need a good fast answer

Nicolbolas

hello everyone, ok my problem is this. i went to school for cisco in 03 and 04 and i got my a+ cert. i almost got my ccna i was 3rd in my class and was within 50 points of passing the exam. but i never retook the test and i never got into the field. now i really need to get a good paying job and i am diving back into networking. so i was wondering if i should go and get my comptia network+ or should i go for my ccna. i know that after the end of this year the network+ will no longer be a lifetime cert. should i use the network+ as a stepping stone to my ccna or just go for ccna or even get my ccent and work towards my ccna. i dont know what way to go. is the network+ worth getting while it is a life time cert? thank you everyone

za3bour

If you were only 50 points than getting your CCNA while not trying again ? I don't think it makes a difference whether it's a life time or a one year cert it's a certificate at the end and it's the real experience what will get you the good paying job you want.

phantasm

I'd do CCENT and CCNA, but don't expect a lot of money out of the gate with no experience. Just a heads up.

earweed

I'll second what Za3bour and Phantasm said. Also I'll add that it's not gonna be easy getting an IT job as they are hard to come by until you already have experience. Once you move up in the ranks and have found your "niche" whatever it may be the jobs are easier to get. The entry level ones are hard to get and not good paying.

Nicolbolas

thanks for your answers everyone and to me anything better then $12/hour is good to me. $12/hour is the highest paying job i had and it was contruction work. thanks again everyone

xenodamus

I had the exact same question when I joined earlier this year:

http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccna-ccent/50838-thoughts-net-relation-ccna.html

I'm glad that I decided on the CCNA. It was alot of work, but I learned a ton. Now that I have it, I don't feel any need to take the Network+ since I feel like having the CCNA on my resume speaks for my networking knowledge by itself.

NightShade1

Go for CCNA or CCENT
i can tell you that CCNA have helped me a LOT... im not even installing that much cisco routers or swtiches... i install alcatel gear and fortinet one... i just install cisco everytime GC hire us for onsite support when they got a client in my country.... but that is...
What im telling u is that you dont need to use cisco gear to use the knowledge that you learn in th4e CCNA..
Go for CCNA i highly recomend it

mikej412

If your courses were through the Cisco Network Academy program you should be able to get Alumni access to the web site -- and access to the updated materials for the courses you took. I did the 640-801 CCNA and used the 3.11 courseware -- but as an alumni of the Academy I have access to the updated Discovery/Exploration for the 640-802 CCNA.

As others have said, you may as well do the 2 exam option and get the CCENT first by taking the ICND1 exam. The cost for the two exam option (ICND1/ICND2) is the same as the single CCNA exam (except for the time and gas for the 2nd trip to the exam center), so you may as well grab the extra certification for your resume.