At completely different instances of my profession, I discovered certifications to be a important a part of my studying journey. My first position as a channel methods engineer at Cisco drove me to start my certification course of. Now, as a part of the Studying & Certifications crew, it’s all about creating assets and pursuing coaching.
After I discover a new expertise space I wish to study, I search for a key vendor in that specific area to seek out out if they’ve a technical coaching program. Many instances I’ll pay for an examination simply to check and validate my very own data. However on the subject of Cisco, the coaching and certification setting continues to be next-level, standing the take a look at of time. Listed below are 4 the reason why Cisco Certifications are nonetheless your best option for my studying and certification journey.
#1: Cisco certifications prioritize lifelong studying
The cool factor about Cisco coaching is it creates a path for folks to study all through their careers. You may progress from the CCNA to a CCIE, relying in your talent stage. Or, you may transfer ahead down a siloed path towards one particular expertise. As an example, let’s say you begin out in a networking job and your employer desires you to develop your expertise for his or her knowledge heart. You may then take a deeper dive into knowledge heart applied sciences with Cisco coaching. Or, you may decide up a number of applied sciences and begin new paths.
But it surely’s about greater than that. Cisco offers a constant, clear, logical path to certification that’s based mostly on the talents you’ll want to achieve success in the actual world. Even if you happen to don’t pursue the certification itself, that you would be able to belief Cisco coaching as a result of it’s aligned to a globally acknowledged IT certification program. And if you happen to full coaching particularly designed to arrange you for a certification examination, then testing is all that’s standing between you and a shiny Cisco certification. So, why wouldn’t you are taking the examination that awards you the popularity your data deserves?
As for present Cisco certification holders, they must renew their lively Cisco certification standing earlier than their certification expires. If you need to study extra about how Cisco prioritizes lifelong studying, check out how the Cisco Recertification Coverage encourages licensed people to maintain their data rising — and preserve it present.
#2: Cisco certifications keep forward of evolving applied sciences
As expertise evolves, Cisco certifications proceed to be acknowledged throughout the trade, standing the take a look at of time to stay related. That isn’t a coincidence, both. It takes a aware determination to replace and evolve your complete program and guarantee its certification holders have the instruments they must be profitable and ready for what lies forward.
If I’m interested by a technical job, reminiscent of networking, I don’t need my first certification to be from an organization no one has heard of. It is smart to hunt certification from Cisco, the market chief in a number of applied sciences. Cisco certifications cowl so many merchandise and applied sciences that align with many job alternatives. In some areas, 40 to 50 % market share.
Cisco’s Affiliate, Skilled, and Professional certifications signify your stage of experience with particular applied sciences and talk the place your expertise land in a globally acknowledged, revered means. Hiring managers belief Cisco. They know that when you’ve got your CCNA and have saved it present, your data isn’t previous. You’ve recertified and saved abreast of expertise adjustments.
In a means, incomes a Cisco certification tells the world that Cisco has your again. And when an IT chief vouches to your data, you may belief that their status can get you within the door. CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE technical expertise or certifications are the usual markers in job-listing {qualifications}.
#3: Cisco certifications’ expert-led group of learners
With 25 years of certifications from completely different organizations, I nonetheless imagine Cisco has the most effective technique, constructing a constant path with a group that will help you put together and keep your data. With another organizations, you may must earn 60 Cisco Configuration Skilled (CCP) hours. Positive, you may learn all of the stuff from any supply you will discover, and possibly they’ll settle for these hours. However with Cisco, you’re not scrambling to seek out your hours. The whole lot in your path is related.
The Cisco Studying Community provides you a spot the place you may talk about subjects with Cisco enterprise unit assets, engineers, and your friends within the discipline. After which there’s Cisco Dwell, which at all times delivers a ton of studying alternatives and alternative ways to convey Cisco Licensed professionals, learners, and specialists collectively (check out this 12 months’s CCIE occasion in Las Vegas), the place they may join and rejoice their group.
#4: Cisco certifications and… Cisco coaching
Cisco is chock-full of related coaching supplies for learners to review in the best way that works finest for them. You may have Cisco Press expertise books in addition to cert-specific research supplies. Digital lab merchandise, reminiscent of Cisco Packet Tracer and Cisco Modeling Labs, can be found to remain present and study new issues. And in case you missed it, Cisco Studying & Certifications has a wholly new digital studying expertise coming quickly.
I do know of no different vendor certification program that brings all of the completely different items to the desk, with coaching occasions, webinars, and lifelong studying paths that provide the incentive to turn out to be an professional in a specific space. With Cisco certifications, I do know the following logical step from a CCNA is a CCNP. I do know what books and coaching to get. Possibly there’s an ELT or ILT course to begin prepping. Finally, the coaching, assets, and experience all merge to type an entire package deal. Once more, Cisco is constructing that path, and it’s a easy one to navigate.
My recommendation to your studying and certification journey
While you’re able to embark by yourself certification journey, begin with one thing that pursuits you. Whether or not it’s simply one thing you wish to know extra about or to grasp baseline expertise in an space that potential employers are in search of; the entire thought is to study — construct expertise and experience — and continue learning. Certification is the checkmark that signifies that you have that data. It tells employers you perceive a sure expertise. On the finish of the day, employers acknowledge Cisco Certifications because the mile marker of what it means to be expert at an expert stage.
I’ve named among the finest causes for acquiring a Cisco certification; lifelong studying, maintaining with present expertise, and entry to the group and assets. However as for me, I belief that my Cisco certifications will proceed to be your best option as a result of they’ve pushed me to turn out to be the most effective model of myself.
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