Oct. 22, 2023, Post by Curtis
Simply put, the single best certification to get you your first networking job is hands down the CCNA. It may not be the best certification for learning the art of networking, although it is very good at that, it is the most valuable in terms of making your resume stand out to recruiters and IT managers.
That's not to say there aren't reasons to get a different network certification. If you were to get a certification with another vendor, like Juniper or Palo Alto, that would give you a specific advantage if you want to apply for a job at a company that uses primarily that equipment. Not very many people are certified with Juniper or Palo Alto so you would definitely stand out with those companies.
Also if you know that you want to work for a specific company that doesn't use Cisco equipment or if there is a certain vendor whose equipment you would prefer to work with, by all means, get the certification for that particular vendor. For example, many people think that Juniper is better than Cisco.
The CCNA is the most recognized certification in networking. It shows up in the required qualifications of more job listings than any other networking cert.
The CCNA does cover a lot of vendor-specific information, but it also covers a lot of vendor-neutral information and even most of the vendor-specific information will be relatable when using a different vendor's equipment. For example "show run" will show you the running configuration on a Cisco device while "show configuration" will show you the running configuration on a Juniper device. Same concept, only the syntax is different.
The CCNA is somewhat difficult to pass. Half of the people who take it fail on their first attempt. But it is doable for anyone who will work hard to get it.
If you were to get just one certification, it should be the CCNA. Even if you're not going in the network direction, a CCNA is valuable to any IT field as networks are the core that all the other IT fields utilize. Being able to communicate effectively with the network team will be very helpful for anyone in IT.
The Security+ pairs very well with the CCNA. It is the network infrastructure that most of the attacks are targeted. Understanding at least the basics of how secure protocols work and common attack vectors is critical for Network Admins.
The network team is the first line of defense when it comes to cyber-attacks. Many companies don't have dedicated cyber security staff and in those cases, the network staff is responsible for securing the company's IT infrastructure.
CompTIA Net+ is the best and most recognized vendor-neutral certification. While the CCNA will most likely open more doors than the Net+, the Net+ will give you a better understanding of general networking concepts. While studying for the Net+ you won't spend any time learning vendor-specific concepts, you will only study foundational networking concepts.
The JNCIA is a great cert to have if you think you are going to be working with Juniper equipment. Juniper makes some of the best network hardware there is.
Juniper equipment is more commonly found in very large organizations and is also a popular choice for most Internet Service Providers (ISP).
Most people that work with Juniper equipment start their careers working with Cisco and then migrate their skills over to Juniper.
Virtualization is everywhere these days and even network equipment is now visualized. The VCP not only covers networking, but also covers server virtualization and touches on security.
VMware is used by many organizations and having this certification will look good on your resume. Often there is a lot of crossover and collaboration between Network Admins and System Admins so being comfortable working with VMware should come in handy.
Like the CCNA, Security+, and Net+, the VCP will look good on any IT professional's resume.
The skills learned in the MCSA that are relevant to an aspiring networking professional are mostly Azure. As the trend is towards moving networks onto the cloud, having a good understanding of how the cloud works will be valuable. The added benefit to the MCSA is that most every company uses Microsoft, so it will give you a better understanding of the Microsoft systems in your organization, even if they are not networking systems.
Along the same line of thinking that it makes sense even for Network Admins to be proficient in cloud technologies are the cloud practitioner certificates offered by AWS and Google.
Aruba, also known as HPE, is a leading network equipment vendor. Aruba is known for having highly secure equipment that integrates well in a multi-vendor environment.
Reasons to get an ACSA are:
The CCNA alone is not enough to become a Network Admin. It doesn't matter what kind of certification you have or how many unless you have some experience working in an IT department. You need to have at least 1 year at an entry-level IT job like Help Desk or NOC Tech for example.
You may be able to land a low-level Network job with just certifications. For example a Network Tech, Network Analyst, or Jr. Network Admin, but even that will be difficult without some IT experience.
The reason for getting IT certifications is not to learn the subject matter. The best way to learn IT skills is to build labs where you can get hands-on experience with these technologies. The reason for the certifications is to get your resume noticed. Hiring Managers use certifications to gauge someone's knowledge in lieu of experience because they can't just interview anyone who says they have built labs on their resume. The certification shows that you have at least some knowledge and that you are willing to work hard to learn new skills. The proficiency you learn by building labs will help you communicate your knowledge during the interview.
If you don't have any networking experience and want to peruse a career in networking, 1 to 3 certificates are a must. I think the best use of your time is to get a CCNA and maybe the Security+, and then get very comfortable building and troubleshooting networks in a lab environment.