I get asked this quite a lot. Remember that I had to make the career jump from the police force into IT, so I have firsthand experience. I also did this as the internet bubble was bursting in 2001, and IT jobs were vanishing before our very eyes.
Think first about what a Cisco CCNA engineer can actually do:
• Install a basic network
• Create and troubleshoot VLANs
• Apply basic network security
• Configure EtherChannels
• Configure High Availability (HSRP, etc.)
• Configure NAT and access lists
• Add a WAN configuration
• Configure basic routing (OSPF, etc.)
This is all pretty useful stuff for any company. Consider also that any company employing Cisco certified staff enjoys a discount on equipment. Consider further that the very fact you have sat down in your own time and studied for the exam shows ambition, professionalism, and subject matter knowledge.
I can’t tell you how many students came through my courses, passed the CCNA exam, and got a job offer. Most had no previous IT work experience, but many of the other candidates they were competing against had no qualifications, and what can you say about an IT person who can’t or won’t pass an exam?
Hiring any employee is a risk; however, that risk is mitigated when you hire a certified engineer.
Check out the top menu for a list of all our Cisco courses.
Have fun.
Paul Browning
