fundamental administration concepts and skills addressed in RHCSA by testing an admin’s ability in terms of shell scripting, managing network services, advanced IP routing and addressing, NFS, and authentication.

Beyond these certifications, you can pursue the Oracle OCA and OCP, Novell/SUSE CLP and CLE, and newer certifications backed by the Linux Foundation. Also, the MOOC edX platform provides a free online Linux Foundation intro course.