What Next after CCNA ?

Chandu_medha09

Hi people,

i completed my CCNA certification with 986\1000. I'm really spoilt for choices here.
What i wanted to know is this; In the market today which cisco course is more relevant than the other? , or better yet, Which cisco certification holds more weight than the other?

Do i go with CCNP, CCSP, CCDP, CCIP, or CCVP. After all, if all goes well i also intend to do CCIE. I just need to study something that will still be relevant some 5-10 years to come and perhaps something that will land me a really good foundation in any networking environment.

Seeing that most ISPs tend to go for Juniper's devices at the core layer and most companies use juniper at the edge. Does it really matter what i go for, and will my cisco certifications help me when handling Juniper's devices if and when i come accross them.

Is there any big difference between CISCO and JUNIPER? If no or yes, can i use the knowledge i acquire from cisco certifications to handle juniper devices or do i still need to do juniper certifications?

Me not being able to make a decision is what's tearing me down. So if there's anyone out there who has the certifications and hands on experience, your advice is really really needed.

Thanks for you suggestion.s

dynamik

Congrats on the pass!

Are you currently employed? If so, what are your job responsibilities?

Do you have any idea what you want to be doing? You seem to be leaning towards the service provider side of things in your post.

trackit

i would say go for CCNP. Whatever you will choose to do in the future, if its related to networking you will be glad you got really good routing and switching foundation down. At least this is what i intend to do Good routing and swithing knowledge will help you better understand concepts in other specializations.

As for Juniper vs Cisco... as i said in some other thread, technology is the same, protocols also pretty much the same. So if you have already studied for cisco it wont be that hard to acquaint yourself with Juniper and vice versa, so it really doesnt matter that much.

luke_bibby

I did the CCNA Security when I finished the CCNA, but if I was looking for a job / career advancement I would go for the CCNP as I think this can set you above the pack. If you have a CCNA/CCNP Im sure getting a Juniper cert like a JNCIA wouldn't be too hard.

stuh84

I just got mine recently, and am now working on CCNP and JNCIA-ER (Juniper's CCNA equivalent). It depends on your outlook, do you want a more security focussed role, or a network admin role, or maybe even a systems admin role (which would entail more linux/MS qualifications).

Choose the path you want and then decide from there.

skwira001

Chandu_medha09 wrote: »

Hi people,

i completed my CCNA certification with 986\1000. I'm really spoilt for choices here.
What i wanted to know is this; In the market today which cisco course is more relevant than the other? , or better yet, Which cisco certification holds more weight than the other?

Do i go with CCNP, CCSP, CCDP, CCIP, or CCVP. After all, if all goes well i also intend to do CCIE. I just need to study something that will still be relevant some 5-10 years to come and perhaps something that will land me a really good foundation in any networking environment.

Seeing that most ISPs tend to go for Juniper's devices at the core layer and most companies use juniper at the edge. Does it really matter what i go for, and will my cisco certifications help me when handling Juniper's devices if and when i come accross them.

Is there any big difference between CISCO and JUNIPER? If no or yes, can i use the knowledge i acquire from cisco certifications to handle juniper devices or do i still need to do juniper certifications?

Me not being able to make a decision is what's tearing me down. So if there's anyone out there who has the certifications and hands on experience, your advice is really really needed.

Thanks for you suggestion.s

Wow that is a great score. I would say go after CCNA security or CCNA voice. I am currently taking CCNP. The chapters start out talking about CCNA material, but then they get more and more difficult to understand as the chapter moves on. Get all your Associate level Cisco certifications, get a job, and then go for your CCNP.