Words matter. While you may think there isn’t much difference between ‘certification’ and ‘standard’, the two words have completely different meanings, and are suitable for different scenarios:
Certifications provide the opportunity to upskill, typically in a specific technology. This is great if your ambition is to become a subject matter expert, you want to keep up-to-date with the latest developments, or seek to refine your expertise so you can perform a ‘deep-dive’ in one area.
In contrast, a professional standard (also known as a ‘professional registration’) takes into account the skills, knowledge and experience you already possess, and is an acknowledgement of your IT competence today.
Where certifications focus on imparting new knowledge and exposing you to new theories / technologies, to obtain a registration you must have first proved you have real-world experience in those areas.
Because certifications are so specific, they are granted by a range of institutions - from professional societies and universities, to industry bodies and membership associations, and private organisations and technology vendors.
Whereas a registration can only be granted by a regulated industry authority, since their purpose is to raise standards in the industry as a whole. This makes a professional registration transferrable across roles, sectors and countries.
At BCS, The Chartered Institute of IT, one of our professional registrations is Registered IT Technician (RITTech), which is awarded to individuals who have proved themselves to be a competent and trustworthy digital professional. It is the fastest growing professional registration at BCS and we have nearly 2,500 professionals within the RITTech community.
Certification focuses on a specific skill, but a registration like RITTech provides validation beyond skills because it demonstrates your commitment to work to high ethical standards, contribute to the whole industry and be a valued member of the community.
The BCS RITTech community
Once you have obtained your registration, we encourage you to join our LinkedIn community where you can network with other RITTech professionals, add to the conversation and take advantage of opportunities to raise your profile in the industry.
We also welcome those who wish to go further to join the BCS RITTech champion programme. As a member you can directly contribute to raising the standards in our industry, and support newcomers to get ahead.
But before an individual can apply for RITTech, they must first be a member of BCS, which offers a wealth of additional benefits:
- A rich community of 60,000+ IT professionals.
- Networking opportunities through 150+ different specialist groups and branches.
- Continued professional development, career planning and mentoring.
What impact can a professional registration have on your career?
With a professional registration like RITTech to your name, it means you can prove your digital skills in just seven letters. At-a-glance, employers, customers, partners and peers can confirm you’re the best person for the job, because you have real-world experience. Additionally, to secure the registration you need to provide a sponsor. With the backing of a more senior professional, your skills are therefore endorsed.
Once the professional registration is awarded, you take your place on the public RITTech register, where you can enjoy wider industry recognition of your professional achievements and influence in your organisation. Your place is valid for three years, as long as you remain a member of BCS.
Because RITTech is proof of DIGITAL skills, it applies to a variety of roles - from developers, to help desk technicians, project managers, digital marketers, analysts, cyber experts, architects, administrators... and more.
It supports career progression by highlighting transferrable skills that enable you to take a side-step into different roles, organisations or sectors - rather than pigeon-hole you into a specific role type, or particular career progression path.
Furthermore, RITTech aligns to levels 3 and 4 of the SFIAplus skills framework, which is recognised across 200 countries. It enables employers and practitioners to identify and plan their continuous professional development in line with business needs and market trends, which delivers:
- Visibility of the skills and attributes required for each stage of your career.
- An understanding of the role you play and value you bring to the bigger picture.
- Stronger performance since your capabilities map to the industry’s standards.
As well as showing yourself to be the top talent, a professional registration opens more opportunities with managerial and supervisory responsibilities, as well as boost your earning potential - individuals with professional registrations report salaries that are 26% higher than their peers.
