AI, automation, and cognitive system development will be among the three dominating forces to control the lives of humans, and the fate of businesses, in the times to come. Especially AI, given the innovation and efficiency it has brought in to almost every sector of business. Today, we have AI-powered self-driving cars, customer assistance robots that leverage the power of AI, AI chatbots, and humanoids already existing. Tomorrow, we might see AI-empowered robot soldiers protecting the national boundaries from enemies and infiltrators.

As per Statista, the Artificial Intelligence market revenues, in 2018, amounted to USD 10 billion, which increased by a whopping 54% in 2019. China has been among the leading nations that are leveraging AI very effectively to grow its GDP, which is forecasted to rise by an overwhelming 26.1% by 2030.

Professional Certifications & Employability
Amid the intense competition in the global job markets for AI-specific jobs, skill proficiency has become the differentiating factor in the candidate-shortlisting criteria for the entry-level roles. Because AI jobs pay you handsomely, you are judged heavily on your industry-relevant skillset. And that’s why, being certified matters because recruiters do need some criterion to filter candidates out. In fact, certified individuals are better equipped to take on an AI job responsibility compared to their peers who are non-certified.

It’s definitely mindful to aspire for a rewarding AI career, but equally important is acquiring the requisite skillset, which, for AI jobs, happens to be extensive, as it demands knowledge of multiple subject domains. A few of such subjects would include mathematics, statistics, computer science, and coding. However, at present, it’s quite easy to gain industry-relevant knowledge in such subjects, as all the top AI certifications are available to be enrolled, online.

Top 5 AI Certifications That Will Boost Your Job-Readiness

#1. Stanford University’s Machine Learning AI Certification (Coursera)
Designed and drafted by Andrew Ng, a professor at Stanford, the certification has been praised by more than 1,680,000 students worldwide. The said certification program dwells in the core concepts of AI such as unsupervised learning, supervised learning, kernel, neural networks, and support vector machines.

#2. Udacity’s Machine Learning Nano-Degree
The certification comprises two three-month programs that allow you to master the skills vital to turning you into a competent machine learning engineer. It’s a career-centric credentialing program that covers all the fundamental principles, including advanced concepts of predictive modeling. It’s a beginner’s certification program that will prepare aspirants seeking their first AI job or are, into their first couple of career-years.

#3. Artificial Intelligence Engineer (AIE) by ARTIBA
AIE certification by ARTIBA (Artificial Intelligence Board of America) is developed on the world-class AMDEX knowledge framework and is best suited to AI-career aspirants. AIE certification offers a comprehensive curriculum in artificial intelligence. The said certification covers every single aspect of machine learning and AI that covers concepts such as supervised learning, regression, reinforced learning, unsupervised learning, cognitive computing, natural language processing, and deep learning.

Candidacy Tracks for AIE

Track 1
1) Must possess an associate degree/diploma in Technology/Business/Computer Science/Related Disciplines with Statistics/Mathematics as one of the chosen subjects.
2) Minimum work experience of 2 years in computing sub-domains.

Track 2

1) A bachelor’s degree in either technology/ computer science/business/other related subject disciplines with Maths/ Statistics as one of the chosen subjects.
2) Possessing work experience is not a mandate.

Track 3

1) Holding a master’s degree in either computer science, business, technology, or a related subject discipline from one of the ARTIBA-accredited institutions with Statistics/Maths as one of the chosen subjects.
2) No mandatory work experience.

#4. AI Certification by Columbia University (edX)
Enroll in this AI certification program to excel in one of the rapidly developing areas of computer science, while attending informative lectures and taking up related assignments. The classes that are conducted under the said credentialing program will help you acquire a robust knowledge of the core principles of AI. After having qualified the said certification, you will gain an unparalleled competitive advantage in the context of shortlisting for AI job roles.

#5. Kellogg's AI Executive Certification
This certification program is best suited to individuals who are aiming to learn varied strategies and techniques deployed in solving AI-specific issues in the current industry. A tool-based knowledge is what you will gain out of this certification program. You will be trained on cutting-edge business AI tools under the said credentialing program that will enhance your job-readiness, and will improve your employability across business sectors.