The beginning of the year is the usual time to reflect on past accomplishments and set goals for the year ahead, both personally and professionally. The personal goals seem to come more naturally: be healthier, travel more, get organized. But when it comes to professional goals, it can often be harder to come up with manageable goals that are guaranteed to show a positive return and really bolster your professional growth.
Well, we have a recommendation. If you’re administering Jira, Jira Service Desk, or Confluence, set your sights in 2018 on becoming an Atlassian Certified Administrator. Earning this formal endorsement from Atlassian will propel your career for years to come and set you up to do the best work of your life.
Be the best at what you do
Hold yourself to high standards and take pride in what you do every day. Sounds pretty good, right? We all want to feel like we are doing the best work of our lives. If you’re an Atlassian administrator, the only way to prove to yourself (and current and future employers) that you *really* are the best-of-the-best is to become an Atlassian Certified Administrator. The preparation itself will make you a better administrator, and the benefits of joining this elite group of professionals will leave you feeling inspired and empowered.
“I was very happy to pass, but even if I didn’t, the prep time was valuable. I learned things I simply didn’t know and explored parts of the application I hadn’t touched in a while. The certification process as a whole made me a better Jira Administrator.” — Rachel Wright, Atlassian Certified Jira Administrator
Commit to your long-term success
With over 100,000 companies using Atlassian products today, administrators are in increasingly high demand. Becoming an Atlassian Certified Administrator sets you apart from the masses and opens doors to more opportunities and advancements on your career path. Earning your Atlassian Certification shows a long-term commitment to your professional development and sets you up for success throughout your career.
Create a plan and work it
Creating a plan to achieve your goals not only increases your likelihood of sticking to your resolutions, but it also breaks the work down into manageable tasks. Here’s our recommended plan of attack for earning your certification:
- Get some solid experience under your belt. (We recommend 2-3 years of experience for administrators.)
- Download the exam topics and evaluate your readiness. Chances are there will be a few areas of the product that you’ll need to focus on.
- Take the Certification Prep Course. This four-hour online course, complete with sample questions, will greatly increase your chances of passing on the first try.
- Set aside time to study. Work through the Case Studies and hands-on exercises from the Certification Prep course, and refer to Atlassian’s documentation for extra help.
- Schedule and take the exam.
- Once you pass, update your credentials and bask in the glory!
Here’s to a successful 2018 and, if you become Atlassian Certified, a significant milestone in your career!