[c-nsp] Cisco Certifications

[Ryan O'Connell]

On 23/01/2005 08:41, Tristan Gulyas wrote:

>I've covered a lot of the background theory as part of my degree already 
>(for the second and third time, mind you.. it gets a bit boring after a 
>while...).  Recruiters seem to ask for certifications and sometimes don't 
>ask for a degree.
>
>Am I wasting my time? Should I bail and concentrate on certs?
>

I'd stick with the degree personally - that's what I ended up doing. 
(Although I got certs afterwards) Although recruiters may not ask for a 
degree, it's something they will take into account when looking at CVs. 
Recrutiers don't know the technology so they're playing buzzword bingo - 
if you have the right things on your CV, you're through to the next 
stage. (Where experience comes into play)

A degree is also useful if you decide to change career later in life 
(E.g. if IT goes to the wall again - I'm contemplating doing a Postgrad 
Diploma in Law) whereas certs are only useful for the industry you're in 
right now, and may cease to be useful in 10 years time. (Who knows if 
Cisco will still be about in 2015?)

-- 
         Ryan O'Connell - CCIE #8174
<ryan at complicity.co.uk> - http://www.complicity.co.uk

I'm not losing my mind, no I'm not changing my lines,
I'm just learning new things with the passage of time