A Cisco Career Guide
Building your Career with Cisco Training
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Content Introduction - Cisco Career Guide
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Understanding Cisco Certifications
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Cisco Certification - CCENT
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Cisco Certification - CCNA
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Cisco Certification - CCNP
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Popular Cisco Courses
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Cisco Routing & Switching
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Cisco Security
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Cisco Data Center
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Cisco Collaboration
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Cisco Wireless
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Cisco Cloud
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Cisco Design
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A Career in Technology
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Test Your Skills
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Conclusion
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Introduction With three decades of leading industrial service, Cisco is the world’s largest global networking organization. The company has successfully developed, manufactured, and provided industries and organizations with networking hardware, equipment, and other high-technology products, services, trainings, and solutions. Cisco trainings and solutions are industry standard benchmarks designed to help both learners and practitioners in enhancing their knowledge and skills. Becoming certified by Cisco is not just beneficial for the workforce and IT practitioners, but is also useful for employers. These globally recognized networking and telecommunications certifications show one’s mastery in the designated fields and help the learner achieve better career opportunities, salary, and recognition.
Understanding Cisco Certifications Cisco offers a comprehensive range of certifications. These certifications are designed in such a manner that anyone from entry level to highly experienced can take advantage and enhance their skills and understanding. Cisco certifications are classified as under five levels: entry, associate, professional, expert and architect, based on a rising scale of difficulty. Going for a higher certification requires a thorough understanding of the previous one. Cisco certificates for beginners provide novice professionals with an in-depth understanding of necessary topics. Progressing from one certification to another, one carries a complete understanding of the previous course to the next level. Cisco courses are focused on insightful learning and overall development. Let’s take a look at the three most popular Cisco certification tracks: CCENT Certification
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CCNA Certification
CCNP Certification
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Cisco Certification - CCENT CCENT Certification CCENT or Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician is a high valued technician program. It is best suited for entry-level network support associates. The course program focuses on enhancing skills in installing, operating and troubleshooting a small organization network infrastructure. It also helps in developing a basic network security for the organization. The certificate program is highly valued for its detailed and in-depth course coverage on how to safeguard a network. It also covers other domains like, wireless concepts, security fundamentals, networking basics, routing and switching, and WAN technologies.
How to Become a CCENT? To become a CCENT professional, you must begin with 100-105 ICND1 course, also called the Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1. The CCENT exam is a computer based MCQ type examination, time-framed for a duration of 7590 minutes. The exam constitutes of 40-60 questions that have to attempted from a set of given options. Cisco CCENT track professional course is the ideal preparation to showcase mastery of the pursued subject matter.
Beneficial for Network engineers Network administrators Network architects IT managers
Salary ranges Network Engineer $48,482 - $98,268 Network administrators $40,863 - $79,573 Sr. Network Engineer $71,714 - $128,578 Information Technology (IT) Manager $49,734 - $118,509 Systems Administrator $43,319 - $83,585
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Cisco Certification - CCNA CCNA Certification CCNA, or Cisco Certified Network Associate, is a job-role focused training and certification program. It is an associate level certification that tests the learner’s knowledge and skills required to install, operate, and troubleshoot a small to medium size enterprise branch network.
How to Become a CCNA? Becoming a CCNA requires a firm basic understanding of networking. Successful CCNAs understand network processes and the fundamentals of networking schemes. A firm basic understanding of networking is also a prerequisite. Cisco provides CCNA track entry certifications for the following courses: Routing & Switching
Collaboration
Security
Wireless
Data Center
Cloud
Design
Beneficial for Network video engineers IP telephony and IP network engineers Network administrators Senior network engineers IT managers System administrators
Salary ranges Network Engineer $48,482 - $98,268 Network administrators $40,863 - $79,573 Sr. Network Engineer $71,714 - $128,578 Information Technology (IT) Manager $49,734 - $118,509 Systems Administrator $43,319 - $83,585
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Cisco Certification - CCNP CCNP Certification CCNP, or Cisco Certified Network Professional, is an intermediate level certification in the Cisco certified professional program. This successor certification program to CCNA helps prepare professionals to develop, implement, maintain and troubleshoot local and wide area networks. It is designed to best help practitioners who work as full-time network or system administrators. Those who work with local or wide-area network (LAN/WAN) infrastructure can also benefit from CCNP training.
How to Become a CCNP? After completing your CCNA training and certification, you are ready to progress into the CCNP program. To enroll in CCNP, you must have a year’s experience in networking. CCNP is a track associate certification program offered by Cisco for the following courses: Routing & Switching
Collaboration
Security
Wireless
Data Center
Cloud
Design
Beneficial for Network engineers Network administrators Network architects IT managers
Salary ranges Network Engineer $57,267 - $110,395 Network Administrator $46,093 - $94,207 Network Architect $88,909 - $154,051 Information Technology (IT) Manager $60,080 - $126,270
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Popular Cisco Courses Cisco offers a range of certifications for networkers and IT staff. These certifications are recognized globally and speak of a person’s understanding of the subject. Cisco certifications are organized by topic through the different track levels. Going for a higher certification requires a thorough understanding of the previous one. The certification areas include:
Routing & Switching
Security
Data Center
Collaboration
Wireless
Cloud
Design
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Cisco Routing & Switching Routing & Switching The Cisco R&S certification track leads to proficiency in conducting onsite support and maintenance of the operating environment, routers, and switches. These certifications help you grow your knowledge and necessary skills in the domain to streamline your organization’s networking infrastructure. The CCNA routing and switching certification progression is an ideal course track suitable for network administrators, network specialists, network engineer associates, network support engineers, and network analysts for gaining the basics of networking infrastructure.
Certifications CCNA Routing & Switching
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CCNP Routing & Switching
What is your experience with Routing/Switching? Do you currently support a Cisco network?
Other Popular Courses MPls (5 days) Implementing Cisco MPLS
iP6Fd (5 days) Cisco IPv6 Fundamentals, Design, and Development Covers the IPv6 routing protocols of RIPng, OSPFv3, MP-BGP, and IS-IS
capabilities of data link Layer 2 with the scalability and
BGP (5 days)
New to all R&S
Entry Cisco R&S
ComptiA network+ n10-006 (5 Days)
CCent iCnd1 (5 Days) Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1
Describe modern network technologies & systems C networks
network
Associate/Intermediate Cisco R&S iCnd2 (5 days) Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 2
CCnAX (iCnd1+iCnd2 Bootcamp) (5 Days) (1 Day=12 hrs) Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 2
Install, operate, and troubleshoot a medium sized network, WAN, and implementing network security
Combines ICND1 and ICND2 into a single, accelerated course
D IoT, IWAN, and SDN on network evolution
Professional/Advanced Cisco R&S route (5 days) Implementing Cisco IP Routing implementation of secure enterprise LAN & WAN routing solutions using a range of routing protocols
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switCh (5 days) Imp. Cisco IP Switched Networks implementation of complex enterprise switching solutions for campus environments
tshoot (5 days) Troubleshooting and maintaining Cisco IP Networks Troubleshooting and maintaining particular technologies, as well as procedural and organizational aspects of the troubleshooting and maintenance process
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Cisco Security Security Cisco security certifications are a complete course on network security which bring in opportunities for network security specialists, security administrators and network security support engineers. Security certifications offered by Cisco are practical, relevant, job-ready, and aligned closely with the specific tasks expected of network security professionals. These highly specialized certifications help validate the practitioner’s skills in choosing, deploying, supporting, and troubleshooting Firewalls, VPNs, and IDS/IPS solutions for networking environments.
Certifications CCNA Security
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CCNP Security
(CCNA/CCNP Security) ?
Yes
No
Cisco Security Products
CCNA Security
Software
CCent (ICND1 - 5 Days) iins - Implementing Cisco Network Security
sAsAC (5 Days) Implementing Core Cisco ASA Security sAsAA (5 Days) Implementing Advanced Cisco ASA Security
sCyBer (5 Days) Securing Cisco Networks w/Threat Detection & Analysis
IronPort Email swsA (2 Days) Securing the Web with Cisco Web Security Applications
CCNP Security senss (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Edge Network Security Solutions
sesA (3 Days) Securing Email with Cisco Email Security Applications Part 1&2
iOS and ASA Firewall sitCs (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Threat Control Solutions
ssFiPs (4 Days)
NextGen Firewall and IPS sisAs (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Secure Access Solutions
ssFAMP (3 Days) Endpoints
ISE siMos (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Secure Mobility Solutions VPN using iOS and ASA
FirePOWER nGFw (5 Days) Securing Networks with Cisco Firepower Threat Defense
CCIE Security CCie Written CCie Lab
Identity Service Engine (ISE) sise (5 Days) swise (5 Days) Implementing Cisco ISE for Wireless Engineers
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Cisco Data Center Data Center The Cisco data center specialist certifications enhance your skills and abilities to design, install, and support a data center networking solution. These certifications help you enhance your technical skills and confidence through job-role focused training. Continued education in Cisco data center allows you to maximize your skillset and increase the value of your data center network.
Certifications CCNA Data Center
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CCNP Data Center
(CCNA/CCNP Data Center) ?
Yes
No
CCNA Data Center dCiCn (5 Days) Introducing Cisco Data Center Networking dCiCt (5 Days) Intoducing Cisco Data Center Technologies
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What product knowledge are you seeking ?
Nexus/Fabric dCnX1K (3 Days)
CCNP Data Center dCnX5K (5 Days) dCuCi+dCii+dCVAi+(dCid or dCit) dCuCi (5 Days)
dCnX7K (5 Days)
dCii (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure
dCAC9K (5 Days)
dCVAi (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Data Center Virtualization and Administration dCid (5 Days) Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure dCit (5 Days) Troubleshooting Cisco Data Center Infrastructure
Mode
FlexPod FPdesiGn (2 Days) Designing the FlexPod Solution FPiMPAdM (3 Days) Implementing and Administering the FlexPod Solution
CCIE Data Center CCie Written CCie Lab
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Cisco Collaboration Collaboration Collaboration is a critical necessity for businesses. Organizations can improve business effectiveness and workforce efficiency with collaborative efforts. Cisco offers a wide range of collaboration certifications designed to help you develop hands-on knowledge to deploy, configure, and troubleshoot Cisco collaboration technology. These well researched networking certifications are provided through step-by-step learning.
Certifications CCNA Collaboration
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CCNP Collaboration
(CCNA/CCNP Collaboration) ?
Yes
No
CCNA Collaboration CiCd (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Collaboration Devices CiVnd2 (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Video Network Devices
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Deploy Skills Needed ?
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Trobleshoot Skills Needed ?
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Unity/Presence Interest ?
CCNP Collaboration
CiPtV1 (5 Days) Implementing Cisco IP Telephony and Video, Pt 1 (Single-Site Deploy)
Nexus/Fabric
CiPtV2 (5 Days) Implementing Cisco IP Telephony and Video, Pt 2 (Multi-Site Deploy)
CiCd (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Collaboration Devices
CtCollAB (5 Days) Trobleshooting Cisco IP Telephony and Video
CAPPs (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Collaboration Applications
CAPPs (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Collaboration Applications
Unique Topography: These courses cover Call Manager, Call Manager Express, Video
Collaboration - Specialist
Voice
Video
Contact Center Enterprise
TelePresence Solutions
duCCe (5 Days)
iX5000 (1 Day) IX5000 Series Immersive Solutions (IX5K)
AuCCe1 (5 Days) Part 1
AuCCe2 (5 Days) Part 2
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Video Network CiVnd2 (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Collaboration Applications
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Cisco Wireless Wireless The Cisco wireless certification helps you validate your ability to configure, implement and support wireless LANs using Cisco equipment. Cisco wireless certifications optimize industry opportunities for network professionals, their managers, and their organizations. The certifications demonstrate a broad theoretical knowledge of wireless networking and a firm understanding of wireless LAN technologies. The wireless track helps in gaining familiarity of design, implementation, security, and operation of wireless networks and mobility infrastructures.
Certifications CCNA Wireless
CCNP Wireless
CCNA Wireless CCent (ICND1 - 5 Days) wiFund (5 Days) Implementing Cisco Wireless Network Fundamentals
CCNP Wireless wiseCure (5 Days) Securing Cisco Wireless Enterprise Networks widesiGn (5 Days) Designing Cisco Wireless Enterprise Networks widePloy (5 Days) Deploying Cisco Wireless Enterprise Networks witshoot (5 Days) Troubleshooting Cisco Wireless Enterprise Networks
CCIE Wireless CCie Written CCie Lab
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Cisco Cloud Cloud The Cisco cloud certification track helps cloud practitioners and professionals in developing, advancing, and validating their cloud skill set. The certification also lets them help their IT organization in keeping up with the constantly changing business demands due to technology transitions. The cloud helps businesses stay more agile, flexible and effective in delivering value to its end users. Cisco Cloud certification track is an ideal course track suitable for Cloud engineers, Cloud administrators, Cloud designers, network engineers and architects working in data centers for gaining the required knowledge of working over a cloud platform.
Certifications CCNA Cloud
CCNP Cloud
CCNA Cloud CldFnd (5 Days) Introducing Cisco Cloud Fundamentals CldAdM (5 Days) Introducing Cisco Cloud Administration
CCNP Cloud CldinF (5 Days) Implementing and Troubleshooting the Cisco Cloud Infrastructure Clddes (5 Days) Designing the Cisco Cloud CldAut (5 Days) Automating the Cisco Enterprise Cloud CldACi (5 Days) Building the Cisco Cloud with Application Centric Infrastructure
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Cisco Design Design The Cisco Design certification track helps in understanding the fundamentals of network design. It aids in designing networks for performance, availability and scalability while remaining flexible to meet the constantly changing industrial demands. The track also lets practitioners understand business strategies and thereby translate it into technical infrastructure requirements. Cisco Design certification track is suitable for network design engineers, technicians, support engineers, senior network design engineers, senior analysts and principal systems engineers. It develops an edge to translate business needs, budget and operational constrains into a converged solution.
Certifications CCDA
CCDP
CCNA Design CCent (iCnd1 – 5 days) desiGn (5 Days) Designing for Cisco Internetwork Solutions
CCNP Design route (5 Days) Implementing Cisco IP Routing switCh (5 Days) Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks ArCh (5 Days) Designing Cisco Network Service Architectures
CCIE Design CCie Written CCie Lab
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A Career in Technology Opting for a career in technology is the safest bet in today’s business world. The abundance of career opportunities with the right skills and knowledge are no doubt a guaranteed return on investment. Moreover, advancing with technical courses is quick and easy. Many certifications require more than a year of work, while some can be completed in months or even in a few weeks’ time. Due to the wide variety of career courses and certifications, one can easily choose what best suits their career path, budget, and schedule. A little glimpse of salaries for Cisco Certification Tracks, as recorded by Robert Half in its 2017 Salary Guide for Technology Professionals reveals: Routing and Switching $99,000 - $146,250 Security $115,500 - $162,500 Data Center $96,000 - $138,750 Collaboration $90,000 - $130,000 Wireless $113,250 - $158,000
Test Your Skills Before you begin with any of the above-mentioned Cisco certification trainings, it would be best to first check your understanding of the subject. Our free self-assessment test lets you understand where you stand and which certification would best work for you at this point of time. Since Cisco provides certifications for different levels, determining yours would be in the best interest. Take the free self-assessment to evaluate your abilities.
Conclusion So, if you’re planning to polish your networking skills, then Cisco certifications can be your best stepping stone. Ever since its inception, Cisco has helped to change the way the world works, plays, lives and learns. It has created solutions built on intelligent networks that solve the challenges that companies are facing. Begin your journey with Cisco certifications here.
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