Which certifications have brought you the most success?

unclerico

I don't know really. I know I've gotten interviews because of my CCNP, but I've gotten jobs because I interview well, I get along easily with everyone, and I know my stuff. Beyond that I'm not sure...

keenon

i would say getting CCNA that was 5 yrs ago. I think that got me into more places to build up my skills

Essendon

instant000 wrote: »

I could have said something outlandish like 100% via CISSP, but I didn't want to move to Wichita when the recruiter tried to get me to move back there.

LOL!! What's with Wichita?

Priston

None of my certs have given me any success. I guess I need to get back to studing for the CCNA...

Cayden

Well I would have to also say the CCNA. Prior to this the most I ever seen on a tax return was about 10k. With in 16 months of getting my CCNA I am about to possibly quadruple that. Currently I have tripled it but looking into another position that has a pretty good chance of going through.

Went to school for game design and was working for FedEx. I always seen these boxes labeled Cisco going to companies and didnt know what they were. Seen a community college offering the Cisco Academy and signed up. Now I am here.

Chivalry1

From a hiring standpoint none of the certification I hold have helped me obtain a job. Neither have I ever received a raise for obtaining a certification. My degree has helped me the most.

From a technical standpoint...MCSE has helped me on the job the most. Overall decision making I would have to lean towards CISSP.

badrottie

I do not feel that a certification or designation will be the single deciding factor. What I find that it does do is the following:

• Demonstrate to employers that you have a vested interest in your skills, professional development and career
• Demonstrate knowledge of a given area/domain at a minimum level
• Prevent you from being disqualified from certain positions

That is about it. I will be 100% honest: the CISSP has opened many doors, but ensuring they stay open is entirely up to me and my subsequent actions.

QHalo

My CCNA hasn't opened any doors outright, but I'm hoping to change that soon. My experience and my interviewing ability has got me further. It also helps that I work with a product that is tough to find good administrators.

dave330i

Sec+ or CEH is a must have in the DC area. They're required to get your foot in the door.

For me its VCP4. It gave me 50% pay increase. It's an interesting experience going to a career fair, mention you're a VCP to a recruiter then listen to them sell their company to you.

N2IT

If I had to give advice from this thread the CCNA would be the certification that seems to fit more people.

If you don't have a college degree networking seems to be a good field to get into granted you have your CCNA

If you are looking to elevate outside of the helpdesk or an entry level role, CCNA could do that for you. Giving you a leg up in the NOC, Network Admin role, or Sys Admin.

If you are a jack of all trades this could give you an added advantage if a project comes up regarding networking or data centers etc.

If you are a business professional this could give you a really nice understanding of networking and Cisco specific tools.

The CCNA seems like a very versitile certifcation and one that comes with a lot of respect and value.

instant000

Essendon wrote: »

LOL!! What's with Wichita?

Hah.

I'm not particularly careful about where I stay, I think I've mentioned that before, but once you get a woman in your life, you tend to change your selfish ways (if you want to keep her).

Full disclosure:

I've lived in Wichita before. While it would have been a great opportunity for me (I kept telling my girl that in that position, I could give her a job, too!) but it wasn't what she wanted to do. And, I also felt that I wasn't ready for that role yet, but would be in a couple years. I guess it's a personal thing.

instant000

N2IT wrote: »

If I had to give advice from this thread the CCNA would be the certification that seems to fit more people.

If you don't have a college degree networking seems to be a good field to get into granted you have your CCNA

If you are looking to elevate outside of the helpdesk or an entry level role, CCNA could do that for you. Giving you a leg up in the NOC, Network Admin role, or Sys Admin.

If you are a jack of all trades this could give you an added advantage if a project comes up regarding networking or data centers etc.

If you are a business professional this could give you a really nice understanding of networking and Cisco specific tools.

The CCNA seems like a very versitile certifcation and one that comes with a lot of respect and value.

Indeed, it is a respected certification. You can't get it via osmosis, LOL. One guy at work took the CCENT 8 times before he passed it ...he used the brute force method, LOL.

CiscoRAM

ALL!!!
they always get me notice and have open opportunities for me
i think that they should pay us to get training or certified on new technologies a company is as good as their IT deparment is, but they dont have to pay me i do it for personal gain

Daniel333

I get at least one job call a month since adding both MCSE and CCNA to my resume. I think the 1..2... combo of those give you the core skills most place need at a minimum.

N2IT

Daniel333 wrote: »

I get at least one job call a month since adding both MCSE and CCNA to my resume. I think the 1..2... combo of those give you the core skills most place need at a minimum.

I agree if you have both of those you are in a good place.

Mike-Mike

N2IT wrote: »

If I had to give advice from this thread the CCNA would be the certification that seems to fit more people.

If you don't have a college degree networking seems to be a good field to get into granted you have your CCNA

If you are looking to elevate outside of the helpdesk or an entry level role, CCNA could do that for you. Giving you a leg up in the NOC, Network Admin role, or Sys Admin.

If you are a jack of all trades this could give you an added advantage if a project comes up regarding networking or data centers etc.

If you are a business professional this could give you a really nice understanding of networking and Cisco specific tools.

The CCNA seems like a very versitile certifcation and one that comes with a lot of respect and value.

yeah, reading this thread has really got me thinking about working on the CCNA

jibbajabba

One VCP has proven to be more valuable than my three MCITPs

(proven in terms of money and satisfaction)

And I agree, CCNA seems to be very valuable in combination with any other cert. Once I upgraded to VCP 5 I will be aiming for the CCNA myself.

veritas_libertas

I find it interesting that the CCNA shows up so often in this thread. As of late I've seen the CCNA on everything, including Computer Forensic jobs.

Deathgomper

I too will have to jump on the CCNA wagon. My A+ helped me get a job in the field but the CCNA helped me get a job doing what I like.

N2IT

Mike-Mike wrote: »

yeah, reading this thread has really got me thinking about working on the CCNA

Good luck Mike sounds like a great one to get. I bought the official exam certification guide for CCENT/CCNA two book set.

***Note I sold it to a co worker lol

You know that saying biting off more than you can chew?

I think my goals listed in my signature are quite enough lol

KrisA

Correct me if I am wrong, but I was/am under the impression that a CCNA was a "must have". No matter what the circumstance was/is.

I have also notice that certs/experience differ in regions. In Salt Lake, my experience was enough. Consistent job at all times, only moving for "better" opportunity. After relocating to Nebraska, experience hasn't been enough, they want the paper proof.

Essendon

KrisA wrote: »

Correct me if I am wrong, but I was/am under the impression that a CCNA was a "must have". No matter what the circumstance was/is.

Where and how did you get this impression from. If you are, say a Solaris engineer, you dont need a CCNA to be looked at favourably. Similarly, if you're a Windows tech you dont need the CCNA. For sure it'll help you understand the networking concepts better, but saying it's a must have is just absurd.

KrisA

Essendon wrote: »

Where and how did you get this impression from. If you are, say a Solaris engineer, you dont need a CCNA to be looked at favourably. Similarly, if you're a Windows tech you dont need the CCNA. For sure it'll help you understand the networking concepts better, but saying it's a must have is just absurd.

It was a broad statement, and very narrow minded thinking. Having found this vast resource ( TE ), and spending the last 3 hours trolling, this site doesn't consist of just, and I don't want to say "the normal certifications".... being CompTIA, Cisco, MS... I have to think outside the box... And yes I agree, A LOT of professionals in our IT field(s) don't "need" CCNA to perform their duties, it just gives a better understanding. And that is where my thinking was wrong. IT as a whole, really is massive from SW to HW there are a 100 different jobs in between. My statement was incorrect.

I would have to agree with the CCNA being the most beneficial in knowledge as I have never read or watched any training on Net+ or A+ and I Just took the Practice exams and was pleasantly surprised at how much I all ready know from my previous study of the CCNA.

Rockets34Life

Will I be able to get a better job if I get the CCNA certification with zero CCNA work experience?

My background is mostly help desk/desktop support/Jr. system administration.

CCIEWANNABE

ITIL v3...... Only kidding

I don't think its really one cert that has made it for me. Rather showing multiple certs from multiple vendors I think that is what will get you the interview and ultimately the job.

Alot of companies run several vendors when it comes to their I.T. equipment. So having knowledge in more than one area will be a huge Plus.

jibbajabba

Rockets34Life wrote: »

Will I be able to get a better job if I get the CCNA certification with zero CCNA work experience?

My background is mostly help desk/desktop support/Jr. system administration.

I think it depends on the job. Every guy working in that area started at some point. You just have to make sure you aren't just a paper CCNA but actually know what you are talking about. You might not get the proper experience from all that theory, but at least you should be able to talk about it in an interview.

Personally I see a lot of job offers here in the UK where they ask for experience in General, but CCNA is beneficial ... A lot of jobs here seem to require a CCNA in conjunction with any certification really. MCITP, VCP and the sorts, always seem to benefit from the CCNA on top of that.

Here an example:

N2IT

Rockets34Life wrote: »

Will I be able to get a better job if I get the CCNA certification with zero CCNA work experience?

My background is mostly help desk/desktop support/Jr. system administration.

I think so to be honest. It's a very well respected certification in all the environments I have been apart of.

Mrock4

I think it is important to remember that the CCNA is just a certification, that there's much more to getting a good job than passing it. I think the CCNA was instrumental for me like many others, but it was only something that allowed me to qualify for a position on paper, I had to do the talking to get the job.

cisco_trooper did a good article recently which kind of got the same message across:

http://cisco-ccie-certification.ipnetworksllc.com/cisco-ccie-certification.ipnetworksllc.com

stlsmoore

CCNA was the best door opener for me, to be honest the Network+ did absolutely nothing for me career wise lol. Knowing a bunch of port numbers was pretty helpful though at times.

sieff

The most success came from the "CCNA" certification. Without it I wouldn't have been able to take any of the other Cisco Partner specializations or meet prerequisites for training classes.