Cisco Courses 2021: A Bang For the buck?

Cisco certification is quite the talk of the town nowadays, with the IT job seekers viewing it more as a necessity than an option. While the Cisco courses might take away your fair share of energy and time, they might reward you with extensive knowledge on the elements of Cisco Systems- a name common to all companies regarding IT products or solutions. Therefore, passing the Cisco exam shall indicate you as a professional in the products, making you eligible and desirable for most employers. 

 

This review discusses the basics of Cisco courses, the certification, the benefits that come with the Cisco courses and if they are worth it or not. To decide for yourself, keep reading!

Table of Contents

About the Author:
Ashley Hughes

Ashley Hughes
Ashley has nearly a decade’s worth of experience in digital marketing and SEO — while also being a keen advocate of online learning. When he’s not busy with his day job, he’s reviewing e-learning platforms to ensure consumers are getting the best value for money.

First of All - What Is Cisco?

Cisco is the certification provided by Cisco Systems, with the certificates being of several types. The Cisco courses enable you to study and learn everything you need to pass the examination, and end up being a Cisco certified personnel. It’s essential to remember that the examinations last for three years, which means you have to renew your certification every three years- making Cisco courses even more vital than they were.

Best Cisco Course Providers

A plethora of websites provide Cisco courses at the moment, but are they all legit? A few of the genuine and best Cisco course providers are listed below for your ease.

 

LinkedIn Learning

The platform provides a range of courses all under the same roof, including Cisco courses. You may choose the level of course according to your requirements and preferences, starting from beginner to advanced. While some people may have pre-existing knowledge on the subject matter, others don’t. In this case, LinkedIn Learning provides several courses that prepare you for the long road. Moreover, the platform is backed up by LinkedIn, which proves it as legitimate to be used for advanced level certifications. In addition to these, LinkedIn Learning focuses more on the ‘professional’ part, ensuring you get the highest quality of Cisco courses possible.

 

edX

For formal education, edX provides you with a plethora of courses to help you. Similarly, multiple Cisco courses are available on the platform to assist you in the journey to Cisco certification.

 

Coursera

While the platform is useful for students and teachers alike, the Cisco courses offered in Coursera are genuine and helpful for advanced learning. Moreover, the videos and lectures from professionals make the courses even more insightful.

 

Udemy

The platform has a large library filled with Cisco courses that shall give you a value for the money. While a few courses might be a miss due to the platform being self-sustained, most courses are genuine and shall help you learn for your Cisco certification.

Benefits of Professional Certification

While Cisco courses might seem to be additional, they add value to your overall progress curve. Moreover, the benefits that you can receive from the certification makes it worth your time and money, if you are aiming for those benefits. Not only will the Cisco courses help increase your monetary earnings, but shall help you network amongst the professionals. In addition to that, the Cisco courses act as the stepping stones towards a greater career ahead. Furthermore, the acceptability and respect that comes alongside the courses make the overall journey worth it. To know more details about the benefits of Cisco courses, keep scrolling!

 

Career Development

Your career develops as your set of knowledge and skills develops. With the Cisco courses, you’ll be able to address the expert side of you, with more knowledge and understanding of concepts in the IT Sector. For a smooth career that grows at a fast pace, the Cisco courses are of utmost importance regarding IT job seekers.

 

Skills Mastery 

Completing a Cisco course shall show the employers and companies that you’re capable of installing and operating a Cisco network. Moreover, the certification portrays your ability to troubleshoot a Cisco network, which adds that extra detail to your profile in front of the employers. In addition to that, certification is offered in two levels of CCENT and CCNA that fulfill distinct purposes. While CCENT works for smaller networks, the CCNA works for slightly bigger or medium networks. Furthermore, showing that you have mastered the necessary skill set shall assist you in growing and appearing more attractive in the eyes of the recruiting body, compared to ones who do not possess the certification.

 

Beginning of Advanced Certifications

What is the next step of being an IT Professional? Well, for most people it is the position of a team leader. While being an IT Professional is a prestigious position itself, the ability to lead a team shall always triumph over the former. In this case, the Cisco certificate acts as the climbing ladder of the advanced certification journey. It provides you the beginner-level certification, which prepares your skill set for the overall ride ahead. Moreover, the Cisco certification helps you identify your areas that need brushing up, to get ready to ace the following examinations.

 

Earning Potential Increases

The earning factor depends on many components of an individual’s career, which differ from employer to employer. While one company offers you a high salary for your IT skills, another might do the same for your communication skills. Hence, the salary depends on a whole lot of factors relevant to the company and sector you are working for. However, your Cisco certification shall uplift your impression on the employers and include you in a higher category of remuneration. In other words, your certification shall act as a level and all the other skill you possess shall be added benefits. Moreover, having a Cisco certification allows your employer to conclude that you possess a wide arena of skills in comparison to other candidates without the certification, which ultimately upgrades your earning potential.

 

Switches and Routers

A Cisco certification shall enable you to understand the mechanism behind switches and routers, ensuring that you become a support individual for the entire system. This knowledge shall assist you in communicating with internal and external parties effortlessly. Moreover, the practice shall make you expert in handling any technicalities related to switches and routers. While switches work with elements to function together in a network, the routers keep the networks connected to each other. As a result, the complex integration of switches and routers can ultimately hamper the total network if not dealt with immediately. The Cisco certification provides the core knowledge of these mechanisms, so that you can manage any component of the computer network efficiently, as an IT Professional.

Major Benefits to Cisco Courses

In recent times, Cisco is a leading phenomenon in the network services sector. Not only do the large companies have Cisco assisting them with software and equipment, but the small companies tend to opt for Cisco as well. In addition to them being the market leader, Cisco constantly upgrades their products to retain the companies- regardless of the size or sector. Moreover, the ability to compete with the upcoming products by staying on top makes Cisco stand out even more. Hence, getting a Cisco certification shall expose you to all benefits that are being provided by the leader that is updating itself regularly. It doesn’t get better, does it?

 

In addition to being a part of Cisco itself, the certification shall make you more desirable in the eyes of employers. Since most companies would be using Cisco products that you’re an expert in, you have an added advantage over the other candidates. For IT individuals who are seeking jobs, Cisco certification acts as a weapon of knowledge, on top of the existing general knowledge. 

 

Great Acceptability

As mentioned earlier, Cisco is renowned amongst the IT sector. Not only has Cisco offered a fulfilled platform worldwide, but it has made complicated mechanisms seem easy to businesses- making the IT sector more versatile for all industries. Hence, getting certified through Cisco shall assist you in basking on the advantages that come with the popular name. Other than qualifying you and improving your skills, Cisco shall make you more acceptable and respected among companies as well. 

 

Displaying your Cisco certification on your resume may set you apart from other candidates by confirming your advanced knowledge on IT mechanisms. Furthermore, it shall be more beneficial if you’re applying to any business that falls within the Cisco network’s domain. However, the certification lasts for merely three years; it’s wise to grab as many opportunities as you can within that time!

 

Learning

While having the CCNA certification, you are deemed as an individual with expert knowledge on Cisco mechanisms about IT, and their methods and concepts. However, the IT sector updates itself on a regular basis, making it a tough job for you to stay expert in the field. Once you slack off, your expertise might fall back and be of no use anymore. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep learning in this field. Your skills and existing knowledge need to be upgraded continuously to remain relevant and up to date. In addition to that, continuous learning assists you in beating any competition as well, if there is any. The Cisco certification enables you to keep learning and upgrading your knowledge, and confirms it through the certification process.

 

A Prerequisite

Cisco courses act as a beginner’s guide to expert certifications, paving the pathway for you to attempt further advancements. The CCNA certificate is the first step towards these expert examinations, and needs to be passed in order to sit for the rest. Hence, the Cisco courses and CCNA certification are prerequisites for more advanced certificates available. If you are looking forward to completing the entire Cisco Program, it’s vital that you start as soon as possible with the Cisco courses guiding you.

 

Global Recognition

Cisco courses are globally accepted, and so is the CCNA certification. As a result, your skills regarding Cisco are to be recognized globally and make you stand out in the sea of job seekers. While the global market improves regularly, it is moving fast towards IT sector development. With you being certified in that area, it makes you globally acceptable and recognized for the expertise you possess- making you a desirable candidate for jobs throughout the world.

 

Career Boost

If not evident by now, Cisco courses help you have knowledge that the others do not. Moreover, having a certification proving those abilities makes it even better. In other words, your career sets off at a faster pace than your peers without the certification. Even if you have to provide a generous amount of effort for the Cisco courses, they result in smoother career progress at the end of the day.

 

Respect

Having Cisco certification added to your list of skills shall uplift the impression you set on your employers and peers simultaneously. The knowledge obtained from Cisco courses may ensure your expertise in specific areas that might not be easy for others without the certification. As a result, the necessity of your expertise increases, eventually earning more respect for you from the colleagues. 

 

Enhanced Curve

While pursuing the Cisco courses, you enhance your pre-existing knowledge and develop an understanding of the core mechanisms of Cisco networking. Even after studying Cisco Systems for years, you need to update it regularly to stay relevant on the market regarding the IT sector. While experience matters, the learning and knowledge curve sets a level of your understanding of the core concepts- these are what make you stand out in the arena of job seekers

 

The Bottom Line

At long last, are Cisco courses worth it? We certainly think so!

 

Even if the views can be subjective regarding pursuance of one’s goals in the IT Sector, it’s evident that Cisco certification holds a power over others. The Cisco courses prepare you for the examination and officially turn you into an expert, which eventually favours you throughout your career- given that you renew the certification. With a careful cost-benefit analysis, the Cisco courses prove to be worth every penny and ounce of effort put into them.

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