CCNP or Bachelors in IT

f0rgiv3n

Unfortunately I have no publicized article, I just know family members who worked there for 30 years.
And one of the things they experience was that those without degrees floated to the top of the list for the first layoffs.

Iristheangel

I think what's important (degree vs certification) really depends on the individual employer or department looking at your resume. If it's an HR or non-technical manager, certifications may mean nothing to them while a degree trumps all. If it's a technical manager, then certifications may land you the interview and the degree means nothing to him.

It's good to have both so you can impress both sets of people. Believe me, both can be done. Even if you just have to take one exam a semester, you can still get it done

bermovick

Personally, I got the certs first, as they seemed more focused (and cheaper), with plans on getting a BA once the certs get me a job paying well enough that I can afford the cost. Ditto for if/when I go for a Master's. My current job might be sufficient to meet step 2, and that's with 2 years of experience.

Of course if I were already in school and/or not had a family to support, I might have a different answer.

pert

If you want to get your foot int he door to Networking Engineering, get your CCNP first, then go get the degree. First of all, this is not an OR decision. Secondly, You can get a CCNP in under 2 months of study if youre unemployed and studying full time, and 3-4 months if youre employed with no other duties. A Bachelors will take 2 years before it pays off.

Further, you need to get your foot int he door somewhere with a networking related job even if you decide to go do bachelors first. If youre not working while youre going to school then youre shooting your career in the foot. Thats 2 years of experience youll be giving up, and 2 years of work youll still need to do after you graduate at low pay. Getting your NP first will let you find a place where you can get in. Once you have that taken care of start your degree immediately. 2 years down the road youll have a degree, NP, and 2 years of experience and be completely primed to find real work.