I want my certification,too

[watdahel]

Does anyone here have a CCNA, CCNP, or MCSE certifications? I'm thinking of getting mine and I wanted to find out how easy or hard it is. I heard I have to take a four semester class for the Cisco certifications.

I was also thinking that these courses I have to take are expensive and given the volatility of technology, I fear that by the time I do get a certification, there will be new standards and my certification will be obsolete. Take MCSE for instance; Microsoft release a new Windows version within 3 years. That means I only have a 3 year time frame to flaunt my certification before I need to get another one. Which means taking more classes and spending more money.

 

I support the idea of MCSE. Classes aren't hard, but the MS material you get with the course is not enough to past the test. Or so I've been told. Cisco would be good to have simply because security is such a big issue these days.

If you want a cheap Citrix voucher, check here.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[jaynonymous]

How easy or how hard getting certified is depends on your current level of experience. Obviously, obtaining the CCNA certification is going to be easier for someone who works on routers and switches on a daily basis. On determining which certifications to get, that depends on several things: your current experience, your interests and your future career goals. For example, if you want to perform user support and eventually manage servers, then I would suggest first obtaining the MCSA and then working towards the MCSE. Remember that experience counts as much or more than certifications. In my mind, certifications prove two things - 1) that you have an intermediate level of knowledge for that specific platform or product and 2) that you are willing to spend the extra effort to study and educate yourself on that platform or product. Experience proves that you can actually do what you say that you can do with the certifications.

How hard are these certifications? Well, as I mentioned earlier, that is purely relative. To obtain the MCSE, you must pass 7 exams. This will take some time. In contrast, obtaining the CCNA involves passing a single exam. But, the question is, what do you want to do with the certification? I would not recommend getting certified in an area just because your friend or someone on Anandtech says that it is the wave of the future. Certify in areas that genuinely interest you. In so doing, you will remain focused and gain useful knowledge along the way.

In regards to taking the classes and being concerned that the certification will not remain valid for very long, I have several opinions. Ideally, during or after obtaining the certification, you will begin working with the technology in which you are certified. Therefore, when it comes time to recertify, all you will have to do is brush up on some of the details. Many of the classes are very overpriced for the value that you can extract from them. In most situations, you don't have to take a class in order to get certified, and unless you feel it is necessary, I wouldn't recommend taking them.

I hope that this helps you decide on which path to pursue. The path you take should reflect your interests and your future career goals. Good luck!