When you’re planning to start a technical career in the Information Technology (IT) industry, especially the networking industry, it is important to choose the right certification. This is what you think, right?
Apparently, there is no right or wrong certification. You can choose any of the available certifications in the market, be it Cisco’s, CompTIA’s or Microsoft’s. It is yet, important to choose a certification that is aligned with the job role that you want!
This is one of the most important parameters in order to choose a certification. In this blog, we will see which certification is better: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) or the CompTIA Network+ certification?
Let’s find out!
CCNA:
The CCNA certification is one of the best networking certifications. No wonder why it is so popular among aspiring Network Engineers. A lot of people kickstart their networking careers with CCNA certification.
It is because the CCNA certification provides you more credibility and awareness. With this certification, you can stand out from the crowd. You can then build a solid career in networks and security.
Note: CCNA certification is the best for candidates who already have basic computer/network fundamentals knowledge. If you’re completely new to IT, CCNA might not be the best choice of certification at first!
Benefits of CCNA certification:
Here are the major benefits of the CCNA certification. They have been listed below:
1. Foundational Knowledge:
The CCNA certification fills you up with all the foundational knowledge needed to become a Network Engineer. It is heavily focused on managing Cisco networks. You learn about the most important concept in the networking domain: the Open Systems Interconnect Model (OSI Model) and its layers.
2. Road to Becoming a Network Engineer:
After CCNA, you can take up job roles such as Help Desk Technician, Desktop Support Engineer, entry-level Network Engineer, etc. The best part is that these job roles act as a stepping stone for becoming a Network Engineer.
3. First Step Towards CCNP:
After CCNA, it is best to pursue Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification. This will make your networking concepts even stronger. It will make you familiar with advanced networking concepts such as:
- Networking protocols
- Advanced routing and switching
- BGP, MPLS, OSPF, EIGRP
- HTTP, STTP
There are lot more concepts included in CCNP! You can then become a Network Engineer.
MCSA:
The Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) certification is the best certification for you if you’re planning to enter into the Systems Administration. A Systems Administrator is responsible for managing, troubleshooting, licensing and updating hardware and software assets.
In other words, MCSA is the best certification for opportunities and scope. Although the MCSA certification has expired, it gives you all the knowledge needed about servers.
How is this helpful? When you learn about servers and data centers, you can easily enter the cloud computing domain!
Benefits of MCSA:
1. Better job opportunities:
You can definitely pursue MCSA after CCNA if you want to switch to systems administration or cloud computing. You can find better opportunities in these domains with MCSA knowledge. According to Forbes, 83% of IT Managers prefer candidates with MCSA certification.
2. Foundation for administration:
Through MCSA, you can form the basis of expert-level implementation, administration and configuration of Microsoft products.
3. Foundation for cloud computing:
MCSA knowledge forms the basis of entering the cloud computing industry. It is because of the rich knowledge that you can gain from learning about servers through MCSA.
CompTIA Network+:
The CompTIA Network+ certification is best known for its comprehensive nature. It covers all the basics of computer fundamentals and networking. Therefore, this certification is the best for tech aspirants who want start a career in tech from scratch!
You can build a career in IT infrastructure covering important concepts of troubleshooting, configuring and managing networks.
Note: CompTIA Network+ is the best certification to pursue for those people who are completely new to tech and they have no knowledge of networks. It is the best for such candidates to go for Network+ and then opt for CCNA certification.
Benefits of CompTIA Network+:
Here are some of the most interesting benefits of the CompTIA Network+ certification. These are as follows:
1. Learn Networking Fundamentals:
You get to learn basic networking concepts such as network services, physical connections, topologies and architecture as well as cloud connectivity.
2. Get Entry-level Jobs:
You can get many entry-level jobs after Network+ such as:
- Junior Network Administrator
- NOC Technician
- IT Support
- Help Desk Technician
3. Best for Non-Tech Guys:
The CompTIA Network+ certification is the best for candidates who have no previous background in the tech industry. It helps to make your basics strong.
Which Certification is The Best?
Now that we have discussed each one of the certifications in detail, we can conclude that there is no best certification. It completely depends on you which certification to choose. For someone who is completely new to networking, CCNA might be the best choice for him.
Similarly, if someone wants to enter the cloud industry or systems administration, it is the best for them to pursue MCSA certification. Therefore, the choice of a certification completely depends on a person’s career goals.
The best way to choose the right certification for you is to go on a job searching website such as indeed, Naukri, monster, etc. and look for job positions that you want to apply. Then, accordingly you can start your learning journey.
This is by far the best method to choose which certification is the best for you!
Final Thoughts:
The networking industry is very competitive. Therefore, it is very important for you to choose a career that aligns with your future goals. You do not need to get confused in what certification should you pursue.
Just remember that all you need to do it think about the career path that you wish to pursue. Then, you can keep on adding certifications to your resume.
Start your learning journey today with us with your own favourite certification!
