How much is the N + exam?

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

I guess £65 ??

Also which one would you recommend for todays job market, security, server or convergence?

Finally i hear this is a big step down from CCNA, would i be better off just missing the N+ and going CCNA, will CCNA cover security, server and convergence and some more?

 

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

I think if I remember correctly the N+ is £159 or there abouts but you can buy discouny voucher from www.gracetechsolutions.com which will reduce the price greatly so instead of your credit card.debit card for payment you use the voucher code.

As for the CCNA you shouldn't do it if you do not have real world experience with CISCO equipment as it is a cert to show your job experience level and not that you have a knowledge of networking.

 

But if i was to do the CCNA at college where they do have cisco equipment.......?


And with all respect the only main difference between cisco and mainstream kit is configuring the CLI.......?

Ok there will be other things but this is the major differece and i can do this in packet tracer, you may say packet tracer is not real life, but i can't see how it isn't as good if not at times better.....

 

it's upto you but there are certs which are designed to show that you have the experience in a job and having those certs without the real world experience can make it harder to get a job these certs include the MCSE, MCSA and CCNA

And just add no network manager in their right mind will let anyone loose on their network with no on the job experience CCNA certified or not.

 

There is a HELL of a difference with N+ and CCNA. N+ you can learn, you will struggle with CCNA without experience.

 

...and even if you CAN pass the CCNA exam - which is possible - what good will it do you without the real-world experience to go with it? With the exception of entry-level certifications, such as the A+, Network+, and MCDST, certifications without experience are useless.

If I remember correctly, you aren't yet in IT. If that's the case, getting the CCNA is a mistake. Entry-level employers won't hire you because the CCNA isn't relevant to entry-level work, and employers with more advanced jobs won't hire you because you lack real-world experience. In short, you make yourself overcertified and, as a result, unemployable.

...then you STILL won't have real-world experience on Cisco routers. Administering a bunch of routers in a pristine lab environment is *worlds* different than administering routers with real-world data and real-world users and real-world problems and a real-world CEO that is standing over your shoulder while you attempt to restore connectivity to twenty remote sites.

For now, you may have to take our word for it... because you won't likely understand until you see the difference for yourself.

Experience.

 

I find it hard to accept that by me doing a CCNA at college it will mean nothing, in fact it will even have a negative effect.

What do you suggest then if i want to go into networking?

 

Hardley anyone starts in a networking job. Most people start of in a support role and then progress.

Unfortunately IT isn't like it used to be years ago, you start at the bottom on a crap wage and work your way up and yes having high level certs can have a negative effect on your employment prospects as you do not have the real worl experience to back that cert up as that is what those certs are designed for.

 

I think it's the same as having no experience but an MCSE ^^
You wouldn't be able to find work without the experience of actually running the systems.

The N+ exam is £165/£166 I think (or £161 if you purchase a voucher from gracetech). In some cases (in the UK) buying an exam voucher is actually more expensive than paying for the exam yourself!

 

Getting your CCNA wouldn't be "bad", in the sense that yes you would learn something new... What would be the point in having it if you don't have a chance to constantly "practice" your new found skills? Odd are you'd forget them in time.

But like greenbrucelee and BosonMichael, you'd be making yourself over over certified for entry level positions, and since you don't have any "real world" experience, you won't be hired for any "high end level" positions.

Go for your Network+ / A+ / Linux+ / Security+. A lot of jobs asks for those when announcing "entry level" positions (Not thy ask but they like to see you have it). Once you've got your foot in the door, keep reading and learning. After a while go for the CCNA if you want to.

Man.. hope this makes sense I just got up, and it's not even 6am yet.

 

yep^ there's no harm in learning something but as said the CCNA isn't for people looking for their first jobs.

You could get it but you may have to take it off your cv for you to get an entry level position.

 

There's also CCENT which will count towards CCNA if u decide to do it.
I also agree that having CCNA without experience will make it harder to get a job.

It also makes cert itself less valuable if masses are getting certified with no experience and leads to situation when agents asks for such certs for entry level positions which is wrong

It will also tell potential employer that you will move on as soon as you get enough work experience to utilise your CCNA
Regards