Given up on CCNA
strauchr
Member Posts: 528
Ok, I hate to be a quitter, it really bothers me, but the CCNA material is just not sticking in my head.
I think there is a couple of reasons.
1. I have little hands on Cisco experience (I understand the theory) and don't work with it in my current job.
2. I am also not likely to use it, the hands on part, in any future jobs as I am moving more into project management (Doing Prince2 certification soon)
3. I have wanted CCNA on my resume for years but kept putting it back to do other certs, MCSE upgrade, CCA, ITIL, CWNA etc.
4. I think I just want the letters and am not that interested in having the knowledge anymore (number 1 cardinal sin of certification)
So I don't know. I certainly don't have the same drive to complete certifications and learn all new skills anymore but its a bit sad to think my hands on technical days may be over as I move into project management. Maybe I just need a break from all these years of studying, learning, exploring etc. But I fear I am losing my technical knowledge and I am definitely not as sharp as I once was. I haven't done a full time support position for years, mostly project and consulting related work.
So while I am getting to a position I have been working towards for years, project management, it just seems all my hands on skills and knowledge are going to be wasted. Sure I can contribute technically in project management but not in the same capacity.
Anyone else been in this situation before, or feeling or have felt the same way?
I think there is a couple of reasons.
1. I have little hands on Cisco experience (I understand the theory) and don't work with it in my current job.
2. I am also not likely to use it, the hands on part, in any future jobs as I am moving more into project management (Doing Prince2 certification soon)
3. I have wanted CCNA on my resume for years but kept putting it back to do other certs, MCSE upgrade, CCA, ITIL, CWNA etc.
4. I think I just want the letters and am not that interested in having the knowledge anymore (number 1 cardinal sin of certification)
So I don't know. I certainly don't have the same drive to complete certifications and learn all new skills anymore but its a bit sad to think my hands on technical days may be over as I move into project management. Maybe I just need a break from all these years of studying, learning, exploring etc. But I fear I am losing my technical knowledge and I am definitely not as sharp as I once was. I haven't done a full time support position for years, mostly project and consulting related work.
So while I am getting to a position I have been working towards for years, project management, it just seems all my hands on skills and knowledge are going to be wasted. Sure I can contribute technically in project management but not in the same capacity.
Anyone else been in this situation before, or feeling or have felt the same way?
Comments
If I get my CCNA, how difficult is it to get the CCNP certification?
The CCIE who was interviewing me told me... Everyone has a CCNA, we need someone who has had experience with it. Any cert is only as good as the experience you have with it. My CCNA expired this February and I dont have any need to renew it. Dont waste your money on a piece of paper if its not what your interested in.
I just got offered a job today installing hospitality systems... It pays like 38k a year, but the job duties are way below my experience and I would be bored to tears. I would rather accept a job that pays a little less but I am more interested in.
The CCDA suggestion sounds like it could enhance your project management skills, though. I agree that may be an avenue you'll want to explore.
CCNP (BCMSN, ONT, ISCW completed)
HP ASE ProCurve Networking (BPRAN, Security completed)
wise answer buulam,
agree
I am a software engineer and did try to read for 8 months, failed twice in my intro. And after all the hard days I got it and it feelssss good.
Just do your best
I would say that a CCNA is a great step in the right direction for anyone wanting to be involved in infrastructure administration long term.
I felt that the CCNA materials were built around networking theory, best practices, thorough understanding of IP subnetting, etc. This is all stuff that (regardless of whether you use cisco hardware) is invaluable. I can now calculate subnets, hosts, broadcast, network's in my head. I wouldn't have been able to do this if it weren't for my studying and prepping for this exam.
It is tough. I was told by an instructor that he felt this was more difficult than any of his CCNP or CCVP exams. He re-sits his NP exam every year to renew rather than re-sit the NA exam. The NA exam just covers such a broad area in terms of network theory and hardware. No other exam that I know of covers the variety. It is very wide, but not very deep.
Stick with it and you will be glad to have the understanding in the long run.
CCDA may be a good choice as it is more along the lines of where I am now. But then if I go for project management the cert may not mean anything, even though the knowledge would still be valuable.
Well I might just enjoy my break for now, riding on the back of my MS knowledge and certs and pick myself up at a later date to get into it. I have done a fair bit of prep for this exam so I'll just need a refresher and I should be fine.
The guy failed and was in shock that he failed.
Most people fail CCNA first time now, but usually get it on second try.
After sitting in a 4 day class, the class was encouraged to take the test that friday, especially when the teaching facility provided 3 included attempts at the test. I got an 800 when passing was 849 and I had panicked on the sims and blew them off. Second attempt I got an 850 and did much better on the sims after practicing on any free or low cost sim I could get my hands on.
That CCIE should consider that recent CCNA's are much more valuable than previous CCNAs, though I agree one could get rusty on the material, especially the CLI, real quick if they don't use it in their day to day operations. Still, even if one didn't have work experience on Cisco, if he was able to get a recent CCNA in a short period of time, that shows he can learn what the job requires rather quickly.
CCNA is not easy, more difficult now than ever before (so I understand) but it is still invaluable information and understanding to have as long as you are in IT for the long term.
Sounds fishy, I guess they lost their brain **** URL?
Back in the "old days" there was token ring and Novell, and lots of other obsolete stuff..... that has since been removed.
People with CCNAs from 5 years ago who let their CCNAs lapse are surprised by the new exam.... and should pay attention if they are lucky enough to have an employer pay for a class (or bootcamp). You ain't in Kansas anymore Toto!
Okay... back on topic.... I looked, and I can't find it.... What is that "fiction" project management book titled? I've been looking for it in my book shelves, and haven't found it.... yet. When I find it -- I will post the title. It was a great book -- greenish paper jacket (smallish hardercover book). At the time I read it -- I had an "okay" project manager flying cover for me -- and it still brought tears to my eyes.... plus the Project Manager (yep, he deserves CAPs for the P & M) came into town and bought us a good dinner.
I've had good Project Managers. I've had bad Project Managers.
I've seen projects with 2 Project Managers per Techie, and a project manager per 2 project managers and a project manager per project manger......
And I was drafted into the 2nd phase of a project (global implementation and rollout of an 8 country successful pilot) where 1 Project manager kept the vast herd of idiot project managers (1 or 2 per country) from messing with the development team. I would buy that PROJECT MANAGER (worthy of superhero ALL CAPS) and all his friends and family memebers as many beers as he wants if I ran into him at a bar!!!! 2pm/3pm all I had to do as he did his rounds of 100s of contractors/employees what give a thumbs up (hey, had to edit -- was always thumbs up)... and get back to work.
Oh -- and the manager of this who got nuked.... I love her!
I've told 2 techie partners (who were good techies) that they should try project management (when they asked) -- and I now know 2 Kick-A** project managers.
Bad project suck big time..... just like the bad managers they report to. But great project managers, like (yeah, I'm saying it) great sales people (not the screw the customer kind give me big commissions kind, but the win-win kind) -- are worth their weight in GOLD. Just like GREAT Programmers and GREAT Networkers.
Project Managers from a technical background usually are a LOT better than project managers from a business/consulting background. I think of them as the techies with people skills!
If you have the Project Manager Gene, you owe it to techies everywhere to follow this path. If you have too many of the bu**sh*t type project managers locally to succeed, then we'll save your techie spot for you. The other option would be to arrange accidents for those idiots... but you're not local, so I can't help with that....
Good Project Managers are just another part of good teams.
Oh -- and if you let your team know that would like to get the CCNA before you woose out an become a Full Time Project Manager... they would probably help you. Woose? Whoose? who knows what I'm taling about and knows the proper spelling?
I get what your saying (I think
But then without the same passion to learn new stuff and keep up with it all and losing patients with hands on technical it just may be that time to retire and hang up my hands-on-technical boots.
Or maybe I just need a big lon break from it all!!
Maybe its the bad weather of London getting you down, or the zapping metro journey.Take a holiday home to OZ and re-energize
I am actually taking a 3month holiday back home in November. Going to get myself plenty Vitamin D!
So yeah, I'll blame English weather.