Cisco Certification Guide: Overview and Career Paths.

 Cisco Systems, Inc. specializes in communications and networking products and services. The company is probably the best known for it is business routing and switching products, which directs the data, video and voice traffic across networks around the world. Cisco is also contributing the storage applications, networking for unified communications, and collaboration (WebEx), and an array of services from the simple product support to absolute solutions for cloud management as well as data centers.

To ensure that professionals of Information Technology are having the skills as well as the knowledge necessary to support Cisco products and solve the customers' technology problems all the way around, the Cisco Career Certification program is comprehensive. That is, it begins at the entry level, then advances to associate, professional as well as expert levels, and in some certification areas caps things off at the architect level.

Each level is going to offer one or more credentials. Obtaining a credential would be usually going to involve passing one or more certification exams. Most Cisco exams are being delivered by Pearson VUE. For higher-level credentials, candidates would also prove that they would be meeting the necessary prerequisites. The higher the level of certification, the more prerequisites and credentials that would one is going to need to meet its requirements.

Cisco Certification Program Overview

Certifications within Cisco's program include the following credentials:

•    Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr)

•    Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA)

•    Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE)

•    Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP)

•    Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT)

•    Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)

•    Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

•    Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)

•    Cisco Certified Technician (CCT)

There are many paths and certifications one can take in Cisco's career program. That said, its two main paths are going to cover network operation and network design. A typical Cisco networking certification ladder is going, to begin with, the entry-level CCENT credential, then you would move up to a CCNA, then to a CCNP and lastly culminates with a CCIE. If you're more design-oriented, you might instead consider to starting with a CCENT, moving up to the CCDA, then a Professional-level CCDP, which lastly followed by a CCDE, and is going to finish the program by earning the CCAr.

The Cisco Career Certification program is also going to include a number of specializations. These certifications are going to be acknowledging a professional's skills in some specific Cisco technology, like the data center application services, messaging and voicemail or rich media. Cisco specializations are going to be organized into two primary categories, one which are targeting technical specialists and another the digital transformation specialists. Between these two categories, there are currently about 18 specializations from which to choose.

Related Jobs and Careers

Whether you would be going to follow network operations or network design career path, Cisco certifications are uniquely positioned to be assisting IT professionals as they would be prepared to fulfill various Cisco-related career roles. Regardless of whichever path your chosen career, job opportunities are plentiful for skilled Cisco professionals. A simple search for Cisco professionals is going to be on two popular job boards.

•    CCENT: Helping desk or technician roles

•    CCT: Engineering field, network, application support or systems administrator

•    CCNA: Engineering network, telecommunications, network technician, operations network or network analyst, network operations center analyst

•    CCDA: Engineering network, system, design, lead, analyst interface, interface developer or technical specialist

•    CCNP: Networking administrator, engineer support, network or advanced technician, as well as senior-level roles

•    CCDP: Senior-level roles; senior analyst, senior network design engineer, cyber protection analyst or network designer

•    CCIE: Expert-level roles; engineer lead, network architect, systems, network or senior network administrator

•    CCDE: Expert-level roles; senior network engineer, systems engineer, network architect, network design engineer or IT infrastructure team lead

•    CCAr: Architect lead, enterprise, network, voice data and more

So, whether you opt for any of the Cisco Certification, the best training that you could gain the regarding it at SPOTO.