Should I finish my CCNA?

Ricochet J · 7 Jun 2007 at 12:33

Hey guys! I finished my CCNA 1 and 2 and have signed certificates to prove I have finished them. But I also know they are next to useless if I don't have the major top dog certificate telling me i've passed CCNA overall.

Now, i'm not persuing a career in networking at all. In september i'm doing a Mechanical Engineering degree. However, in two weeks time I can enroll to a class for free and finish the CCNA 3 and 4 if I want only to pay for the final CCNA exam.

My question is, although i'm not persuing a career in networking, shall I just finish of my CCNA? Time's not and issue. I'm practically free now until September which gives me enough time to finish it. But i'm lazy so I need some convincing!

Edit: If I have CCNA after my name including MEng does that mean i'd have a bit more earning power over other engineers because I have other qualifications?

And I would also need to renew the CCNA every 2 years if i'm not mistaken?

Gilly · 7 Jun 2007 at 12:34

No, procrastinate and waste the time and money you've already invested in it.

Whitestar · 7 Jun 2007 at 12:37

Well, its up to you, but I can tell you from expersience that 3 and 4 are much hard than 1 and 2. They need you to be comitted to doing it.

branddaly · 7 Jun 2007 at 12:43

Ricochet J said:
Edit: If I have CCNA after my name including MEng does that mean i'd have a bit more earning power over other engineers because I have other qualifications?

It may make you more employable, if you are looking for jobs where networking is a required skill, but no-one would pay you more money for having a skill that they don't need you to use.

Samtheman1k · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:13

What are you going to tell a potential employer at a job interview when they ask you why you didn't finish your course (irrespective of the subject)?

Ricochet J · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:25

I didn't pay for the course. It was funded by my college who asked me to take it. So I took it. All I have to pay is the final exam.

If people do ask me why I didn't finish it is it not okay to say I had a think and changed my future career?

Samtheman1k · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:42

Ricochet J said:
If people do ask me why I didn't finish it is it not okay to say I had a think and changed my future career?

Maybe, but then they may see it as a lack of commitment.

If it is virtually free, then it seems daft not to do it if you don't have anything else to do...

HEADRAT · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:47

Ricochet J said:
Edit: If I have CCNA after my name including MEng does that mean i'd have a bit more earning power over other engineers because I have other qualifications?

Qualifications are pretty meaningless without practical experience, I have interviewed a few CCIE's who couldn't tell me how to recover a Cisco with a lost password or reset the bootflags (that will teach Cisco for making the practicals less hands on).

HEADRAT

mynsa · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:48

do it, ive done 3 and 4 (not final yet) and they arent that much harder...

Ricochet J · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:49

HEADRAT said:
Qualifications are pretty meaningless without practical experience, I have interviewed a few CCIE's who couldn't tell me how to recover a Cisco with a lost password or reset the bootflags (that will teach Cisco for making the practicals less hands on).

HEADRAT

Change the config register to 0x2142 I thinK!

I'm thinking of finishing the CCNA and see if anyone will take me on part time whilst i'm in Uni. Headrat, you said you interview people. I take it you have experience. Will people take me on part time with a full CCNA if i'm in Uni?

Ripper · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:49

Ricochet J said:
I didn't pay for the course. It was funded by my college who asked me to take it. So I took it. All I have to pay is the final exam.

If people do ask me why I didn't finish it is it not okay to say I had a think and changed my future career?

I was in the same situation as you, I did everything up until the voucher exam (which upon passing gets you money off the final exam). Didn't bother taking the final exam as I blagged my way through it all anyway (alt tabbing to google during the exams). I figured having the qualification wouldn't prove anything and I'd just end up looking like a tit if I was to blag a job based on it

Ricochet J · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:50

Ripper said:
I was in the same situation as you, I did everything up until the voucher exam (which upon passing gets you money off the final exam). Didn't bother taking the final exam as I blagged my way through it all anyway (alt tabbing to google during the exams). I figured having the qualification wouldn't prove anything and I'd just end up looking like a tit if I was to blag a job based on it

So have you left it out of your CV?

Ripper · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:52

Yeh, but as I said I didn't bother doing the final exam.

HEADRAT · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:53

Ricochet J said:
Will people take me on part time with a full CCNA if i'm in Uni?

The hardest thing is getting your first break, if I had two candidates both with the same level of education and attitude etc. then you have to look for a differentiator, the CNNA could be just that.

HEADRAT

Psyk · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:56

I did a CCNA at school even though I'm not going into a networking career. You might as well finish it, you've got nothing to lose. At least it'll be something to fall back on in case everything goes wrong.

Does it run out after 2 years? I thought it was 3. I guess mine is out of date now. No point in renewing it really.

Ricochet J · 7 Jun 2007 at 13:56

Thanks, it's given me something to think about!

I think i'll do it. It'll give me knowledge. I've got something to gain and nothing to loose so might as well!

Abz · 7 Jun 2007 at 14:35

CCNA lasts 3 years, and to renew it you will need any 642-XXX exam (anyone cisco pro exam). But the main thing is standing out from other people when going for an interview.

It will give you the understanding of how networks work, even though you dont need it. Employers will be impressed. CCNA is one of the hardest courses in Cisco and if you pass... that would be creditable.

Anyway my advise do it. Am so happy I done my CCNA, now am doing my CCSP. Also got Checkpoint (CCSA)

Psyk · 7 Jun 2007 at 14:40

Abz said:
CCNA is one of the hardest courses in Cisco

Surely it's the easiest? I mean it is the entry level qualification.

I want to work as a games programmer, so I really don't see how a CCNA is at all relevent to that.

Abz · 7 Jun 2007 at 14:49

Supposed to be the easiest. But you will cover so much, you are required to learn the basics that most of will never be used on the real world. Like how much volts runs through Ethernet and what sort of current it uses.

90% of the time you will never use you CCNA knowledge to configure networks, becuase business network are much much much more complex than what they teach you in CCNA. Neverless they will teach you the basics which I didnt use all of it in real the world but will give you the understanding on what needs to be done.

Other Cisco qualifications use real world problems and solution eg: CCNP will teach you how to configure networks and troubleshoot them.

Put it this way the CCNA I did was better than the Degree in computer networks that I did in Uni.

Xenoxide · 7 Jun 2007 at 15:01

Psyk said:
I want to work as a games programmer, so I really don't see how a CCNA is at all relevent to that.

If you're doing network coding I think it would be a great deal of help. You would have insight into the major issues that affect online gaming such as latency, and how it could be rectified.