Microsoft is best known for its Windows operating systems and Office software. But the company has a much broader product portfolio that includes online services (Bing, MSN, advertising), gaming (Xbox 360), hardware (tablets, PCs, keyboards and mice) and more. The company also has a sizable certification program that turns out qualified administrators and technicians to support its system and application products.

Achieving IT certifications through the Microsoft Certification Program shows a person’s competence in a specific IT role, and it can result in all kinds of work-related and personal benefits. For example, studies show that IT certifications increase the chances of landing a job (or getting a promotion), and over 80 percent of hiring managers report IT certifications are medium to high priority in hiring decisions.

Microsoft certification program overview

Currently, the Microsoft Certification Program is divided into seven main categories:

• Cloud Platform and Infrastructure: This category encompasses business intelligence, Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Azure, machine learning, cloud data platform solutions, data analytics and big data, software-defined data centers, server infrastructures, private and hybrid clouds, DevOps, and more. This is the “new mainstream” for Microsoft certification.
• Mobility: This category is for end-user and desktop topics, including Windows 10, desktop and enterprise applications, working with System Center Configuration Manager and Intune, and planning for and managing devices in an enterprise setting.
• Data Management and Analytics: This arena now incorporates machine learning, business intelligence, business applications, and data management and analytics, along with Microsoft SQL Server 2016 and other Microsoft database technologies. Database development is also important and includes working with Transact-SQL and developing SQL databases. Business applications include extensive coverage of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Dynamics AX. Data management and analytics cover a range of topics, including cloud data platform solutions, big data analytics solutions, database solutions, implementing data models and reports, and various aspects of business intelligence solutions.
• Productivity: This category brings the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) credentials together with those related to Microsoft productivity offerings, such as Exchange Server, SharePoint Server and Skype for Business, as well as Office 365 identities, requirements and services.
• App Builder: This is a development-oriented category that covers the ins and outs of using Microsoft solutions and platforms to build compatible software. courses in this category include architecting, designing, testing and building solutions around Azure, programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3, developing ASP.NET MVC Web apps, managing development throughout the entire software lifecycle, and more
• Business Applications: This category focuses on Microsoft Dynamics 365 platforms and technologies, including Dynamics 365 for Sales, Customer Service, Marketing, Distribution and Trade, Trade, financial management (Finance and Operations), Retail, Talent, and Field Service and other focused applications.
• Core Infrastructure: Core Infrastructure focuses on virtualization, storage, networking, system management, identity management, and modern data centers.

Certifications within the Microsoft Certification Program include the following credentials:

• Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)
• Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)
• Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)
• Microsoft Solutions Developer (MCSD)
• Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)

After you pass your first qualifying Microsoft certification exam, you are deemed a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). MCP status provides access to a benefits and exams dashboard, with certificates and transcripts, downloadable certification logos, promotional offers and lots more. You also get the MCP designation on your Microsoft transcript. It’s important to understand that only the MCSA, MCSD and MCSE qualify as MCP certifications. Neither MTA nor MOS certifications qualify for MCP status, and none of those exams are prerequisites for MCSA, MCSE or MCSD certifications.

In addition to the certifications outlined above, Microsoft offers its MCT: Microsoft Certified Trainer and MCE: Microsoft Certified Educator credentials to those interested in teaching others about Microsoft technologies and products.

Microsoft recently released a new set of role-based certifications focused on Azure and Microsoft 365 developers, administrators, and solution architects.

Microsoft Cloud certifications

The Microsoft Cloud certification track includes MTA and MCSA credentials. Within the MTA program, there is one relevant certification: Cloud Fundamentals. To earn the MTA: Cloud Fundamentals credentials, candidates must pass a single exam that validates knowledge and skills using basic Microsoft cloud services. Candidates should have experience using firewalls, network ports, Office 365, network topologies and devices, and Microsoft Intune.

The MCSA Cloud track includes BI Reporting, SQL 2016 BI Development certs, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2016 credentials. The Windows Server certifications require three exams each while BI Reporting and SQL 2016 BI Development require only two exams.

Microsoft Mobility certifications

The Microsoft Mobility certification track includes MTA, MCSA and MCSE certifications. The MTA program has just one relevant certification – MTA: Mobility and Device Fundamentals. —The MTA: Mobility and Device Fundamentals certification is earned by passing a single exam that attests to a candidate’s knowledge of mobility and Windows devices. Candidates should possess practical experience with Active Directory, Windows devices, Windows-based networking, network topologies and ports, firewalls, and antimalware products.

MCSA: Windows 10 is the only MCSA Mobility track credential available. Earning the MCSA: Windows 10 requires passing two exams.

The remaining credential in this track is the MCSE: Mobility. This requires earning the MCSA: Windows 10 plus passing one more exam, from a list of two possibilities that deal with Windows desktops and enterprise applications, or administering System Center Configuration Manager and Cloud Services Integration.

Both the MCSA: Mobility and MCSE: Mobility credentials retire on March 31, 2019. If earned prior to the retirement date, the credentials will continue to show as “active” certifications on your transcript. The MCSA: Windows 10 will be replaced by a new role-based credential – the Microsoft Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate. Two exams are required to earn this credential. At present, no announcement has been made regarding whether the Modern Desktop Administrator Associate credential will become a prereq to the MCSE: Mobility. There’s a lot of ongoing ferment in MS certification programs right now. We expect 2019 to see major changes in MS’s cert programs and offerings. Next year’s update should be a big one!

Microsoft Data certifications

Microsoft’s Data certification track includes the MTA, MCSA and MCSE. (To see the Data track, go to the Microsoft Certification page and click Data from the Category dropdown menu.) The MTA program requires one exam on database fundamentals. There are six certifications in the MCSA Data track– namely, Data Engineering with Azure, Machine Learning, SQL 2016 BI Development, SQL 2016 Database Administration, SQL 2016 Database Development, and SQL Server 2012/2014. All certs require two exams except for SQL Server 2012/2014, which requires three. The Data Engineering with Azure and Machine Learning certifications both retire on June 30, 2019.   

The MCSE Data category includes a single certification, the MCSE: Data Management and Analytics.

The prerequisite MCSAs that qualify for MCSE: Data Management and Analytics are SQL Server 2012/2014, SQL 2016 Database Administration, Database Development, BI Development, Machine Learning, BI Reporting, or Data Engineering with Azure. One additional exam from a list of 13 possibilities must be passed to earn this credential. courses covered include cloud data platform solutions, big data analytics solutions, developing or designing SQL Server databases, implementing data models and reports, designing business intelligence solutions, implementing a data warehouse, developing SQL data models, analyzing big data with Microsoft R, cloud data science with Azure machine learning, data engineering with Azure HDInsight, and implementing with Azure Cosmos DB solutions.

Microsoft Productivity certifications

Certifications in the Microsoft Productivity category vary widely, from proving competency in using a single Office product to managing Office 365 services and user login credentials. This track is also fairly large; it includes an MCSA and MCSE certification as well as Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) offerings.

The MCSA Productivity track includes a single certification – the MCSA: Office 365. Two exams are required to obtain the credential. This credential is targeted to retire on Mach 30, 2019. The MCSE: Productivity certification requires candidates possess either the MCSA Office 365, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2016 credential as a prerequisite. Candidates must also pass one additional exam, from a list of eight possibilities. courses covered include Exchange Server, SharePoint Server and Skype for Business, for multiple versions of these platforms.  

Microsoft offers a MOS Office 2016 certification for each Office application (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, and Outlook). Office 2013 credentials are still available, but unless you have a specific reason for achieving them, focus on Office 2016.

The MOS 2016 Expert certification identifies individuals with advanced Office skills and requires candidates to pass two exams. The MOS 2016 Master certification is the pinnacle of the MOS Certification Program and requires successful completion of six exams.

Microsoft App Builder certifications

The Microsoft Developer certification path includes MTA, MCSA and MCSD certifications. The MTA program recognizes individuals who are entry-level software developers. The certification requires candidates to pass one of five exams. Possible courses include software development fundamentals, HTML5 app development fundamentals, and intro to programming using block-based languages, Python or JavaScript, and using HTML and CSS.

There are two credentials in the Microsoft App Builder MSCA track. The MCSA: Universal Windows Platform (UWP) credential prepares candidates to tackle professional development projects. They must pass two exams, one on programming in C#, the other on developing mobile apps. The MCSA: Web Applications credential prepares candidates for building web-based applications. They must pass two exams, one of which is required while candidates may choose from two possibilities for the second exam. All candidates must take the exam relating to developing ASP.NET MVC Web applications. courses for the second exam include programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3 or programming in C#.

The MCSD Developer track consists of the MCSD: App Builder certification. It requires earning either the MSCA: Web Applications or MCSA: UWP as its prerequisite, followed by your choice of one exam from a list of five possible options. courses covered in include architecting and developing Azure solutions, developing Azure and web services, developing mobile apps, programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3, programming in C#, developing ASP.NET MVC Web apps, or developing MS Azure and Web services.

Microsoft Business Applications certifications

The Microsoft Business Applications certifications include MCSA and MCSE certifications. There are two MCSA options: MCSA: Microsoft Dynamics 365 and MCSA: Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Operations. Each requires passing two exams. The plain vanilla Dynamics 365 certification draws from a list of two exams, both of which are needed to meet its requirements. One exam covers Dynamics 365 customer engagement online deployment, while the other covers Dynamics 365 customization and configuration. The MCSA: Microsoft Dynamics 365 credential retires on April 30, 2019.

The Dynamics 365 for Operations draws from a list of three exams, one of which is required while candidates may choose the course for the second exam. courses covered include administering a Microsoft SQL database infrastructure, provisioning SQL databases, and development, extensions and deployment for Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations (required).

The MSCE: Business Applications credential is the sole MCSE item for this certification track. It takes either of the Microsoft Dynamics MCSAs covered in the preceding paragraph as its prerequisite, then requires candidates to pass another exam drawn from a list of eight possibilities. courses covered include Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales, customer service, marketing, distribution and trade, trade, financial management (finance and operations), retail, talent, and field service.

Core Infrastructure

Microsoft offers a single credential focused on core infrastructure – MCSE: Core Infrastructure. The MCSE: Core Infrastructure certification validates a candidate’s knowledge and skills related to data centers, virtualization, systems management, storage, networking and identity management. The credential requires either the MCSA: Windows Server 2016 or MCSA: Windows Server 2012 as a prerequisite. In addition to the MCSA, candidates must pass a single exam from seven topics. exam courses include designing and implementing Cloud Data Platform solutions, designing and implementing Big Data Analytics solutions, securing Windows Server 2016, implementing software-defined datacenters, designing and implementing server infrastructures, implementing advanced server infrastructures, and configuring and operating a hybrid cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack.

Microsoft Trainer and Educator certifications

MCT: Microsoft Certified Trainer

Folks who teach others about Microsoft technologies and products should consider (and are often required to have) the Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) certification. The MCT can be obtained by submitting an application to Microsoft that proves that you hold a current Microsoft certification, one year of instruction experience (supporting reference required), plus verifiable instructional skills in the form of an acceptable instructor certification (such as CompTIA CTT+, Microsoft Certified Trainer Instructional Skills Certification (MCT-ISC) or IAMCT Approved Technical Trainer).

To renew, credential holders must possess at least one current Microsoft credential, meet the minimum instruction requirements of teaching at least one class, and maintain a Metrics that Matter quality score of at least seven. (Check the MCT website for a list of qualifying certifications and instructor certifications.)

As an MCT, you have access to the MCP benefits and exams dashboard, prep kits, the MCT community, Microsoft Online Labs and much more.

MCE: Microsoft Certified Educator

The Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) credential is aimed at educators in academia, such as colleges, universities and training facilities. To become an MCE, you must demonstrate technology literacy by passing at least one exam.

The literacy competency is mapped to the UNESCO ITC Competency Framework for Teachers, Technology Literacy and includes education policy, curriculum and assessment, pedagogy, ICT/technology tools, organization and administration, and professional development.

IT professionals who earn Microsoft certification often receive extra recognition from hiring and supervising managers, and enjoy improved on-the-job success and promotion opportunities. Companies that negotiate large volume purchase or subscription agreements with Microsoft (or its partner resellers) often include funding for official curriculum training and Microsoft certification exam vouchers as part of what’s covered therein.

Here are how the various Microsoft certification areas shake out, job- and career-wise:

• A Microsoft Cloud certification is ideal for the IT professional who designs, deploys, configures and/or manages a Windows Server environment, stand-alone or cloud-based, which may include various desktops and devices. Folks who achieve this type of certification work as systems administrators, systems analysts, technical specialists (often with a platform focus such as SQL Server, Skype for Business or Exchange Server), and the like.
• A Microsoft Mobility certification is designed for those who deploy, configure and/or manage a Windows desktop environment and related devices, whether on-premises or in the cloud. IT professionals with this type of certification usually fill positions such as help desk technicians, support personnel and systems administrators, to name a few.
• Of late, Microsoft Productivity credentials have been gathering interest, coverage and momentum. People who pursue these certifications work with key Windows platforms such as Office, Office 365 and Microsoft Dynamics 365, which covers CRM, ERP and more. They are usually responsible for making sure that rank-and-file employees are able to work effectively and productively, and that technology provides a boost to the bottom line.
• Microsoft Data certifications cover a lot of ground. Database design, creation and maintenance are particularly important to organizations today, considering that data storage is key to most business computing, and nearly every website is supported by one or more databases running in the background. A database administrator is in charge of all kinds of database-related functions, from development to storage and retrieval, troubleshooting and security. Now, Microsoft’s database coverage also integrates business intelligence and big data/data analytics components, too, so IT professionals interested in these subject matters will find a lot to chase down and learn here.
• Microsoft App Builder certifications aim at application and mobile app developers who use programming languages and source code to create software. A developer may work independently or, more often, with a team, to develop, prototype, deploy, test, and modify applications for computers and many types of electronic devices. This certification portfolio also includes development for Microsoft’s cloud-based Azure environment and for software lifecycle management as well.
• Microsoft Business Applications certifications aim at those involved with back-office, line of business systems and applications built around Microsoft Dynamics 365 (including the “for operations” version of that platform). This credential aims at those who upgrade, configure, and customize such systems as well as those who develop custom applications for specific, proprietary uses in-house or on behalf of clients. Such professionals also support customized configurations for various organizational units, including sales, field service, retail operations, finance, distribution and trade and more.
• Trainers (MCTs) and educators (MCEs) also play a vital role in the Microsoft ecosystem as well. MCTs populate the front lines of key training for IT professionals across all of its platforms, tools and technologies with an emphasis on cultivating workplace readiness and imparting skills and knowledge suitable for on-the-job deployment. Arguably, MCEs are even more important, by helping students at all levels of education – primary, secondary and beyond – to understand and make the most of Microsoft tools, technologies, platforms, and development environments.

Training and certification preparation materials

Microsoft offers training to candidates directly, both in the classroom and online. The company’s Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) is a great place to start poking around: it offers a huge range of free training courses, many of them at least relevant to various certification courses if not directly focused on such topics.

There’s also a huge aftermarket for Microsoft training, self-study and certification preparation. Pearson operates Microsoft Press on Microsoft’s behalf, where you can find self-study guides for all the popular Microsoft cert exams (and many of the not-so-popular exams as well). Pearson’s IT Certification imprint (online at PearsonITCertification.com) also offers study guides, exam crams (a series I invented), practice tests, video training materials and much more for Microsoft certification candidates. Wiley/Sybex and Osborne/McGraw-Hill also offer certification focused imprints, book series and generally provide good coverage of major cert courses as well, also including most popular Microsoft certifications and related exams. Pearson’s mindhub online store also offers “official” practice questions approved by Microsoft.

There’s a wealth of excellent material available to help candidates prepare. Look to online and peer reviews, study groups and rating sites to separate the wheat from the chaff.

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Who needs the 9-5 grind and struggling to pay rent in an expensive place like San Francisco or New York when you can easily make money online? Since your office can be wherever you open your laptop, more and more people are quitting their day jobs to do remote work. According to a study by Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs, the remote workforce has grown by 159% since 2005, and remote workers will make up as much as 50% of the entire workforce by 2020, thanks to the ease of making money online. The statistics also show another exciting trend for digital nomads: Remote work gives women, especially female entrepreneurs, an edge and is helping close the wage gap. And here's the best part: By making money online, you have the choice of living wherever you want. You can work from home or you can travel the world, which gives you another advantage—by earning U.S. dollars as a digital nomad and living in countries that are much cheaper than at home, you can live very well indeed.

We sleuthed out some creative ways that digital nomads have found to make money online, from the website International Living—which just issued a new report detailing how expats are traveling the world and earning a living abroad—to FlexJobs, which recently published a story on the best fields to for remote work. The lesson? It's time to rip up the old rules and try something new.

READ MORE: "The Ultimate Paid Time Off: 17 Companies That Will provide You Money To Travel"

1. Set Up an Online Course

Do you have a skill that you want to share? International Living suggests setting up an online course with written tutorials, PDF downloads and videos. For instance, Rebecca Groskruetz used her talent for furniture painting to create a site where members can go at their own pace. When she soft-launched the business, she sold 33 programs at $127 each. After doing a bigger launch later the same year, she sold 216 programs at $149 each. Her total sales the first year: $36,375. Some online resources for teaching courses include TakeLessons, Udemy and Skillshare.

2. Tutor

Another way to take advantage of your skills: Become an online tutor. The website Cambly helps you get paid to chat with people from around the world. While you're doing the tutoring, the site automatically tracks the time you spend, paying $10.20 an hour. While that might not sound like a lot, consider the fact that you can set your own hours, work as little or as much as you want—and if you're living abroad, $10.20 an hour can go a long way.

3. Become a Travel Agent

Do you love to share advice on travel? Put your expertise to work and become a travel advisor. You can sign up for courses through a place like The Travel Institute. Or you can pay a fee to a company like Cruise Planners, which recruits and trains advisors to work remotely not only in planning cruises but in all kinds of travel—on land and at sea. The company was started in 1994 by a woman named Michelle Fee, who didn’t take a paycheck for the first three years so that she could invest back into the business. Now in its 25th year, Cruise Planners is the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise with more than 2,500 franchisees.

4. Be a Juror

Here's a case where you won't dread jury duty. The site eJury has revolutionized the way that lawyers prepare for trial by creating online mock juries and focus groups that help attorneys determine prepare case. You'll get paid for participating.

5. Play Poker

Seriously. Matador Network published a story called "How to Fund Your Travels Playing Online Poker." We'd say that's better than Vegas!

READ MORE: "Why You Should Skip Iceland And Go To These 9 Under-the-Radar Places"

6. Let Someone Pick Your Brain

7. Become a Virtual Assistant

Are you organized and resourceful? As a virtual assistant, you make money by helping people and businesses with tasks ranging from data entry to research to customer service—the sky's the limit. The website VANetworking was founded by a virtual assistant and is loaded with tips and job leads.

8. Sell Your Photos and Videos

If you're traveling, it's likely that you're surrounded by gorgeous photo ops, and now that digital cameras are widely available, photography and videography can be a good way to earn an income. Stock websites make it easy for photographers and videographers to upload their work, then will market on your behalf and create passive income for you while you're off shooting the next beautiful location. Stock agencies looking for submissions include Shutterstock, Photoshelter, Fotolia and iStock.

9. Become a Travel Writer

Again, if you're traveling the world, it's the perfect opportunity to write about your experiences and get paid for it. That said, making money as a travel writer isn't easy since you must be able to sell your articles or create a revenue-producing travel blog. But where there's a will, there's a way, and Lonely Planet even published an entire book on the topic, "How to Be a Travel Writer," available in print and as an e-book.

READ MORE: "Bucket List Travel: The Top 50 Places In The World"

10. Write an E-Book

Speaking of e-books, it's a great way to turn your expertise into a platform that people will buy, creating a form of passive income. Kindle even has a step-by-step guide for how to create, publish and market an e-book.

11. Publish an E-Book

According to International Living, an even faster and easier way to make money with e-books is to find a book that has already been published in print and license it to publish online. "The person doing the online publishing gets the lion’s share of the money—paying the author the standard 8% to 15% royalties based on net sales," says International Living. You can sometimes do a one-time payment for the rights to publish online, like Vic Johnson. "I once bought the rights to a book for $200, simply because I liked the content," says Johnson. "Over the years, I’ve made over $50,000 selling it as an e-book.” Consider this statistic: There are over 44 million print books on Amazon but only 2.6 million Kindle books—that's a lot of material that could be converted to e-books.

12. Teach English

Most people think you need to be living abroad in order to teach English to foreign students. But as GoOverseas.com points out, "With video chatting and conferencing growing easier and more reliable every year, teaching English lessons online is another great way to fund your life abroad or at home." For a slew of companies that will set you up with online students, check out this article on Teach Away. Rates for teaching English online can go up to $22 an hour.

13. Create Software Reviews

If you have strong opinions about software, whether positive or negative, you can get paid for creating reviews. SoftwareJudge.com pays up to $50 dollars for, as they describe it, "tell-it-like-it-is, no marketing BS, straight-talking software reviews."

14. Translate

Do you speak another language? Consider doing translating. "Translation positions are plentiful in an ever-melding world with more global travel among those who speak different languages,"says FlexJobs, which offers a sampling of available positions. The company Smartling also makes it easy to become a translator.

15. Create a Blog

So you're an expert on a topic? Create a blog about it. "Always think about the value you’re providing," says International Living. "Why should anyone read what you’re writing? What’s in it for them?" The best blogs showcase your experiences by providing info that's helpful to others. So how to earn money? A big method is by affiliate income: earning a commission if people end up buying someone thanks to your blog. “Right now, my biggest source of affiliate income is from Amazon, which is anywhere from $300 to $600 per month," says Ali Garland who has been blogging since 2009. "And the great thing about this type of income is that the money keeps rolling in even if I decide to take a couple of days, or even a week, off." The blogger Nomadic Matt has multiple e-courses on the topic.

16. Become an Account Manager

"If you have exceptional listening skills, as well as the ability to anticipate the needs of others, becoming an account manager could be a good career choice for you," says FlexJobs. Some of these positions include pharmacist account executive, link building specialist and account strategist.

17. Make a Podcast That Pays

Podcasts are red-hot. Want to create one? All you really need is a laptop and a good microphone. And here's the other good news: Podcasts don’t need to run daily, and because they're not live, you can record multiple episodes at once. According to International Living, there are many ways to make money from a podcast, including commercial sponsorships or advertising products or services. “I can record and broadcast a podcast wherever I am in the world," says podcaster Luis Congdon.  "It’s remarkably simple, and it can also be profitable. Using a lightweight and low-cost microphone and a laptop I’ve recorded from a hut in the Philippines, a co-working space in Bali and even while staying on a farm in Colombia.”

18. Get Crafty

Are you a crafty entrepreneur? Everyone knows the site Etsy, which is a marketplace for handmade items. But now you can sell your jewelry and other handmade wares on sites like Amazon Handmade, ArtFire, Cargoh and more. You'll find many more resources in this helpful article.

19. Write

You don't just need to write about travel when you're traveling. If you're a good writer, you can probably write about anything. According to International Living, Leslie Patrick Moore is a writer who lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and earns two-thirds of her income by crafting marketing copy for companies. “My creativity has been able to flourish here without having to constantly worry about money," says Moore. "And it doesn’t hurt that my office is often my hammock, set amidst the colorful bougainvillea that grow against the brick walls in our backyard.” One company that hires online writers is iWriter, which pays up to $80 per 500 words once you're promoted up the ranks.

20. Create “How-To” Videos

Jump on the YouTube vlogging wagon by creating how-to video courses. How do you earn money? "Instructors can monetize their videos by charging a subscription fee or password protecting content for paying customers only," says International Living. "Once you have a loyal and engaged following, you can start partnering with brands that will pay a fee to have their product mentioned or reviewed."

21. Get Paid for Online Searches and Surveys

This one's easy: Just add the site Qmee to your browser. If you click on a search result, you'll earn money. You can also earn cash rewards for taking online Qmee surveys and sharing your opinions on brands.

22. Do Narration and Voice-Overs

Thanks to smartphones, there's a boom happening right now in the audiobooks industry, which is in turn creating a demand for freelance narrators, according to International Living. “My typical ‘work day’ consists of two to four hours of recording during late morning and early afternoon," says Meghan Crawford, a freelance audiobook narrator. International Living says that even new narrators can earn an average of $100 an hour based on completed work. Joel Young is a top freelancer on Fiverr who has made more than $1.5 million dollars by selling his voice-over services. “That is an amount of money that would have taken me decades to earn without this platform,” Young told CNBC.

23. Become a Day Trader

Are you a whiz with the stock market? It's possible to earn a living by day trading, which can be done anywhere in the world. Marcello Arrambide from WanderingTrader.com tells how to turn it into a profitable career that will allow you to travel.

24. Be a Freelance Designer

Are you a talented designer with skills in areas like graphics or web design? You can do what you love and get paid for it on the website 99Designs.com, which will allow you to become a part of a global community of designers and bid on jobs.

25. Conduct Internet Research

According to International Living, you can make good money (up to $50 an hour) by surfing the internet. “An interesting new income category has emerged, thanks in part to the world of 'fake news,'” says Winton Churchill, the founder of an international training and consulting company. "Companies and individuals are more concerned than ever with fact-checking the information they use on their websites and in their promotional materials. And they’re willing to pay someone to make sure it’s correct.”

26. Fundraise

According to FlexJobs, digital nomads can make money by helping with fundraising "Fundraising positions are designed to garner the funding needed for projects and to maintain a business entity’s operations," says FlexJobs. "Donations can be solicited in the form of monetary tithing or gifts for a nonprofit organization." Here are some positions to look for: senior digital strategist, eCRM contractors, senior campaigner.

27. Freelance

Need more ideas? There are tons of general freelance websites loaded with opportunities from companies and small businesses. Some of these include Upwork.com, a website for freelancers in fields ranging from sales and marketing to accounting to customer service. Or you can market your own services—whatever they are—on sites like Fiverr. The site was built on the fact that you can charge $5 for anything, but the sky's the limit. Kendell Rizzo went from waiting tables to marketing her services on Fiverr; now she makes six figures while she travels the world.

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There’s no question that skills and knowledge related to various networked forms of storage – such as storage area networks (SANs), network-attached storage (NAS), virtualized storage, and even storage as a service (STaaS) – are in high demand. Also, IT professionals interested in data center or network-backbone-related positions are likely to need strong storage chops.

Average salaries for storage engineers are consistent (and lucrative) across several job-related websites. For example, SimplyHired reports the average nationwide salary is a little over $107,600 in a range starting at $74,085 and climbing just over $156,000. Potential earnings reported by Glassdoor are higher: The national average salary is just over $165,800, with the low end of the range at about $110,000 and the high end close to $182,000.

In some ways, the state of storage certification perfectly mirrors in a single subject area (or perhaps a closely clustered collection of related subjects) what occurs across the full spectrum of information technology. Some vendor-neutral storage certifications are available, particularly those from the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) and Arcitura. Also, there are numerous vendor-specific storage credentials available from providers of storage systems and solutions, including Cisco, Dell EMC, Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), HPE, NetApp and Sun/Oracle, among others.

Like other IT certifications, vendor-neutral credentials recognize broad competency in design, implementation and management, while vendor-specific programs tend to match up with technologies active IT professionals interact within the workplace (or that they’d like to interact with for prospective employers).

How is a storage-minded IT professional supposed to pick a winner here? Name recognition is one factor. Big name and big company certifications tend to attract higher numbers of certified individuals, lending more credibility to such certifications.

Popularity with employers is another consideration when selecting a certification. In our informal survey, we searched several online job sites on a given day for specific storage certifications. Note that the Cisco CCNP swamps the other certifications because its coverage goes well beyond storage. (The CCNP Data Center specialization involves storage to some degree, but it does not focus only on storage.)

Job Board Search Results (in alphabetical order, by certification)

Based on name recognition and job board surveys, our picks for 2019 lie with Cisco, HDS, NetApp and SNIA. One item noticeably absent from the leader board this year is the Brocade storage program. This gap in the lineup isn’t for lack of popularity. In fact, quite the opposite is true as the job board search yielded over 3,000 employers seeking candidates with Brocade experience and certs. Unfortunately for certification seekers, after Brocade was acquired by Broadcom, its exams, accreditations, certifications, and instructor-led training are no longer available. However, many free web-based courses remain that cover Fibre Channel Storage Area Networking products for professionals seeking to expand their Brocade knowledge and skills.

The following sections explore each of the preceding certifications and/or programs.

CCIE Data Center: Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert

Of all the storage-related Cisco certifications, the CCIE Data Center is the most senior and the best recognized. While it is a difficult and demanding credential to earn, it comes with a terrific payoff for its holders.

An expert-level credential, CCIE Data Center professionals are masters when it comes to planning, designing, implementing and managing IT data center infrastructures. exam courses focus on connectivity (Layers 2 and 3), fabric infrastructure, storage networking and computing, network services, evolving and emerging technologies, and network services and automation.

To earn this credential, candidates must pass both a written and a rigorous 8-hour, two-part practical lab exam. The written exam must be passed before candidates may attempt the lab exam. Lab exams must be attempted within 18 months of successfully passing the written exam. The lab exam is delivered in two parts: The first part consists of a one-hour Diagnostic Module, while Part 2 consists of a 7-hour Configuration and Troubleshooting module. It is reputed to be fiendishly challenging.

CCIE Data Center Facts and Figures

CCNP Data Center: Cisco Certified Network Professional Data Center

Cisco offers a variety of certifications that address storage networking topics, including the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) and the Data Center versions of the CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE (in order of difficulty). The CCNP Data Center credential hits the sweet spot in terms of warranting an IT professional’s knowledge and understanding of Cisco’s storage networking products and platforms in a data center context.

Cisco requires the Cisco Certified Network Associate Data Center (CCNA Data Center) credential or any Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification as a prerequisite for the CCNP Data Center.

Cisco CCNP Data Center Facts and Figures

Hitachi Qualified Professional – Storage Administration

Hitachi Vantara, formerly known as the Hitachi Data Systems corporation, is known for its hybrid storage systems, storage management, and networking solutions aimed at Fortune 100 and Fortune Global 100 enterprises. The company has a well-developed certification program to support its products and services.

Unlike most other IT certification sponsors, Hitachi’s program distinguishes between qualifications and certifications. Qualification credentials aim at the associate and professional levels where candidates have broad knowledge of courses and concepts. Hitachi certifications are either specialists or experts, where candidates have deep knowledge of and ample hands-on experience with products and solutions.

Both types of credentials fall under various tracks: Administration (professional), Architect (specialist and expert), Implementation and Integration (specialist and expert), Installation and Support (specialist and professional), and Basics and Fundamentals (entry-level), as well as Sales and Presales.

The Hitachi Qualified Professional – Storage Administration credential, part of the Administration track, is an intermediate-level qualification aimed at storage networking professionals who can configure and troubleshoot Hitachi Command Suite products, as well as use Hitachi Device Manager to manage the storage environment. Candidates must pass one exam – Storage Administration HQT-6740 – to earn the credential.

Hitachi Qualified Professional – Storage Administration Facts and Figures

NCDA: NetApp Certified Data Administrator

NetApp has been in the storage business since 1992, and offers a broad line of products and systems for backup and recovery, traditional and virtualized storage and cloud-based data centers. Although NetApp has some stiff competition – Dell EMC, HPE and Hitachi, to name a few – the company understands the value of flexibility and integration with other third-party products. For example, NetApp worked with Cisco to develop FlexPod, which helps customers manage Cisco, Citrix, Cloudera, Microsoft, NetApp, Oracle, Red Hat, VMware, and other applications and environments, and NetApp’s hybrid cloud storage integrates with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, among others.

The NetApp Certification Program (NCP) features several certifications within three tracks: Data, Hybrid Cloud and Converged Infrastructure. All NetApp certifications focus on some aspect of storage hardware or the software that powers these products. The Data track includes the NetApp Certified Storage Associate (NCSA) – Hybrid Cloud, the NetApp Certified Storage Installation Engineer, ONTAP as well as our featured certification, the NetApp Certified Data Administrator (NCDA).

The NCDA recognizes working knowledge of NetApp storage architecture, core ONTAP components, high availability, data clustering, protocol administration, storage performance, security and data protection. Candidates must be able to configure controllers running the ONTAP operating system in NFS and Windows (CIFS) environments, and understand NetApp SnapMirror, SnapRestore and SnapVault technologies.

Candidates must pass one exam to earn the credential.

NetApp certifications are valid for 27 months, and credential holders must meet recertification requirements during this period to maintain their certifications.

NCDA Facts and Figures

SNIA SNCP: SNIA Storage Networking Certification Program

The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1997 and comprises members from various storage vendors and service providers, as well as individuals. The association develops and promotes storage solution specifications and standards, and offers education and certification for storage and information management professionals.

SNIA recently rolled out several changes to its Storage Networking Certification Program (SNCP). Most notable among the changes is the retirement of the SNIA Certified Storage Engineer (SCSE) and SNIA Certified Storage Architect (SCSA). The exams for both credentials were withdrawn on January 31, 2019.

Both the SCSE and SCSA have been replaced by the SNIA Certified Information Architect (SCIA). SNIA will continue to recognize the SCSE and SCSA until November 31, 2021. The Storage Networking Certification Program (SNCP) offers several vendor-neutral certifications:

• SNIA Certified Storage Professional (SCSP)
• SNIA Certified Storage Networking Expert (SCSN-E)
• SNIA Qualified Storage Sales Professional (SQSSP)
• SNIA Certified Information Architect (SCIA)

Each certification requires candidates to pass the S10-110 Foundations exam or hold a current CompTIA Storage+ Powered by SNIA certification (exam no longer offered), which earns the Professional (SCSP) credential. The Networking Expert (SCSN-E) requires all of them.

SNIA certifications are good for three years from the date of certification. After that, a certification holder must take the most current exam to maintain the credential.

SNIA SCNP Facts and Figures

Beyond the Top 5: More storage certifications

Beyond the top five storage certifications mentioned in this article, there are lots of other certification programs that can further the careers and professional development of IT professionals who work in the networked storage arena.

Although no EMC storage certifications made our top five list for 2018 or 2019, EMC (acquired by Dell in 2016) has one of the longest-standing certification programs for storage. The program offers credentials for data scientists, cloud architects and administrators, storage administrators, cloud and implementation engineers, and a whole lot more.

In addition, look at the credentials available from Arcitura, HPE, Huawei, IBM, Nimble and Sun/Oracle:

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