Why would anyone want to gain top-level technology certification in the first place? If you want to further your career, there are some very compelling reasons.
For me it was simple: recognition. I'm one of those people who get the bulk of their job satisfaction through doing good things in noticeable ways. Sure, the paycheck is nice, too. But I feel better when I look at a task and say, "I did that well". Obtaining Cisco Certified Internetworking Engineer (CCIE) certification is a tangible and satisfying goal, and the knowledge gained would certainly help with big, high-profile projects in the future.
This is the first of an IT pro's quarterly account of what it's like to go through Cisco's most rigorous certification program.
Your goals might be same, but for most people, career advancement is the main motivator. As with any labor pool, quality of high-tech workers ranges from horrendous to magnificent. Advanced degrees can help to identify the smarter, more dedicated candidates, but they don't address the issue of specific expertise or experience. One way to stand out in a crowd is to have a certificate that says, "I know what I'm doing."
IT certification began many years ago when the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals, an independent organization, offered a certification program for data processing in general. Industry professionals received this warmly, but employers paid little notice, so the program faded away. It's still available, but very few people elect to participate. It wasn't until Novell joined the party that vendor-specific certifications became desirable.
The Novell Certified Novell Engineer (CNE) program took off very quickly. Here was a way for people who used Novell products to gain recognition for their skills. Microsoft followed with the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer program, which also became and remains very popular. On the hardware side, The A+ Computer Technician certification is big.
Right now, Cisco certification is the hottest ticket in the industry. As Cisco gains even more market share, the need for qualified technicians and designers continues to grow. Working with Cisco switches and routers is serious stuff and requires in-depth knowledge of protocols, standards and the equipment that supports them. To help professionals gain the requisite knowledge, Cisco developed a series of classes and partnered with training organizations around the world to deliver them.
Cisco is benefiting from a somewhat ugly trend elsewhere in the IT network industry. Many other certification programs deal almost exclusively with theoretical knowledge and require no hands-on or on-the-job experience. It's possible to gain a top-level certification without ever having used the technology in a business environment. Tales of "paper CNEs" are notorious in the field, and other vendor programs have similar issues. Cisco has escaped being tarred with the same brush by having in its classes a substantial hands-on requirement combined with a heavy business orientation.
The other trend benefiting Cisco is the current market squeeze for qualified workers. Companies can't afford to train entry-level employees only to see them jump ship to another employer right afterward. A job candidate with certification represents someone who will require less training and be productive more quickly.
Cisco reinforces this by carefully providing levels of certification. There are mid-, high- and ultra-high-level certifications available, all of which represent real-world knowledge. Cisco-certified personnel are in high demand, and this is likely to continue for some time to come. Just how much demand they're in can be seen in the statistics. Currently, there are slightly fewer than 5,000 CCIE-certified people worldwide. The median salary is around $100,000 a year, and prospective employers are typically lined up two or three deep as you come out of the final exam.
Whether your motivation is ego or greed, there are many good reasons for following the certification path, and some tangible rewards wait at the end of the trail.
Shapiro is a CCNA and the technology coordinator for the Kingsport city schools in Kingsport, Tenn. He can be reached at jshapiro@kpt.k12.tn.us.
