Whether you’re a current employee of any I.T. organization or looking forward to establishing your professional career in the field of Information Technology, you must perceive the real value of certifications and how they can benefit your career. Your career as a networking administrator or networking engineer a requires you to own enough amount of understanding in the area of networking. While nothing can replace experience, a certificate serves as a solid acknowledgment for those who want to proceed with their careers in the IT field. And if we specifically talk about the networking field, you should have already observed a lot of IT professionals who already earned various most in-demand Cisco certifications that are now affecting the final decision-making of management with regards to hiring a potential applicant.
Top 3 Cisco Certifications You Should Never Ignore
There are several Cisco certifications, that should be recognized by a potential applicant or employee. However, it becomes very difficult for a fresher to determine for the best Cisco certification since there are many sub-domains to decide from. The following Cisco certifications are the most sought after and here are reasons why you should select one of these three certifications:
CCENT Certification
CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician), as its name implies, is a Cisco certification created specifically for freshers to the field of networking. Getting the CCENT certification demands the applicant to pass only a single certification exam which makes it easier for an individual to pursue the remaining certifications. And yet, the confidence is also increased if an applicant can pass the first networking test in first attempt.
The CCENT certification acts more like a stepping stone towards other Cisco certification path. Upon passing the single networking, CCENT exam confirms you that you are ready for the rest of the Cisco certifications. This also forms a pathway to the more sought after certification that is the CCNA certification.
CCNA Certifications
CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is one of the most preferred Cisco certifications that is also extremely appreciated by the organizations. An applicant who holds the CCNA certificate can jumpstart their career in the field of networking. Most of the IT organizations expect the applicants to own the CCNA certification. Apart from all of these, here are some benefits of the CCNA certification:
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Diversity in knowledge: The best part of earning the CCNA certification is that you can extend your horizons concerning networking expertise and your knowledge curve is enhanced to the extreme point. The CCNA certification arm you with a distinct, in-depth understanding of intricate networking infrastructures that are delivered in major IT organizations despite their operating scales. You also get to learn the important principles and basics of networking which unlocks the door to infinite opportunities for you to tap your career.
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No Prerequisite: You don’t require a college degree to become a CCNA certified professional. All you require is the urge to keep you up with the movement.
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Promotion Opportunities: The probabilities of being promoted emphasize further and the salary scale witnesses an exceptional growth for a CCNA qualified applicant. It doesn’t matter if you’re working in the same organization or looking for other opportunities, the CCNA certification would assure you the best of opportunities and negotiating power concerning salary increase.
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Stepping Stone to Other Cisco Certifications: The moment you achieve your CCNA certification after passing the designated certification, you can advance your learning process by enrolling in other Cisco certificate programs. The CCNA certification works as a gateway to other high-level certifications in the networking field like the CCNP certification.
The CCNA recognizes fundamental skills in installing, supporting and troubleshooting wired and wireless networks. One can pick from several tracks, including Cloud, Collaboration, Cyber Ops, Data Center, Industrial, Routing and Switching, Security, Service Provider, and Wireless.
CCNP Certifications
Earning CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) certification qualifies you to troubleshoot the LAN and WAN networks. This is an important part of any networking job. As a CCNP certified networking professional, you could interact with vendors on real-time networking problems about areas such as voice networking, wireless networking, and other important information security problems. These are the job profiles you are eligible for upon earning a CCNP certification:
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Network Technician
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Network Engineer
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Systems Support Engineer
The CCNP certification is specifically designed for those applicants who own at least one year of networking experience because this is an advanced level of certification that demands some experience in the networking field. This suggests the CCNP certification program is not recommended for novice employees. And besides that, you require to pass the CCNA certification first before appearing for the CCNP certification.
The CCNP certification paths are the same as those for the CCNA, except Industrial and Cyber Ops, not offered in the CCNP track. The CCNP is recommended to climb up to the next step on the cert ladder — the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert.
Summary
The Cisco certifications considered above are all dependent upon the popular networking certification. First off with CCENT, followed by the CCNA certification and then the CCNP certification. It moves ahead in consecutive order, meaning to say that you first require to earn the CCENT certification and then only you are qualified for a CCNA certification. And once you obtain your CCNA certification, you become qualified for the CCNP certification exam. The instance you earn all these Cisco certifications, you become an all-in-one networking professional who could prosper in the ever-growing competition where every team member is putting in the best of their efforts to top the list.