<p>A few years ago I heard that Cisco network certification was in big demand. Is that still the case? If yes, is it something that could give value-add to the college grad job hunters?</p>
<p>When I was encouraging my S to get them, he seemed to think they were not that important. As he kept job hunting, he was seeing them requested more and more frequently. He finally got the CCENT which was fine, but most jobs in which he was interested required a minimum of CCNA. It took him a few tries to pass the CCNA (he self studied), passed it and was now a viable candidate for jobs he really wanted. He landed a job he loves which would not have been possible without the CCNA.</p>
<p>My S has both the CCNA and CCNP designations.</p>
<p>I think that holding these designations was a big help in his succcessful job hunt last Fall (at the beginning of his senior year in college).</p>
<p>Thanks for your responses. What did your kids study in college? </p>
<p>We got a bit overwhelmed trying to look at this on Google. Any chance you know of a website with good overview?</p>
<p>His major was Computer Information Systems.</p>
<p>I tried to research the different exams on the Cisco site. It was complicated and confusing, at least to me! When S decided he needed to look into it more, he was able to make sense of it. As I recall, he made an account which gave him access to more of the information on the site.</p>
<p>My S’s major was Information Technology.</p>
<p>I’m sure you already looked at the Cisco website:</p>
<p>[Certifications</a> - IT Certification and Career Paths - Cisco Systems](<a href=“Cisco Training, Events, and Webinar Resources - Cisco”>Certifications - Training & Certifications - Cisco)</p>
<p>Note that they will be changing the CCNA routing and switching exam on October 1.</p>
<p>It’s been about 2 years since I was researching the Cisco exams. Seems like they have simplified the site a bit. Either that or I am becoming more familiar with their routine and terms! </p>
<p>Now I see that they offer the option to take the exams online, unproctored. That is a nice improvement. When S was taking them, the testing centers they had were all about an hour away.</p>
<p>When we were looking at colleges for him, one college that we visited had the students take the microsoft certification exams as part of the course. It also served as an assessment tool for the college. I thought that was interesting. But he did not choose that college.</p>
<p>Thanks for the site link. When I checked, the problem was too many links… not knowing where to start. I’m still trying to figure out if it is usually done self study or by course.</p>
<p>What kind of job positions do these certificates apply for specifically?</p>
<p>S self studied for both his exams. He bought the Cisco book that covered those. I believe there were also videos available that he could access. I just asked him if he was studying now for the CCNP and he said he wanted to work in the job a bit longer to pick up more of the information hands on. Then he will start to prepare for CCNP.</p>
<p>My S self studied for the CCNA and CCNP - using books, on line resources (videos, etc.), and he also had equipment he was practicing on.</p>
<p>These certifications would be appropriate for such positions as systems engineer and network engineer.</p>
<p>Oh, that’s right, dadinator. I remember now that S ordered some switches and some other stuff so he could learn the hand on stuff.</p>
<p>Also useful and often required for network administrator. S had thoughts about doing network security and there are certification exams for that area as well. I’m not sure if he is still looking in that direction though.</p>