Mech eng to cisco certification?

Question

Hi, i just finished my 2nd eyar in mech eng..and i am on CO-OP...i heard from one of my friend dat.by gettin a cisco certification..ie; CCNA you get paid more that anything u make in mech eng...

is this true??...is it possible to get myself certified in cisco?? when i asked the guy who was teaching these courses ...he told me to start of with Network + and MCP and CICSO..and then move ur way up..

can you please give some advise on this?...
how much whould i be spending..
do i get a job as soon as i am cicso certified?
what is the salary compared to mec eng degree??
should i get certified like may b parttime...

i am really confused....can u clear things up for me...


thankyou..

Thankyou David S and GTB, for ur answers..

GTB..i just want to clarify somethings here. First, I am at work and I am not allowed to use the Internet, so i do not really have time to make sentences and stuff.

Second, i am not look for a jump or the easy way out like u suggested. I am goin to finish my BEng. i was just askin if i had this certification as a Part-time would this help me. However, i appreciate the time taken here to answer my question.

As you are a Chem eng, what certification do u suggest i should take in order for me to get the maximum returns from my education??

Answer 1

Certification is one thing... experience is another. Personally I've been working with Cisco kit for about 10 years and have no certification whatsoever.

Cisco is just one vendor.. OK it have a huge market presence but many companies have network equipment from more than one vendor.

Saying that it's a great career but very, very competitive. A lot of firms will want a degree (any degree in most cases). If you quit now you lose your degree so will find it harder to get past a paper sift.

The 3 courses you mention are OK.. my advice would be to get your degree first. Network+ is SO easy i would not bother with the exam as it is not very useful.

MCP is OK if you want to focus on Microsoft products rather than "real" networking - ie making networks talk to each other.

CCNA is very much an entry level qualification and will not get you a well paid job on it's own.

The big money in networking is on the security side of networking. One of the most widely recognised qualifications is the CISSP - google it for more details.

Answer 2

As a college student, you really write very poorly. I suggest you first write properly.

The IT field has its hot job market days and its cold ones. In the late 1990's there were not enough of them because of the Y2K fears. Management felt it spent way too much on IT and by 2001 IT departments dropped IT people by substantial margins and the job market went cold for some time. Cisco certified people, Microsoft certified, Adtran Certified - all felt it.

Mechanical Engineers see the same sort of thing; there are hot years and not so hot years. I am a Chemical Engineer - with a MS that dates back to 1972 (before you were born I am sure). Chemical Engineering also saw and sees the same hot and not so hot years.

No job field is immune from cycles. Contrary to what some business leaders and most politicians say, I do not believe any business is immune from cycles.

Now for your case - If you dislike mechanical engineering find something else. If you like mechanical engineering you can do well both professionally and financially. You will see hot and not so hot years for salaries and jobs just like all other professionals will see. If you like what you do, you will grow professionally and delivery value to your management. As long as you deliver better value than others in your company you will do well unless the company runs aground which can happen regardless of what you do. Either way, you will rebound and get on with it.

I would suggest you complete a BS degree. It can be in Engineering as you are now set or in another technical discipline. A Cisco Cert without a BS degree would not be considered as attractive to employers in most cases.

Finally, set your goals for the next 5 years; then set plans to achieve them; then address the plan. Update the 5 year plan every year taking into account what you like and want to do. I see you as looking for the nonexistant "short term easy route" and then jump from one to another thing finishing little toward your goal. This will get you in trouble as you will be known as one who starts but does not finish.

Good luck

Answer 3

A certification simply proves that you understand how to take a scan and reply questions thoroughly. Experience is extra priceless. When we rent humans at our process, we appear for revel in first, persona moment, then tuition levels and certifications.