Will Getting the CCNA Certification Help With Your Career?
Posted by ccnaguy
Today’s modern business world relies more on technology than ever before. This reliance has placed educational emphasis on areas that have been largely ignored in the past. Computer networking is one of the areas that is rapidly becoming compulsory knowledge for anyone desiring a solid career in the modern world. While adding pressure, this new emphasis is also creating opportunity for those wise enough to shore up any holes in their educational record. The CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is one piece of certification that more businesses are looking for every day.
Technology Jobs
High level technology positions are unique in the business world because they generally require both a secondary degree and tech-specific certifications. One of the ironies of the requirement is that most tech department managers could not care less about the degree. This narrow field requires specialized knowledge in the task at hand. Such knowledge can only be demonstrated by applicants who have achieved tech-specific certifications. While it is theoretically possible to study CCNA books to develop a complete understanding of the subject, it is rare for someone to demonstrate complete understanding without a formal class.
Being CCNA certified demonstrates to the hiring decision maker that the candidate for a position has learned and been tested on the knowledge needed to excel in the department. Someone who has studied CCNA books but not actually achieved certification could be every bit as qualified as another candidate who has actually gained certification, but the company, when choosing between complete strangers, will always give the nod to the certified candidate. Given the choices of hiring a candidate who may or may not be qualified and someone with a paper stating that they have been tested and demonstrated their qualification, it should be no surprise that they prefer to choose a known quantity. Technology jobs, unlike many other areas of a business tend to drop new hires immediately into their work with little or no additional training. Because of this, they must choose candidates that they are confident already possess the knowledge to successfully do the work.
Non-Technology Jobs
For modern business, communication is more important than ever before. Within an office, the most common method of communication is sending data through the computer network. Even when it is not a requirement of the job, CCNA certification is an advantage similar to being able to speak a foreign language. The competitive advantage of certification exists for two reasons – saving money today and being versatile for tomorrow.
A large portion of tech support time is spend fixing problems caused by end users who are unfamiliar with the technology they work with. For a company choosing between candidates, the non-certified candidate immediately represents a larger cost to the company than the certified one because the odds of the certified person creating downtime and tying up tech support resources through ignorance are far smaller.
While it many not be a job requirement at the time of hire, no one can predict what skills will be needed down the road. The strongest companies are able to evolve with changing needs. Hiring employees with the broadest skill set possible maximizes this versatility.
Whether it is a technology career or not, the bottom line is that getting the CCNA certification will always help with a career.
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