Is Cisco a good career choice?

[kaustic187]

Hello!

          So, I've done a lot of back-end computer programing, and networking but on a very small scale. I've never gone to school for it, but I've always wanted to get my certification and really begin a career in the IT field. My question is, is this a good choice? Most of the information I've found online suggests cisco is a great certificaiton in "addition to", however I'd like to just get certifcation, not necessarily an actual degree, would that be enough to work in this field? Any information or suggestions anyone has in this area is welcomed, thanks in advance!

[Ven Taylor]

I've molded my entire career path around Cisco networking.

I started in the Marine Corps in 1993 and still enjoy a fulfilling career with Cisco equipment.

I'm now a design engineer for a major healthcare corporation.

The beauty of Cisco is that, regardless of your field of interest in networking, there's something for you.

Security, Infrastructure, Telephony, Internet... You name it.

Ven

[shikamarunara]

Cisco is an excellent career choice for most folks looking for something beyond desktop and server careers. However, I would also add that the best engineers in the field have a keen understanding of technologies from multiple vendors. It's better to be a very good engineer on technologies from multiple vendors than a great engineer that only focuses on Cisco.

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[Ven Taylor]

Good point.  An understanding of how the infrastructure integrates with the end nodes is crucial.  Another important skill is understanding the overall end-to-end connectivity and how it all works together.  Many people refer to this as, "having an enterprise mind".

Lastly, get to know how to use sniffer traces... they are your friend when someone says, "It must be the network".

[Limitless1801]

Although I believe Cisco is a good career, I prefer programming better because you don't have the after hours, your work is appreciated more, etc.

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