Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
Gone are the days when a degree is enough to make you top of the professional food chain. Nowadays, a recommended way to make sure you remain in the market is by getting relevant certifications in your profession. Besides, even volunteer jobs are requesting certifications. These credentials not only serve as validation but also enhance your credibility, job prospects, and, often, lead to bigger, better earning potentials. Did you know a person with certifications can make nearly 250k yearly, while you are stuck at 200k?
To keep you ahead of the job market, this article takes a look at ten of the most popular certifications to boost your career as a professional in 2025. By attaining these certificates, you increase your skill set and say to recruiters, “I am the best out here.” continue reading to find the professional certification required to boost your career in 2025.
Top 10 Certifications to Boost Your Career
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk
There are over a thousand professions in the world and creating a list for all of them would not only send the outline creator into a coma, it would also bore you out. This is why this list contains only the top 10 certifications that can be used by more than one professional. The names of the certificates include:
1. Project Management Professional
It has not been publicly announced in the boardroom yet but every business sector in the world is starting to require professionals to have as little as a basic knowledge of project management. Whether you are a BIM engineer (reference BIM article), civil engineer, structural engineer, or virtual assistant, earning a project management certification is bound to increase your earnings and project scope. It does not matter if you will be earning a Certified Associate in Project Management, Project Management Construction Professional, or a Project Management Agile Certified Practioner certification, as long as you complete a project management program and add the certificate to your plethora of skills, you will greatly boost your career.
Image from Linkedin
2. Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Certification – For Accountant
If you are an accountant, a certificate you have to add to your portfolio is an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, commonly known as ACCA, designation. The certification is a global certification awarded by the UK to accountants who have met its required standards. The equivalent of it for those located in the US is the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification. While CPA is recommended for those in the US, getting an ACCA certification gives you the flexibility to work in many accounting sectors and countries outside the United States. By adding this certification to your previously existing certificate, you demonstrate to the business sector that you are a capable accountant, and this will boost your career.
Image by ACCA
3. Professional Engineer (PE) – For Civil and Structural Engineers
The Professional Engineer (PE) license is a recognized credential for engineering professionals, administered by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). It is required for signing off on projects and advancing in engineering careers. PEs are responsible for ensuring the safety and reliability of engineering projects, making this certification crucial for career progression in the field. citeturn0search10
You can start a career as a civil engineer after completing an ABET-accredited course. However, to truly unleash your earnings and project potential, getting a Professional Engineer license is more of a necessity. Since civil and structural engineers shape the physical society, the governing body is strict on persons allowed to become Professionals in Engineering. Without a PE license, civil and structural engineers are unable to bid for government contracts, work on public sector projects, or hold senior engineer roles for over a year. By getting a Professional of Engineering license, you not only increase your earning possibilities by over $50,000, but you also boost your career by positioning yourself for bigger engineering projects.
Image from BOA Constructions Company
4. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) – For Cybersecurity Experts
If nearly 71,000 job openings are requesting the certification, you must understand its importance in the business sector. The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is a leading certification in cybersecurity, offered by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2). While the CISSP does not mean your options of working in cyber security are close to zero, the boost your career stands to gain from adding the certification to your portfolio is undeniable. The CISSP certification increases job opportunities and demonstrates your expertise in IT security management. With cyber threats at an all-time high, organizations place more value on you as a professional cybersecurity expert if you can safeguard their data and systems, and ISC2’s CISSP certification is recognized as the hallmark of such competence.
Image from InfosecTrain
5. Google Digital Marketing Certification – For Digital Marketers
Google LLC is the giant conglomerate dominating the technology sector and it is a huge leg up if you have a certification from them. Thanks to their in-depth understanding of the world’s markets, Google understands the continuous shift towards the digital world. This has influenced their publishing of the Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate course which is greatly lauded as a course that encompasses the digital world. The course covers analytics, Pay-Per-Click, Search Engine Optimization, and other online advertising strategies. By adding this certification to your portfolio, the skills you gather during the course will boost your career as a digital marketer.
Image from iSchoolConnect
6. Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) – For Agile Professionals
If you have ever completed a project management webinar, course, or seminar, chances are you have heard about agile project management techniques. There are many ScrumMaster courses available. But the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification course by ScrumAlliance is rated by Coursera as the number one in-demand course for agile project management methodologies. It helps professionals lead agile teams and streamline project execution. With the growing adoption of agile practices, this certification is valuable for those looking to enhance their project management skills.
Image by Romaric Chardonneau from Value Insights
7. Six Sigma Certification – For Quality Control Professionals
Quality Control is what makes sure you don’t always send hate emails to every brand you patronize. To make this work, Quality Control Professionals need Six Sigma through its focus on process improvement and efficiency. Offered by organizations like IASSC, it increases efficiency in manufacturing and business operations. As a professional with Six Sigma certification, you are an expert at identifying and eliminating defects in processes, leading to improved quality and performance. This directly leads to a greater investment in you by organizations.
Image from Hudson
8. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – For Cloud Computing Professionals
Nearly every business out there uses the cloud these days, but that does not mean they understand what it entails, including the advantages and opportunities. This is where you come in as a cloud computing professional. While you can get a Certified Solutions Architect from anywhere, the opportunity to earn 27% more for merely obtaining the certification from Amazon Web Store (AWS) is something you should consider positively. In addition to increasing your earning power, clients and organizations respect you as a cloud computing professional after earning the certificate. This serves as a boost to your career and should consider gaining the certificate.
Image from Udemy
9. Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) – For Finance Professionals
A global course that takes about three years to complete and costs nearly $1,000 is not something you complete and allow yourself to be walked upon after certification. The Chartered Financial Analyst program offered by the CFA Institute is a globally recognized program that can boost your career this 2025. The course prepares you for your understanding of investment tools, portfolio and value assets management, and wealth planning. With the rigorous training required to complete the course, industry professionals as well as hiring managers understand how valuable the certification is and will result in a boost in your career.
Image from Proledge
10. Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) – For Healthcare Professionals
Medical doctors are busy, medical residents being the busier ones as they have to merge both education with real-life experience. Imagine having to merge necessary education, internship as a resident, and then completing a Certified Medical Assistant program while at it. You don’t have to tell industry experts before they understand your worth.
The certification serves as a direct metric for excellence, increases trust in your ability to promote patient safety and well-being, and efficiently helps a doctor with tasks, including prepping exam rooms and vaccine administration. Even the American Association of Medical Students mentions how the certification can boost your career by “unlocking new opportunities, higher earning potential, and greater job security.”
Image from CMA (AAMA) Insight
Conclusion
Earning a professional certification is one of the ways to stay ahead of the job curve in this digital era where jobs are being lost easily. Whether you are a civil engineer, accountant, medical student, or cybersecurity expert, there are certifications to boost your career readily available. Take the opportunity this 2025 to become one step ahead of the competition.
Have you decided on a professional certification to attain to boost your career? Head on to the BOA Construction Company job opening page to find jobs waiting for you to complete your education.