""Vogel Matthew GS-11 CFAO/IRMD"" wrote in message [EMAIL PROTECTED]">news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]... > I would like to add my 2 cents on this topic as well. This is a debate that > I have heard over and over and the answer is that it depends on the > individual person and what they wish to achieve with a CCIE certification. > A couple of points need to be made. > > 1. Certifications, including the CCIE, are not a guarantee of a job or a > particular salary. I am studying for the CCIE now and everyone tells me > that I am going to make six figures when I get my cert. I do not believe > that that will happen and I am not getting my cert for the money.
You should absolutely not believe that it will happen, at least not to a 100% certainty. Maybe it will happen, but maybe it won't. Just check out all the CCIE's who are unemployed or underemployed (meaning they went back to Unix sysadmin or whatever). >I work > for the government for less than my peers and will continue to do so after I > get my cert. A government job has great benefits and good job security. I > also get to go home at 4:30 everyday. > > 2. Certification does not mean you know it all. True the CCIE is the > pinnacle of Cisco certs but is does not mean you know it all. There are > many more topics that are not covered in the CCIE that a person may not have > knowledge of. That is why there are multiple CCIE tracks. And even then you are not even close to knowing it all. Some of the best minds in the industry are people like Cerf, Li, Rekhter, Katz, Perlman, and each of them has probably forgotten more about networking than all the CCIE's in the world put together will ever know. None of them have CCIE's. Of course many of them do hold the title PhD. > > 3. Continuing one's education is never a bad thing. In the networking > world things change by the day. Working toward a cert and staying certified > is a good way to force yourself to stay up with the technology. That is one of the ways to stay up with the technology. But it's not the best way. The best way obviously is to constantly make sure you're being handed quality projects. > > 4. Better to have the cert than not to. If you are applying for a job and > their are two other candidates with the same experience level and training > but you have a CCIE cert and they do not, who do you think is going to get > the job? In today's job market every little bit helps. For ever person I > have heard say it did not make a difference when they got hired, I know > three more people that say a cert did make the difference. I know that my > certs, MCSE, CCNP, and CCDA helped me get my current job right after Sept. > 11. Well, when you look at it that way, then you can say that about anything. Getting a PhD will help. Getting an MBA will help. Anything helps. The real way to look at it is to do a proper cost-benefit analysis and determine whether the advantages of getting a particular cert outweighs the time and money it takes to get the cert. This analysis will obviously depend on many factors - not least of which is who is paying (you or your company), and on whose time are you doing the studying (yours or your company's). My take is that if your company is willing to foot the entire bill, including failed test attempts, and will also provide you with time to study, then certs are clearly worth it. Otherwise, the choice is far less clear-cut. > > Like I said, it boils down to each individual making a decision. Personally > I am not going for the CCIE for the money or a job. I already have both. > The payback for me in the knowledge that I got the cert when others said I > could not. The prestige is also a good thing. To me it does not matter how > long or how much money it takes, I will be a CCIE before I die. > > Matt > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: McHugh Randy [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 10:42 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: CCIE WORTH IT? [7:50941] > > > I am not so sure it is worth it. I had a CCNP, CCDP, and experience as a > network engineer and was out of work for almost an entire year. I think it > is only worth it for the challenge and if you really love it , becuase your > going to have to put so much time and effort into passing the lab unless > your willing to make a huge sacrifice and really enjoy it then just not > going to be fun. Just my 2 cents. Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=51030&t=50941 -------------------------------------------------- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
