Cisco Specialist Certifications for Not Yet Techies

"Computer Careers: Using Finest Networking Hardware on Market"

by Richard Stooker, President Info Ring Press and author of Secrets of Changing to a Computer Career

Cisco Specialist certifications from:

Cisco Specialist certifications come from the most successful manufacturer of networking hardware. Cisco Specialist certifications essentially give you credit for passing one of their many tests, and are stepping stones to their more advanced certs such as CCNA and CCNE.

Type of Cisco Specialist certifications for computer careers:

Vendor

Cisco Specialist certifications worth it?

Standard disclaimer:

Whether or not any certification is "worth it" is an individual decision. You alone must decide what your career goals and needs are.

Look at certifications from a cost/benefit or Return On Investment (ROI) basis. If they help you get a better paying job or make more money at your current job, they are obviously "worth it."

The problem is, there is no real way of measuring how much you can expect your income to go up as a result of any given certification. It also depends on non-related job search skills such as how well you network.

Cisco Specialist certifications background:

Cisco Specialist certifications are a Cisco program that test and validate knowledge and skills in very particular areas, without requiring someone to take a whole suite of classes and tests as is the case with their other certs.

Cisco Specialist certifications have no levels such as associate or professional.

The current Cisco Specialist certifications are:

Cable Communications Specialist 1
Content Networking Specialist
Firewall Specialist
IDS Specialist
Cisco IP Telephony Design Specialist
Cisco IP Telephony Operations Specialist
Cisco IP Telephony Support Specialist
Cisco Internet Solutions Specialist
Cisco Multiservice Switching Specialist
Cisco MxU Specialist
Cisco Optical Specialist 1
Cisco SNA/IP Design Specialist
Cisco SNA/IP Support Specialist
Cisco Security Specialist 1
Cisco VPN Specialist
Cisco Wireless LAN Design Specialist
Wireless LAN Support Specialist

The requirements for these certifications are different for each one. Some have the CCNA as a required prerequisite, others don't. Some have one required test that must be passed, others two or more.

The Cisco Specialist certifications tests are the standard Cisco tests so if you get two or more of these certs you will probably qualify or mostly qualify for the more advanced certifications. So if you do get 3 or more of these certifications, pay attention to what higher level certification you may be qualified for.

Next: Citrix certifications

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