Is an ITIL Certification Worth It?

Are you interested in ITIL? Then you should also be aware of the value of the certification and also the benefits that it entails so that you can make an informed decision. On this week’s blog, we take a detailed look at what the courses offer for you and what value the certification entails.

Is studying for an ITIL certification worth all the time and money?

ITIL is the long standing standard-setter in IT Service Management. It is also a best practice framework that has been curated to assist organisations in maximising the value of their IT-enabled services as well as products, guiding their development and maintenance and also their alignment with specific business goals. It is also rather flexible and can be easily adapted to suit the needs of the organisation.

Through the adoption of this framework, organisations have the ability to create efficient and targeted operations. It will in turn, help them to deploy IT services that are of a much higher quality and also do so at a much higher rate. More importantly, it will foster a culture of ongoing improvement and help users to reevaluate and improve the value of their existing services when the right options are available.

The majority of industries are now relying on IT to at least a great extent and the ITSM frameworks, like ITIL have no lack of keen students. One of the main questions that all these interested students have is to whether or not the ITIL certification is worth the time and effort that needs to be invested in it. Even the foundation programme of ITIL can help people get into senior management roles if they gain the right level of proficiency. The latest iteration of the ITIL framework, known as ITIL 4 was rolled out in 2019 and created a great deal of interest among potential learners.

What is ITIL 4?

Today is a digital age and it is flourishing well. It has incurred major transformations in the business world and has paved the way for many IT-empowered products and services that have become a crucial component of our day to day lives. More important than that, the power that has been offered by the IT as well as digital assets have made it much more convenient for progressive companies to gain a vantage point over their competition.

ITIL 4 is a comprehensive framework designed to ensure that organisations can meet the challenges of the 4th Industrial Revolution. It offers an end-to-end model for digital and IT operations, allowing organisations to deliver top-tier IT-enabled products and services quickly and efficiently. It also covers incident and problem management, helping users to avoid costly errors or, when necessary, resolve them as soon as possible.

Compared to ITIL V3, ITIL 4 has a much greater awareness of modern ITSM practices. For one, it emphasises integration with other popular frameworks, such as DevOps, Lean and Agile. The ITIL community has also had a hand in developing the framework and will continue to provide advice for practitioners as both ITIL and ITSM in general continue to evolve. In other words, investing in ITIL now could have ongoing long-term rewards.

(Source: https://www.joetheitguy.com/10-key-changes-in-itil-4-and-my-take-on-them/)

What does the ITIL Certification Path look like?

The certification pathway is one factor that ITIL has over the other competitors. Usually students can start with the Foundation level which is worth 3 credits in V3, and is an entry-level qualification that will provide you with a thorough introduction to the ITIL framework, its uses and the processes included in it. The modules include;

• Service Strategy (SS)- 2 credits
• Service Design (SD)- 3 credits
• Service Transition (ST)- 3 credits
• Service Operation (SO)- 3 credits
• Continual Service Improvement (CSI)- 3 credits
• Operational Support & Analysis (OSA)- 4 credits
• Planning, Protection & Operation (PPO)- 4 credits
• Release, Control & Validation (RCV)- 4 credits
• Service Offerings & Agreements (SOA)- 4 credits

Once a student has passed this examination you will be eligible to gain the title of an ITIL Expert. The rough expected salary for an individual who holds this title will fall anywhere from £30,000 – £65,000 annually.

Now if you are studying ITIL4, you will adapt a slightly different approach. Here, there are two different branches for intermediate modules; Managing Professional (MP) and Strategic Leader (SL).

ITIL Managing Professional:

• ITIL Specialist – Create, Deliver & Support
• ITIL Specialist – Drive Stakeholder Value
• ITIL Specialist – High Velocity IT

ITIL Strategic Leader:

• ITIL Leader – Digital & IT Strategy

If a student passes every exam in both branches, they will be eligible to reach the ‘ITIL Master’ level. ITIL V3 certifications will remain valid even as the rest of ITIL 4 is released. Those who hold Expert certifications will also be able to take the ‘Managing Professional (MP) Transition’ module in order to bring their knowledge and qualifications in line with the newest iteration of the framework.

(Source: https://www.helpsystems.com/solutions/it-operations-management-automation/itil-version-3)

So how valuable is an ITIL certification?

ITIL certification have a huge amount of value and both practitioners and organisations can depend on it. Some of the salary ranges for individuals with ITIL certifications include;

• ITIL Foundation – £25,000 – £55,000
• ITIL Expert – £30,000 – £65,000

Therefore, rather than treating ITIL as a shortcut, ITSM practitioners should see it as a valuable tool, as well as an opportunity. With so many organisations investing in ITSM, an ITIL certification can open up a variety of avenues, most of which will provide practitioners with the experience they need to advance their careers. Here are some ITIL pathways that you can take up with Study365.

ITIL® 4 FOUNDATION OFFICIAL EXAM

This ITIL® 4 foundation certification exam involves certain practices which tend to give the business the strength which they need to transform themselves. Some new and emerging practices are used in this certification, such as Lean, Agile and DevOps and will evolve into providing a total digital transformation in the organisation. This exam will help you to understand how IT interacts with the wider business strategy of the organisation.

The ITIL® 4 Foundation Certification exam will give a basic knowledge of the ITIL concepts to the learners, the terminology which is to be used will be introduced and the structure of the course will be outlined in an effective manner as well. This will be an entry level exam which will help the learners to obtain a certain level of skills which will be needed in order to work in the area of service management in organisations. By completing this exam in a successful manner, learners will identify how to embrace new trends and practices in the workplace in a successful manner.

We do not provide the course. Only the official exam is included in this programme

According to www.payscale.uk, some of the key job positions along with the average UK salary per annum you can go for after completing this exam will be as follows.

• IT Manager – £38,766 per annum
• IT Quality Manager – £35,525 per annum
• IT Auditors – £40,027 per annum
• IT Consultants – £40,411 per annum
• Software Developers – £30,745 per annum
• IT Operational Management – £45,215 per annum
• ΙT Business Leadership Manager – £41,380 per annum
• Head of IT & Infrastructure £57,891 per annum

ITIL® INTERMEDIATE: SERVICE TRANSITION (ST) OFFICIAL EXAM

This exam certification will demonstrate your knowledge and skills in service transition. The exam will test your knowledge on the deployment and transfer of the new and changed services and on the stages that lead up to service transition.

Study365 allows you to take this official exam at a much cheaper price and comes with vouchers for the ITIL service transition exam. All you need to take this exam is a certificate in ITIL foundation examination and service transition, and get your hands on this esteemed qualification at our limited time discount prices. With this certificate in your resume, you can successfully demonstrate your expertise in service transitions to apply it in other IT service lifecycle stages and to support strategic and operational decisions.

Once you successfully complete ITIL Intermediate – Service Transition you will be qualified to work in the following positions. The ITIL Intermediate – Service Transition qualification will also put you in line to demand a higher salary or job promotion. The average UK salary per annum according to https://www.payscale.com/career-path-planner is given below.

• IT Operations Manager – (average UK yearly salary: £45,428)
• IT Security Manager – (average UK yearly salary:  £50,473)
• Business Continuity Manager – (average UK yearly salary: £45,959)
• IT Team Leader – (average UK yearly salary:  £35,710)
• IT Architect – (average UK yearly salary: £59,270)
• Configuration Manager – (average UK yearly salary: £37,654)

Other Jobs you can get

• IT Planners
• IT Audit Manager
• Team Leaders

ITIL® INTERMEDIATE: SERVICE STRATEGY (SS) OFFICIAL EXAM

This exam is ideal for all individuals aspiring to get into or already working in IT management or architecture. This accredited qualification will bear testament to your knowledge and skills in service strategy and therefore, will open up various job and progression opportunities for you within the industry. This exam will test your knowledge on the service strategy phase of ITIL service lifecycle and the role of IT in achieving customer and business related objectives.

Once you successfully complete ITIL Intermediate – Service Strategy you will be qualified to work in the following positions. The ITIL Intermediate – Service Strategy qualification will also put you in line to demand a higher salary or job promotion. The average UK salary per annum according to https://www.payscale.com/career-path-planner is given below.

• IT Operations Manager – (average UK yearly salary: £45,428)
• IT Security Manager – (average UK yearly salary: £50,473)
• Business Continuity Manager – (average UK yearly salary: £45,959)
• IT Team Leader – (average UK yearly salary: £35,710)
• IT Architect – (average UK yearly salary: £59,270)

Other Jobs you can get

• IT Planners
• IT Audit Manager
• Service Designers

In addition to these programmes, Study365 also offers a range of intermediate ITIL programmes that are fully accredited and can add high value to your career. With an exceptional pass rate in the first attempt of the examination, round the clock assistance, tutor support, online access to excellent quality course material and a host of other benefits, Study365 has forged itself as a leader in the provision of ITIL education to thousands of students in the UK and around the world.

Want to pursue ITIL and become a master? Contact our team on [email protected] for more information.