Certificate programs do not give you an actual degree. A certificate simply proves your expertise in a given field of study. You might get a medical billing certificate, a paralegal certificate, or something like that, and that would qualify you for those jobs.

In other cases, a certificate is something you get to enhance the value of a degree. In the case of information technology, there are a number of certificate programs offered by Microsoft and Cisco.

If you have no degree at all, it's better than nothing. But if you want to start right, consider at least getting an associates degree and then you can later add on a professional certificate or upgrade it to a bachelors degree.