I found the following interesting article about the advantages of getting a Cisco certification as an important step in your career advancement in networking. Another important reason that I would add for getting a Cisco certification is that you will force yourself to learn the theory behind network technology and not rely only on hands-on practical experience (which is also important of course). Learning the theory behind networking technology concepts will tremendously help you in troubleshooting (if you are a field engineer) or in properly designing networks (if you are a network designer and planner).

Article:

If you work in the information technology field, or if you are trying to break in to start your career, getting a certification is a crucial step. Companies often require at least one IT certification to qualify for a position. There are many choices for which certification to pursue, though. Here are four great reasons why you should consider a Cisco certification for career advancement:

1. Cisco is a trusted name in the industry. Cisco is one of the world’s leading providers of IT and networking solutions. That gives them a lot of credibility in the technology world. As a result, employers place a lot of trust in Cisco to certify knowledgeable workers. After all, who better to test your skill with technology than the people who created that technology? Adding a Cisco certification to your resume lets you benefit from their very reliable name.
2. There are a wide variety of Cisco certifications to choose from. Cisco may specialize in computer networking, but there are dozens of specializations to choose from in their catalog of certifications. Whatever your particular IT interest is, there is probably a Cisco certification that is right for you. Interested in network design? Try a CCNA, CCDA, or CCDP. Is network security your thing? Then look into getting a CCSP. You can even specialize in voice, wireless, or storage networking. Research the type of specialization that interests you, and then plan out the certification path that suits your goals.
3. Cisco certifications follow a distinct career path. Cisco makes it very easy to turn your certification pursuits into a career track. There are seven main paths for Cisco certification: Routing and Switching, Design, Network Security, Service Provider, Storage Networking, Voice, and Wireless. Each path contains a separate set of certifications that build on one another and prepare you for increasing levels of responsibility in your field of specialization. You can use these certification paths as a guide to building your career. Just find a position that requires the entry certification level, and then continue increasing your certification level and seek out new positions or internal promotions that match your current level of certification.
4. Getting a lower-level certification prepares you for certifications higher up the chain. Cisco structures their certification paths in a unique way, where lower level certifications qualify you for more specialized certifications further up in the hierarchy. Most IT pros start out with the basic CCENT certification, which is a prerequisite for most other Cisco certifications. The Associate level CCNA certification usually follows, since it qualifies you for more certifications at the Professional and Expert level. This makes those low-level certifications even more valuable. Not only do they give you a boost in your career, but they also open up certification doors for you should you choose to advance your education and continue to specialize.

If you are convinced, you can find out more about Cisco certifications, paths, and levels at http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/index.html. Once you decide on which path to take, consider enrolling at a qualified certification training school to help you prepare for your exam. With a little guidance and practice, you will be able to pass your Cisco certification exam the first time and start enjoying the benefits to your career right away.

Shawn Livengood works for TechSkills, a career training school with over 25 campuses nationwide. TechSkills offers career training programs for IT certifications, healthcare services, accounting, and project management.

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Livengood

The world of technology moves at a rapid pace. Once you learn one thing, you can expect that knowledge to be obsolete in a couple of years. The only fields that probably compete with technology in how fast they change is probably being a scientist or maybe even a doctor. If you are a professional in the tech field, it is your job to be on top of new and up coming technologies. This is not to say that you must master everyone of them, but you should at the very least be aware that they are out there. The first time you stop attempting to gain new knowledge in your chosen field, is when you start to become obsolete. The people behind Cisco Certifications reinforce these ideals. Their certifications are only valid for three years. After that you have to be re certified.

When a company decides to back something, they are putting their good name at risk. This is the same when it comes to certifications. The company is basically backing you with their reputation. If you walk around with a badge, advertising that you are Cisco Certified, they want to make sure that you know your stuff. Getting a certification ten years ago and never retaking the test, doesn’t show that you are knowledgeable about the latest technology. If you go to a potential employer and you know nothing about the questions that they are asking you, this makes them have a dim view of the certification itself. A bad reputation then makes the certification useless. Certifications are mostly about impressing the employer, in addition to getting the tech knowledge. If you are not able to do that, then it is worthless.

Some people will complain about too many new trends in technology and not all of them will last. Of course most of them will not last, but that is not the point. You should have known going in that technology is an ever changing field. This is not an unknown fact. It will not stop, just because you wish it to. The field is all about growth and taking ideas to the next level.

Cisco truly cares about their certification process. So much so, that they have set their certifications up with levels. There are five different levels of certifications, they are Entry, Associate, Professional, Expert, and Architect. If you are able to keep up with their technology, you will be able to rise up in levels. Becoming re certified every three years is a perfect way to do this. In that three years span of time, you should have been able to gain a lot more knowledge in your chosen section, so that you would be able to rise a level or two. This takes a large amount of discipline and future employers will recognize that.

Achieving a Cisco Certification every three years will help weed out the people who are not willing to keep up with the latest technology. In the world of tech, it is your job to be able to keep up with the latest developments. If you do not, then you will only be qualified for taking care of older technology. This can help you earn a steady paycheck but not in the most exciting way.

When it comes to the world of certifications there are many to choose from. It doesn’t matter what area of expertise that you are going in, there will always be sub sections that you will have to know more than others. It is the same in technology. When a company hires you for a tech position, they want to know if you have a broad range of knowledge but also if you are a specialist in the field that they are hiring you for. The one way to show that you are a specialist is by getting a certification in that area. Besides an actual demonstration, there is no better way to prove that you can do what you say you can. The only problem is, what do you want to be your specialty?

When you sit down and decide to get a job in the tech field, you have to really think about what you like the best. Luckily, Cisco offers a wide range of technology that you can specialize in. Their certifications are considered top notch in the industry. Once you have one, there will be a lot of doors opened to you.

Some of the areas that Cisco offers a certification in includes, Data Center, Advanced Routing, Video, Network security, Voice, Wireless and a whole lot of others. There will be something in the group, that you will like more than the others. You have to look at yourself and figure out what you like the best. You will also have to weigh that decision with what employers are looking for in your area. If you are in a major tech hub, then you can most likely study any of these areas and find a job in it. But if you are in a smaller town, then you should really look at the local newspaper and see what the employers in the area are looking for. There is no need to waste time studying for a certification that employers are not hiring for in your area. That is, unless you are willing to move.

There are a lot of Cisco Certifications that are available for you to achieve. It all comes down to two major factors. What are you interested in? Also, what are the employers looking for in your area? If you are able to answer these two questions, then you will be on the road to getting the proper certification that fits best to your own situation.

People pursuing the CCNA certification have many options for preparing for their exam. They can follow the completely self-study path by reading ccna books and solving practice questions or they can attend an instructor-based classroom training. There is an option somewhere in between also (which in my opinion is the best option). This is a CCNA Video Training. With this option you still have the self-study element available, but you also have the benefits of an instructor-based training. Basically you get a video training package which walks you through step-by-step with visual examples, configuration explanations etc in order to learn and assimilate the material better.
 
The two biggest players in the certification industry which focus on video trainings are Train signal and CBT Nuggets. In this post I will list and describe the features of the CCNA Video Training packages offered by both companies for having a quick view if you want to make a decision which package better fits your needs. I hope people looking to choose between Train Signal Vs CBT Nuggets will find the following comparison helpful. Just keep in mind that both companies are excellent on what they are doing so whatever your choice is you will get top-notch training quality from both. However, in my opinion you will get a better value for money if you go with Trainsignal since they offer free practice questions and exams from Transcender and also they offer the training material in different multimedia format (iPod Video, MP3 Audio) together with PDF instructor notes.

The CCNA Training Packages described below will help you for both ccna exam options (either the combined CCNA 640-802 exam or the two-exam option with 640-822 plus 640-816).

Check out the training companies by yourself:

TrainSignal

CBT Nuggets