Renewal dilemma

egrizzly

My CCNA and CCNP both expire on March 15 2017. I got a bit of a dilemma in my hands. Since I want to go into the security field should I take that remaining time to study for a CCNA Security exam, which will renew my CCNA, but kill the CCNP, or should I study for a professional exam and renew the CCNP, and not obtain a CCNA Security?

I suppose I might be giving it too much thought but seeking some opinions aint bad either.

volfkhat

egrizzly wrote: »

My CCNA and CCNP both expire on March 15 2017. I got a bit of a dilemma in my hands. Since I want to go into the security field... or should I study for a professional exam and renew the CCNP, and not obtain a CCNA Security?

Why do they have to be mutually exclusive? why not do both?


(My memory is hazy... but are you the guy stuck on the lvl3 helpdesk because your boss won't let you move up?)

if i were you, i would go all-in for the 300-115. Its less material than the 300-101; and hopefully parts of it will be review/refresher (since you took SWITCH back in 2014).

You only have 60 days... so your back is against the wall. But my coworker pulled it off (by hook/crook), so i know it CAN be done.

Once you are able to renew the ccnp, then you can go for the ccna-sec; but you will have more time to really Understand the material, etc. Besides, it's the area that you really want to be in.... so why rush it :]

MAC_Addy

I would just jump in and do CCNP TSHOOT. Then go back for CCNA Security.

TechGromit

I thought you only needed to pass one of the CCNP exams to keep both your CCNA and CCNP active. I think the CCNP is more valuable than a CCNA security. Besides you'll have to chance your cool avatar if you lose your CCNP.

volfkhat

TechGromit wrote: »

I thought you only needed to pass one of the CCNP exams to keep both your CCNA and CCNP active.

you are correct.
Any ccnp exam would recertify his current certs.
but The problem (i assume) is that egrizzly 'lost' a lot of the ccnp knowledge over the past 3 years.
(he didn't get a chance to use the concepts working at the help-desk).

So now he runs the risk of becoming "trapped" at the helpdesk (if he isn't able to renew in time).

Tough spot

i hope he is able to break free of the chains and move...

MitM

If you are a fast learner, since you want to move into security, why not take one of the CCNP Security exams, like 300-206? Once you complete that, jump back to CCNA Security. That exam has a little overlap with CCNA Security

Other than that, don't let the CCNP expire, renew it somehow, then work on CCNA Security

volfkhat

MitM wrote: »

If you are a fast learner, since you want to move into security, why not take one of the CCNP Security exams, like 300-206? Once you complete that, jump back to CCNA Security. That exam has a little overlap with CCNA Security

Other than that, don't let the CCNP expire, renew it somehow, then work on CCNA Security

Are you sure he can do that?

I thought the ccna-sec would be required first.
(but what do i know)

MitM

volfkhat wrote: »

Are you sure he can do that?

I thought the ccna-sec would be required first.
(but what do i know)

yes, he sure can. He could actually take all 4 CCNP Security exams (I wouldn't suggest that), he just wouldn't receive the certification until he completed the CCNA Security.

egrizzly

volfkhat wrote: »

you are correct.
Any ccnp exam would recertify his current certs.
but The problem (i assume) is that egrizzly 'lost' a lot of the ccnp knowledge over the past 3 years.
(he didn't get a chance to use the concepts working at the help

Are you sure "any" of them would recertify me? whoa? I'll just as easily go for the route/switch then.

egrizzly

MAC_Addy wrote: »

I would just jump in and do CCNP TSHOOT. Then go back for CCNA Security.

...I know most people consider TSHOOT the easiest but believe it or not Route/Switch was so much easier.

egrizzly

here's the official rules from Cisco. I copied/pasted from Cisco.com

Cisco Professional-level certifications (CCDP, CCNP Cloud, CCNP Collaboration, CCNP Data Center, CCNP Routing and Switching, CCNP Security, CCNP Service Provider, and CCNP Wireless) are valid for three years.

To recertify, pass ONE of the following before the certification expiration date:
•Pass any current 642-XXX Professional-level or any 300-XXX Professional-level exam, or
•Pass any current CCIE Written Exam, or
•Pass the current CCDE Written Exam OR current CCDE Practical Exam, or
•Pass the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview AND the CCAr board review to extend lower certifications

CCNTrainee

Just do a single CCNP equivalent level exam and it will renew all your current certifications. Cisco did that so you didn't have to keep going back to renew your lower level certs as well as keeping you updated on your current certs.

rolando3321

I would do the CCNP as well. I decided to renew my net+ and sec+. Before the storage+ cert got killed off I was going to use it. I found it to be too much new information to learn in the amount of time I had. I was very rusty with the Sec+ but doing a hard core self taught, FAST, boot-camp. I was able to pick it back up (MY daily work does not have me using my security cert much)

Then your good for 3 years and if you get that security; you get a refresh from that for your CCNP so it will be good for longer than 3 years. I also think refreshing your CCNP skills/knowledge will help ya with the security as well.

yoba222

Just do whichever of the three CCNP's you found easiest. I'd also pick something else other than CCNA Security if you want to get into security.

beads

I let my CCNA expire years ago and hurriedly re-certified because of market demand. Really, I see more positions needing and requiring the network skills today than I do security by any stretch of the imagination. Most of what I do as a senior security analyst (I do not recognize engineer or architect as those are separate professions with real requirements) is really advanced networking and less than you might think of as security. At least that's where the money is really at.

Forget the hype. Security is new but not nearly as "hot" as the media portrays it to be. Most of what's really in demand are networking and administration skills centered around security. Otherwise most security skills look like hard to nail down soft skills so the market is flooded with people who can talk a good game but in reality have little technical skill to back up the hype. Keep that in mind.

- b/eads