After CCNA, a CCNP or CCSP?

Kenjin

Hi all,

Need some of your advice/opinions. After completeing my CCNA I was going to start my CCSP but got talking to a techy lastnight and he's advising me to go for the CCNP stating that if I go with the CCSP I am limiting my employment options. Also, to find work with the CCSP qualifactions, you really need to know your stuff, so lots of experience is required. He told me to think about the CCDP too saying its a good option to take.

Not sure which path to travel now. Any tips/advice please

Nick

networker050184

If you don't have a lot of experience getting a position in seccurity will be pretty hard no matter what cert you have. You need to know how networks operate before you can secure them. I would say get some good network experience then go for the NP. After you have some in depth experience with networks then you can look into securing them. Same with the DP you can't really design something you don't have a good working knowledge of. Personnaly I think you should do the NP or at least learn all the technologies covered in the NP track before moving onto any other professional level certs.

mikej412

networker050184 nailed the answer -- and stuck the landing.

Unless you already have something lined up, or work for a company that wants you to train on the CCSP, you are probably better off doing the CCNP next.

tech-airman

Kenjin wrote:

Hi all,

Need some of your advice/opinions. After completeing my CCNA I was going to start my CCSP but got talking to a techy lastnight and he's advising me to go for the CCNP stating that if I go with the CCSP I am limiting my employment options. Also, to find work with the CCSP qualifactions, you really need to know your stuff, so lots of experience is required. He told me to think about the CCDP too saying its a good option to take.

Not sure which path to travel now. Any tips/advice please

Nick

Kenjin,

As mikej412's signature block says "Cisco Certifications - Collect the Entire Set!", here's my current plan to do so.

1. CCDA
2. BCMSN
3. BSCI
4. ISCW
5. SND
6. SNRS
7. SNPA
8. IPS
9. HIPS/CANAC/MARS [Become CCSP certified]
10. ONT [Become CCNP certified]
11. CVOICE
12. QOS
13. CIPT
14. GWGK
15. TUC [Become CCVP certified]
16. ARCH [Become CCDP certified]

Here's the logic. Since any 642- prefixed exam automatically renews all associate certificates, might as well have the CCDA under my belt first. Now, by taking and passing the BCMSN and BSCI, you probably will learn the "meat" of the CCNP certificate. Then, as the exam name suggests, "Implementing Secure Converged WANs" that this is going to be an "introduction to security" so why not go all the way and venture down the CCSP track at that time? Similarly, ONT sounds like an "introduction to Voice" to me so venture down that path too? Then after having the CCNP, CCSP, and CCVP, why not throw the icing on the cake with the CCDP? All the while with each exam passed, not only will your Associate certificates be renewed but now it counts towards Professional recertification also.

You're welcome to use the above plan if you want. You're also welcome to use another plan since ultimately it's going to be up to you. Good luck on what path(s) you choose.

networker050184

tech-airman wrote:

Kenjin wrote:

Hi all,

Need some of your advice/opinions. After completeing my CCNA I was going to start my CCSP but got talking to a techy lastnight and he's advising me to go for the CCNP stating that if I go with the CCSP I am limiting my employment options. Also, to find work with the CCSP qualifactions, you really need to know your stuff, so lots of experience is required. He told me to think about the CCDP too saying its a good option to take.

Not sure which path to travel now. Any tips/advice please

Nick

Kenjin,

As mikej412's signature block says "Cisco Certifications - Collect the Entire Set!", here's my current plan to do so.

1. CCDA
2. BCMSN
3. BSCI
4. ISCW
5. SND
6. SNRS
7. SNPA
8. IPS
9. HIPS/CANAC/MARS [Become CCSP certified]
10. ONT [Become CCNP certified]
11. CVOICE
12. QOS
13. CIPT
14. GWGK
15. TUC [Become CCVP certified]
16. ARCH [Become CCDP certified]

Here's the logic. Since any 642- prefixed exam automatically renews all associate certificates, might as well have the CCDA under my belt first. Now, by taking and passing the BCMSN and BSCI, you probably will learn the "meat" of the CCNP certificate. Then, as the exam name suggests, "Implementing Secure Converged WANs" that this is going to be an "introduction to security" so why not go all the way and venture down the CCSP track at that time? Similarly, ONT sounds like an "introduction to Voice" to me so venture down that path too? Then after having the CCNP, CCSP, and CCVP, why not throw the icing on the cake with the CCDP? All the while with each exam passed, not only will your Associate certificates be renewed but now it counts towards Professional recertification also.

You're welcome to use the above plan if you want. You're also welcome to use another plan since ultimately it's going to be up to you. Good luck on what path(s) you choose.

Sounds like a good plan, but why not go ahead and knock out the ONT and become CCNP?? Stoping after three exams and moving on to a whole new cert doesn't make much sense to me. You will end up with a bunch of exams and no certifications. There is nothing wrong with having all the knowledge, but if you want to move up in your career it would probably help more to have CCNP then some CCNP and some CCSP exams. If you are not doing it to further your career and just for the knowlege I guess this makes since, but why even take the exams at all if not fore the cert......

GT-Rob

^ it wouldn't be bad as long as you are doing them in decent time. 16 exams is a solid 2 years of work (imo) if you keep at it. He might already have a job he likes to stay at for the next while anyway to build that exp.

LOkrasa

I think 16 exams at the pro level is a lot more then 2 years... you are looking at 3-4 but then again it all depends on the person. I also agree with the poster above that it makes no sense to do 3 CCNP exams and then start a new cert. Why not just take the final CCNP exam and get the cert before moving on to the next one...

mikearama

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes... tech-airman, great list. I have the identical 16 exams on my "cert plan", just slightly different order:

1) BCMSN - Switching (NP)

2) BSCI - Routing (NP)

3) CCDA - Design (DA)

4) ISCW - Secure Converged Wans (NP)

5) ONT - Optomizing Converged [Now CCNP]

6) ARCH - Design Architecture [Now CCDP]


7) SND - Secure Network Devices (SP)

SNRS - Secure Routers / Switches (SP)

9) SNPA - Pix / ASA (SP)

10) IPS - (SP)

11) CSVPN - Secure VPN [Now CCSP]


12) QOS

13) CVOICE

14) CIPT - Telephony 1 & 2

15) TUC - Troubleshooting

16) GWGK - Gateways/keepers [Now CCVP]

The only change I may make is to do the SNPA far sooner... admin of 4 pairs of PIX's is part of my daily routine. If we swap them for ASA's, I'll have to be ready.

We're also discussing an IP Trunk next year, so CVOICE and CIPT may get moved up.

Damn, tech-bro... if you were up in Ontario (Canada), we'd be hookin up for some of this.

Mike

dtlokee

LOkrasa wrote:

I think 16 exams at the pro level is a lot more then 2 years... you are looking at 3-4 but then again it all depends on the person. I also agree with the poster above that it makes no sense to do 3 CCNP exams and then start a new cert. Why not just take the final CCNP exam and get the cert before moving on to the next one...

Yeah I agree, took me longer than that and I had instructor led training for all of the modules (as a CCSI there's a sit requirement for every class you want to deliver). Although I had to worry about passing all the exams at a score about 50 points higher than the regular pass mark.