Is CCNA Worth It? in 2024
Is CCNA really worth it when the buzz is all around cloud computing and virtualization? Read further to know the answer. It’s time to spill the beans.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification has been the tech industry standard for 24 years now. Since then, it has valued the careers of over 6,00,000 individuals as stated by Cisco itself.
What really has been the reason for such a whopping number? In simple words the answer is reliability. Cisco has been the number one technical vendor in certifying individuals. When it comes to CCNA, it does promise a solid, seamless and a future-oriented career.
The Upside of Choosing CCNA:
To really measure the ‘worthiness’ of CCNA, let us examine the certification through various parameters.
✅ CCNA is The First Step:
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is the first step to begin a solid technical career. You cannot skip the CCNA level knowledge before entering any other field. The fields may be Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, etc.
The CCNA is the basic foundational course. It teaches you the following:
- Routing and Switching
- Subnetting
- IP Addressing
- Configuring networks
- OSI Model
- Network device security
All these topics are really important for anyone who wants to become a technical professional, be it Network Engineer, Cloud Engineer or even a Cybersecurity Specialist.
✅ Tons of Job Opportunities:
According to LinkedIn, there are more than 26,000 job openings for candidates who are CCNA certified. This number will definitely go up. There are numerous job positions to consider. These include:
- Technical Support Engineer
- Systems Engineer
- Network Administrator
- Information Technology (IT) Manager
- Senior Network Engineer
- Network Security Specialist
Browsing through all these job roles is evidence that a lot of tech organizations and businesses are interested in CCNA certified candidates. Tech companies are on a constant hunt for candidates with top-notch skills in networking.
✅ An Attractive Paycheck to Begin With:
Of course, let’s talk about money. As a Senior Network Engineer, you can earn as high as Rs. 6,48,987 per year. Starting from Rs. 4,50,000 per year as a System Administrator.
As a person who is merely starting out in the industry, a CCNA job is a really attractive and a handsome-paying job.
✅ A Globally-Accepted Certification:
Cisco itself is a tech market leader. It is one of the most popular certifications to prove your skills in networking. In fact, it forms the foundation of a successful career.
Cisco certifications make you stand out from the crowd. It automatically gives you the privilege to be better than your peers.
✅ Doorway to Multiple Domains:
CCNA is not just limited to networking. If you immerse yourself in CCNA for once, you open multiple doors to various career paths. These include:
- Cloud computing
- Cybersecurity
- Defense
- Space
- Linux Administrator
- Virtualization
This list could go on. Therefore, CCNA is the key to unlocking plenty of career options to explore. The best thing about CCNA is that there is nothing to lose, you could only gain from it.
✅ Value for Money:
You can easily enroll for a CCNA course today. It would be totally worth it. Cisco devices are used in almost every organization. If you learn how to work with the Cisco routers, you are good to go.
However, if you choose Juniper Networks, you might have a hard time advancing your career further. It completely depends on you. Are you studying with a futuristic approach or not?
The Downside of Choosing CCNA:
Now that we have talked about the benefits and the positive sides of choosing CCNA as a career. Let’s talk about the cons of choosing CCNA. As you know there are always upsides and downsides to everything.
➤ Networking is not ‘that’ in demand as compared to Cloud:
A Cloud Engineer can potentially earn 4x better than a Network Engineer. This is nothing but the result of huge cloud adoption. The cloud computing industry is booming right now.
94% of all enterprises have shifted to cloud. This has created a buzz around the cloud. Yet this does not mean that Network Engineering is dead. It is still in demand. In fact, you will be amazed to know that the 4-tech giants, that is, the MAANG, still rely on physical data centers.
This has created a good demand for Network Engineers in these companies. If you look up Network Engineering jobs right now at naukri.com, you can find up to 7,555 job roles to fill up for. That’s a pretty good number.
➤ CCNA exam is too expensive:
If you want to take the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) 200-301 exam, you need to pay a big fee of $300, that is, Rs. 22,885. That is a lot for just an exam.
However, the value of the exam can justify the expense of the exam. Once you gain the certification, you can open the doors to a lot of job positions.
➤ CCNA exam is very competitive:
CCNA is an entry-level exam. Because of that, the level of the exam is a little difficult. However, with proper preparation for the CCNA course, you can definitely ace the exam.
If you are looking to get trained, you can check our training program and get enrolled with us. Check out the CCNA 200-301 page to know more about it.
Why Is CCNA Still Worth It?
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification has been one of the most popular certifications in the technical industry. In fact, it is the gateway to a pool of job opportunities. You can gain a lifetime of experience with a CCNA certification.
CCNA is the industry standard when it comes to the technical industry. You can further explore a number of job opportunities after CCNA. Also, the best part is that you can always upgrade to Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification.
Some other appreciable reasons to choose CCNA:
- It is the stepping stone to a solid technical career.
- The Internet works on networking. This brings in a considerable demand for Network Engineers.
So, when are you starting your journey to be a successful technical professional?
