CCNA Bump

mooed_music

Hello,

I'm curious if I could get some feedback about how immediate and how lucrative the impact was once your received the CCNA certification.

I appreciate it.

BioHunta

Depends on where exactly you are at in your career, and what you want to do (stay/leave current company, start seeking 1st IT job, etc...)

If you're looking for your first position, the biggest impact you will probably see is an increase in the number of callbacks to job applications. Companies, both from the IT side, and the accounting/HR/hiring side, have their ears perk up slightly when you list those 4 letters in your resume. You should also expect to have a slightly higher pay than someone in a same/similar position who does not have their CCNA (at least, if the company values IT).

If you are currently employed, and looking to stay, then it really depends on your employer. If you have an employer or corporate culture that values their IT department, or values self-improvement, you should hope to see a bump in pay. This will be much more common in those who provide IT as a service (MSP, Consulting, ISP), and much less common at non-IT based companies. Additionally, you should hope to see an increase in higher-level work being thrown your way, as well as additional responsibility in network related tasks.

The best chance of seeing dividends though (monetary and otherwise), is to look outward with your new certification. Having that, coupled with experience in IT already, will tend to give the biggest payout. For example, I used to work as a System Administrator at an insurance company. They valued IT, but only to a point. They covered the cost of my exam, but didn't offer any additional incentives for getting my CCNA. I was already the "network-guy", so even additional responsibilities were not offered. I had been looking elsewhere for awhile, and after getting my CCNA, I started getting a metric crap-ton of call-backs, even from places I hadn't applied to. I was able to change jobs within a few months of certifying, and I saw a 50% increase in pay, and 6 extra days of vacation. I believe that was at least in part due to the certification.

That case may be somewhat of an outlier, but I still think the generalities I've mentioned hold true.

mooed_music

50%? I'd say that's pretty good. Right now I make 15/hr as a tier 1 and 2 help desk for the military (contractor). I have lot's of contracting and consulting experience, only about 6 months of IT experience. Your story gives me motivation. Thank you. Here's hoping your story isn't that rare.

Levithan

Great post and question, as im currently a few weeks away from taking the ROUTE test.... Glad to see some hope out there for those wanting to reach that next level. Never give up hope on yourself!

djentlemetal

It's interesting to actually look at what it's done for me, career-wise, so far. The job I have now required at least a CCNA/JNCIA-level cert to be considered. At the time I interviewed for the position (May 7th of this year), I was still studying for the CCENT. This didn't seem to deter the director of the department I'm now in; he liked the fact that I was at least well on my way to learning CCNA-level theory that I would be later translating into practical application if I were hired.

Anyway, they hired me a month later and I didn't receive my full CCNA until the end of June. So, impact-wise, just the company knowing I was going to have my CCNA soon helped me get hired. This isn't a guarantee that anyone will get hired because of it, though. I interviewed for several other IT companies in town that didn't give two turds about any certifications.

So, having one (or obtaining it asap) could certainly help. You just have to find the right company that takes having the cert into consideration. Period. Besides somewhat helping get me hired, I'd say the most lucrative impact it's had on my career is, again, the practical application of what I learned in my studies (show commands, understanding VLSM/subnetting, ip routing, routing protocols, etc).

E Double U

I was at my former employer's NOC when I was preparing for the CCNA. The team's work was being outsourced so I applied for a position with the configuration/migrations team. On the interview I was asked did I have the CCNA and I told the hiring manager I was taking it that weekend. I passed and after telling my management, I was contacted by that config manager saying he heard that I passed the exam and offered me the position.

The CCNA was also a requirement when I left that team for the SOC. And the CCNA helped me land my current Info Sec Analyst position. One of the best investments of time/money I've ever made.

j.petrov

When I was begining by career change, I did not get a single call/email having only the A+ and N+. It wasn't until I got my CCNA that I started getting calls. In one interview I was flat out told that I would not have been called in if I had not had it. Its been the most worthwhile cert I have gotten thus far. The knowledge gained is well worth it for anyone in IT.

markulous

I'm really hoping this happens to me. I've got about a year of help desk experience and I am not moving up at my current job like I think I should. I'm taking my Network+ in a couple hours, then I'll start studying for my CCENT, CCNA, and CCNA Security. Hopefully I can get those within about two months from now and I'm curious what type of offers I'll get.

Hondabuff

$20k a year pay increase by changing jobs with CCNA on my resume.

mooed_music

Thanks, Guys.

I got about a month to go with my CCNA. Then it's time update the ol' resume.

VAHokie56

Hmm I think I had my CCENT when they moved me to the network team at my then job but not a great bump in pay , was still only getting like 18/hr. I got my CCNA and a few months of networking experience under my belt and applied for a network gig else where and moved to 35/hr that was back in 2011.

Drethyl

This thread makes me want to stop studying for my Security + and do my CCNA first

djentlemetal

Drethyl wrote: »

This thread makes me want to stop studying for my Security + and do my CCNA first

Meh, I did it in the order you are: Sec+ first (relatively short study time required compared to the CCNA; took me a few weeks compared to 3 months from ICND1 to ICND2 completion). Sec+ had some stuff that bled over into the CCNA material as well: ports, ACLs, etc. I'm just saying that it might be better to finish studying for the Sec+ and knock out the exam since you're already in that material.

coreyb80

I'm currently studying for the N+ exam and still haven't determined if I even want to pursue networking after this exam.

Drethyl

djentlemetal wrote: »

Meh, I did it in the order you are: Sec+ first (relatively short study time required compared to the CCNA; took me a few weeks compared to 3 months from ICND1 to ICND2 completion). Sec+ had some stuff that bled over into the CCNA material as well: ports, ACLs, etc. I'm just saying that it might be better to finish studying for the Sec+ and knock out the exam since you're already in that material.

Thanks for the advice. The CCNA is actually two test you need to take back to back for completion right?

--chris--

Drethyl wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. The CCNA is actually two test you need to take back to back for completion right?

ICND1 and ICND2 or the composite which combines both tests into one. Either path gets you the CCNA.