For some of us, it seems a little silly to talk about the value of Cisco certifications. Once you have some of them, the value is typically obvious. But for those people who don’t have them, or who may be just getting into the industry, it may not be as evident. So I wanted to take some time to talk about four of the major reasons why certifications carry so much value.
Now before I get into the reasons, let me premise this with the stipulation that I’m talking to people who are (or want to be) in a technical role. Certifications won’t carry the same value if you want to do something like sales or management. Cisco certifications (at least the ones that we deal with here) are validations of technical knowledge and sometimes hands-on skill. So if your job doesn’t significantly leverage what the certifications deal with, then the value won’t be there.
1) Cisco certifications increase your knowledge and competency
It is almost guaranteed that you will have to learn new things in your preparation for a certification. Most certifications deal with a fairly wide range of technologies and protocols. Very few of us deal with all of the covered topics in our day-to-day jobs. For instance, how many wired networks do you know that run RIP, EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS, and BGP at the same time? Or how many wireless networks use all of the special AP radio roles on autonomous APs (assuming they even have autonomous APs)? Even at the CCNA level, most people cannot pass the exam without some level of preparation.
This is honestly where almost all of the value of the certification stems from in my opinion. You are improving and becoming a better engineer because you are increasing your knowledge and experience base. You will be able to configure things better, quicker, and more wisely than before. You will also be able to find and solve issues better. Because this is the main source of all value in a certification, those who cheat to obtain a certification rob themselves of this value. While they may get some minimal value by having the certification, it will be muted and short term. Those who put in the work will reap the full value and it will be a lasting benefit.
2) Cisco certifications help open the door to career advancement
First, let me define what I mean by career advancement. I would consider career advancement the act of moving into a position or role that is a desirable next step in your career. This doesn’t necessarily mean earning more money. But it does mean that you are doing something generally more desirable than what you were doing before. That could mean doing what you did before at a more advanced level, being able to move out responsibilities that you were stuck with before that you didn’t enjoy, or moving into a different type of role.
Admittedly, there are multiple ways to advance your career. People can advance as far as they want without a certification. But certifications make advancement easier. It’s amazing how many promotions or job changes happen shortly after getting a certification. Many jobs have certain levels of certifications listed as requirements or at least listed as desirable. Having certifications often gets you into the interview room. They can also be a difference maker between similarly experienced candidates.
People will often point out that experience trumps certifications when it comes to job prospects. I would completely agree with that. The thing about experience is that it is hard to control. Let’s say that you aren’t in the industry yet. Sure you can beg someone to let you work on their network as an intern or something. But there aren’t a ton of those opportunities. And if you do get one, you are probably doing mindless grunt work. Or if you already have a job in the industry, your scope of experience will be limited to your company and often the scope of your individual role. In both of these scenarios, you have a low amount of control over what you are allowed to work on. Someone else has the final say. But working towards certifications is 100% under your control. It’s something that you can do, even if you aren’t getting the experience that you want. And if you are getting good experience, certifications will only enhance things. Often times, good experience accompanies moving into new roles. So getting a certification can help open the door to those opportunities for more/better experience.
Lastly, I’d like to point out that the reason that certifications open doors is because they imply that you have a certain level of knowledge and competency (see reason #1).
3) Cisco certifications increases your value and earning power
Certifications are supposed to validate that you have a certain level of knowledge and skills. While you can have those levels without certifications, having the certification is a visible way to “prove” it. I like to compare certifications to college degrees. All a college degree says is that you satisfactorily completed a prescribed list of classes from (ideally) an accredited/trusted institution. Sure, you could learn all of the same stuff outside of getting a degree. But it’s common knowledge that people with degrees make more money than those without degrees on average. It’s not just the knowledge that carries value. But it’s having a nice easy way to show employers that you supposedly have the knowledge.
Think of it from an HR perspective. My wife previously worked in an HR department and knows all too well the work involved in finding and hiring people. They do not have the time to dig deep into every resume on every search engine or every applicant that approaches them. So they use methods to get to a relatively short list that they can dig deeper into. Guess what they use in their initial filtering? Key word searches, degrees, and certifications are at the top of the list.
Certifications carry inherent value because they are supposed to make you a safer bet from a hiring standpoint. They help show that you aren’t just BS’ing your way through your interviews (where the decision makers only get to interact with you for maybe an hour or so). Also, some companies (like Cisco Partners) directly make money off of employees with certain certifications. Someone with a CCIE can get billed out at a much higher rate than someone with a CCNP. So certifications increase your value simply by having them. The more value you have, the higher you will generally be compensated.
Higher earning potential is also a natural byproduct of career advancement. Most significant raises in pay accompany changes in jobs (either a new title at a current company or moving to a different company). Since certifications accelerate career advancement, they will accelerate your earning power as well.
Lastly, I’d like to point out that the primary reason that certifications increase your value and earning power is that you truly can provide more value to an employer because you have achieved a certain level of knowledge and competency (see reason #1). Hmm… I think I see a pattern starting here.
4) Achieving a Cisco Certification carries with it a personal reward
This one is a bit subjective when compared to the other reasons. But I have found the process of working towards and subsequently achieving certifications a personally rewarding experience. Some of it comes from my general love of learning. I honestly like learning new things and becoming better at stuff. I also have the personality that wants to take things to their highest levels. So working through the certification levels carried many opportunities for personal reward.
First, there is the obvious reward of achieving something that you worked hard for. You get that as you pass each test and achieve each new level of certification. But there are also other sources of personal rewards that I have found in my journey.
Some of the satisfaction comes from the learning process itself. Knowing more today than I did yesterday is neat. It’s also the little victories of making something work for the first time. It’s watching those pings work across that wireless bridge link that I just configured for the first time. Or it’s spotting and fixing an issue that you never would have solved before your studies. Or it’s finding the issues before your colleagues do. It’s just more fun to be good at what you do. And certifications are a great way to focus your learning to new levels.
Lastly, I’d like to point out that many of the personal rewards are a natural byproduct of the process of gaining a certain level of knowledge and competency (see reason #1). It’s official. I’ve established a pattern.
Conclusion
If you have been wondering if certifications are worth pursuing, I’d encourage you to go for them. There is a good amount of value that can be gained by earning them. And the value only increases as you make your way through the more advanced levels of certification. I honestly don’t know many people who deemed their certifications a waste of time (assuming they stayed in a related technical field). For most people, they provide a great return on their investment. Why not get started today?
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