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Despite the similar sounding name to renowned U.S. food provider Sysco, Cisco is a completely unrelated company working in Networking technology. Headquartered in Northern California, Cisco has been developing networking and telecommunication products for over 30 years. Since 1984 they have been a major player in IT and are currently worth $USD Billions of dollars. They are a power player. Some recognize them for the physical hardware that they produce such as Cisco Routers, Switches, Modems, and other important networking products. Alongside this hardware is software that unique uses Cisco products for network management as well. They also have a huge hand in business worldwide as a major Voice over Internet Protocol provider, offering the system behind many corporate phones and business offices. These are the broader more well-known areas that Cisco falls into. Niche Cisco products can be found as well such as the NERV’s or Network Emergency Response Vehicles. These can be deployed in national emergencies, natural disasters, and other important situations where communication is necessary. Finally Cisco offers a large rang of educational classes across the world involving certifications and generic product knowledge.
Certification is an important part in any high-level IT career and the first-step for many entry level jobs. Despite thousands of certifications making the rounds worldwide, some in-depth starter certifications help to get the foot in the door. Other certifications may take years, if not decades to master, and lead to competitive jobs that few possess the skillset for. Cisco being heavily education focused has many certifications across the company. Many of these are not Vendor Neutral meaning that they teach specific knowledge rather than generic knowledge. While the skills translate in some regard, often a Cisco certification is best used in conjunction with Cisco products and the Cisco Eco-System. That means certain certifications are treated in-house at Cisco and Cisco related companies. It helps create a clear path to vertical progression and you can always improve your skill-set. Besides working at Cisco proper, the intense networking skills allow high-level Cisco Certified individuals to help plan and build huge enterprise style systems for large multinational corporations.
Cisco has a pretty diverse set of certs that fork off into specialized categories pretty quickly. Some of the most common starter certifications are,
Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT): This is the first step in a career to networking and one the lowest levels on the Cisco Cert path. Easy to get and useful for the variety of skills taught.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA): One of the most common and most recommend Cisco certifications, this is the certification for broadly skilled entry level tech workers that use Cisco products. It’s more advanced than CCENT and takes a bit more work but is widely used as the shoehorn to get your foot in the door of the IT industry.
Cisco certifications also specialize in a range of topics including but not limited to,
There is a cert path for everyone at Cisco as long as they desire to work in IT with networks or servers.
Certification with Cisco can be the gateway to a range of exciting and life-changing career opportunities. Besides generic IT jobs like system admin or networking security, Cisco certified individuals are part of a pretty exhaustive technology system. That means Cisco Certified individuals may find themselves earning a ton of money someday flying across the country working in certification education and testing fields. They may be found rigging the entire networking system at a world-class Airport who is deciding to upgrade. Cisco products can be found in the home and large-scale corporate business with thousands of employees. Due to the prolific nature of Cisco and the huge variety of technology within them, Cisco jobs are varied! In fact, some unique opportunities include work in high-risk environments like natural disasters and establishing communications when they literally can save lives. For those with an altruistic bend or who love exciting jobs, a Network Emergency Response Vehicle (NERV) role can be a strange mixture between high-level IT work and adrenaline. There are more Cisco opportunities than most people realize. In fact it may be the technology behind the computer, server, or datacenter helping you access ExamTopics right now!
It’s no secret that we at ExamTopics love our work. Certification can be such a challenge and we got into this field to help candidates like you navigate the complex field. A brief look at all the tests available for Cisco products is both impressive and absolutely overwhelming. We think one of the best ways to decide if a certification path is right for you is to take a free practice exam. It saves money, there is no need to buy expensive materials, and instead of spending hours cruising boring internet articles for certification information, you can hit the ground running right away and see if a certification path is for you! We encourage you to practice any of these Cisco exams. If you find a fit, you may just be starting on the career of your dreams. It’s free, no risk, and actually pretty fun as well. We keep our tests current and accurate enough to make the real test a natural progression of your training regime. It’s the smartest way to see if a career in IT, specifically with Cisco, is right for you.