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Cisco Certification: How To Become A Truly Valuable CCNA |
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I've been active in the Cisco Certification track for four
years, working my way from the CCNA to the coveted Cisco Certified
Internetwork Expert title, and during that time I've conducted
job interviews and casual conversations with hundreds of CCNAs
and CCNA candidates.
The CCNA is an exciting beginning to your Cisco career, but
just having the certification simply isn't enough. A recruiter
or interviewer isn't going to be impressed just with the cert;
you've got to have some real-world knowledge to back it up.
I've been down that road myself, and sat on both sides of
the CCNA job interview table. With that in mind, I'd like
to offer to you some tips on becoming a truly valuable and
employable CCNA.
1. Get some hands-on experience. I know the trap well; you
can't get experience until you get a CCNA, and you can't get
a CCNA without real experience. Well, actually, you can, but
do you want to? Working on simulators is fine to a certain
extent, but don't make the classic mistake of depending on
them. I've seen plenty of CCNAs who were put in front of a
set of routers and really didn't know what to do or how to
put together a simple configuration, and had NO idea how to
begin troubleshooting. Simulators fail to help you develop
the analytical and logical skills that you must have to be
an effective troubleshooter.
There are CCNA classes that offer you the chance to work
with industry experts on real Cisco equipment. Beyond that,
you can put together your own CCNA rack for less than $500
by buying used routers. Some people think that's a lot of
money, but this is the foundation of your career. Treat it
that way. The work you do now is the most important work you'll
ever do. Do it on real Cisco equipment. The skills I learned
as a CCNA helped me all the way up to the CCIE.
Besides, after you get your CCNA (and after that, hopefully
you'll choose to pursue the CCNP), you can always get some
of your money back by selling the equipment. The hands-on
experience you gain this way is invaluable. (I’ll also
soon be offering remote equipment access for CCNAs and CCNPs.
Watch for it!)
2. Know binary math. Do NOT go the easy route of memorizing
a subnet mask chart for the CCNA exam. I know some people
brag about being able to pass the CCNA exam without really
understanding binary math. I've seen those people on the other
side of the interview table, and they're not laughing when
I ask them to do a subnetting question. They're not laughing
when they can't explain or create a VLSM scheme. That chart
does nothing to help you understand what's going on.
If you can add and know the difference between a one and
a zero, you can do binary math. Don't let the name intimidate
you. Become a REAL CCNA -- learn binary math !
3. Run "show" and "debug" commands. No
commands help you truly understand how things work in a Cisco
network than show and debug commands. As you progress through
the Cisco certification ranks, you'll be glad you started
using these at the CCNA level.
Do you need to know these commands for the exam? Probably
not. Do you need them to be successul in the real world? Absolutely.
The Cisco certification track has been great to me, and it
can boost your career as well, whether you stop at the CCNA,
CCNP, or go all the way to the CCIE. It's the skills you develop
today that will truly make you a networking engineer.
Don't take shortcuts or get the attitude of "just passing
the exam". It's what you achieve after the exam that
counts, and it's the work you put in before passing the exam
that makes those achievements possible.
Good luck!
About the Author:
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage,
home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study
Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. For a FREE copy
of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” and
“How To Pass The CCNP”, visit the website and download
your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam
questions every day! Pass the CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!
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Relevant Resources |
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Need Cisco Hardware for your Cert? |
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| Call 813.852.6400 now for more information to find the best router or switch to best help you with your certification exam. Having "real" hands-on experience is extremely beneficial not just for testing, but also ensures you are actually familiar with the device you are working on.
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Cisco Routers |
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Cisco Switches |
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