Cisco Certified Network Associate, or Not?

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