So you are thinking about getting your CCNA. You better hurry up, get off the couch and start
studying. The test is about to get a
harder for those wishing to put it off after September of this year (2013).
Cisco has announced that they are revamping the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network
Associate) testing requirements and the level of difficulty is going to jump to
what is currently the CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Profession) level. But the question still remains, is it worth certifying
in the first place.
One must do a lot of soul searching to answer that question. And I have found that it really does depend
on the individual. I’ve been in the
field for over 15 years working on both Cisco and Juniper routing and switching
gear for a majority of that time. I have
learned a great deal about the inner working of the hardware and software that
both providers offer.
In my case, the certifications do serve a small purpose. They simply prove to employers that the
certified applicant or professional knows the theory behind the certification. It does not mean that they have the experience
to implement, troubleshot and maintenance the networks based on their
certification level. While I’m an
engineer who has years of experience, that does not mean that I have a strong
grasp of the theory to do the same.
So in conclusion, I feel that a certification is a nice thing to
have. Employers like to hear that
engineers and administrators have the certification to back up their experience. So if you have the time to study for the
test, I would suggest getting it done soon.
I know that I have procrastinated long enough.
Network Guy
