In the age of computers and the Internet, nearly all companies need to have a network connecting their computers to each other and to the Internet, and they have to pay people to maintain that network. To prove that you have the necessary qualifications to maintain networks, IT certifications are offered by Cisco, the company that creates the software and hardware necessary to create these networks.

Cisco certifications are proof that you can successfully manage Cisco products in ways that companies use those products. While there are programs that tailor themselves towards preparing students to take the exams, there are no required courses, simply tests to pass.

Cisco itself is a huge player in the field of corporate networks, and so a Cisco certification is a good entry into a growing field that is unlikely to stop growing in the foreseeable future: corporate computing. However, Cisco-certified individuals, as in the rest of the IT and computer industries, are overwhelmingly male.

Career Specializations

Cisco offers eight pathways for certification, each tailored to a specific job within the IT world (Cisco.com). They specializations become important in higher levels of certification; the beginning certification is the same for all eight.

Routing and Switching: Routing and switching in networks involves sending information where it needs to go (The TCP/IP Guide). Routing and Switching specialists are the ones who deal with this, and Cisco's routing and switching certification is geared towards using Cisco's protocols. This specialization is only available at the expert level.

Design: This specialization is fairly self-explanatory. Getting this certification indicates not only that can you manage a network, but also that you can design one (GoCertify.com).

Network Security: Again, this is another self-explanatory certification. People with this certification specialize in protecting the networks from outside interference and trouble (GoCertify.com).

Wireless: People with Cisco wireless certification know how to maintain a wireless Internet network, an increasingly important skill for companies in all segments of the economy (Cisco.com).

Voice: Voice specialists know how to use Cisco products to administer a voice network (Cisco.com).

Storage Networking: This specialization is only available at the expert level; before that, its skills are subsumed into the standard certification. Storage Networking specialists do what the title implies: store data (Cisco.com).

Service Provider: This track differs from the Service Provider Operations track below in that it emphasizes the skills needed to build a service provider network (Cisco.com).

Service Provider Operations: People who specialize in service provider operations have strong knowledge in the processes and structures of a service provider network, allowing them to troubleshoot issues and provide maintenance (Cisco.com).

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Degree Levels Available for Cisco Certifications:

Cisco certifications come in four levels: entry level, where the certification is called CCENT, associate, which is usually called CCNA, professional, and expert, which both have names that vary according to specialization. Specialization begins at the second level, but not all specializations have that level. (Cisco.com). Each higher degree level requires that the person has passed the exams necessary for the previously level (GoCertify.com).

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Education and Certification Requirements:

There are no class requirements for Cisco certifications, only that you take and pass the exams. However, there are classes geared towards learning what is necessary to pass the exam, including classes and online courses approved by Cisco (Cisco.com). However, many employers prefer applicants with at least a bachelors degree, as well as certification (BLS).

Each Cisco certification requires one or more exams. These exams are given in a controlled, proctored setting, sometimes online. While written exams usually last 1 to 2 hours, lab exams can last up to eight hours. Exams normally cost between $80 and $350, depending on the topic. The expert lab exam $1,400, and each exam is valid for 2 or 3 years (Cisco).

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Salary Information:

People with a CCNA, the general associate level certification, can make up to $118,807, depending on job titles. Senior network engineers or system administrators make the most money, while regular network engineers and network administrators make $42,000 to $87,000 and $32,000 to $72,415 respectively. IT managers with this degree can make from $46,000 to $108,000 (PayScale).

With a CCNP, the certification at the professional level, a person can make more than they could with a CCNA. A network engineer in IT can make $48,000 to $95,000, and other network administrators make a similar amount. A senior systems engineer can make $61,000 to $117,000, and senior network administrators make similar amounts. (PayScale)

People with a CCIE, the general expert level certification, make slightly more than people with a CCNA or CCNP with the same job title. A network engineer with a CCIE makes between $50,000 and $122,000, and a senior systems engineer can earn between 63,000 and $143,000. Network engineers can earn from $38,000 to 133,000, while a senior network engineer earns between $74,000 and $133,000 (PayScale).

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Job Outlook

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth in computer systems analytics, network systems, and database administration, all fields in which Cisco certification may be used, will be "excellent" (BLS). The Internet and company-specific networks are unlikely to be any less of a necessity in the near future than they are now.

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Related Careers

Computer Science: Computer scientists work to use and develop different kinds of computer technologies. In computer science, its important to have a degree, particularly a bachelor's or master's in computer science, as well as to network. Internships are an important component of networking.

Database Administration: Database administers work to set up and protect databases, with an emphasis on knowing how to rescue data after catastrophes. Most have at least an associate degree in information technology, and earn certifications on specific database administration situations during employment.

Information Technology: Information technology is the umbrella term for careers working with computers, networks, databases, and other ways of using technology in business. The specific level and kind of education necessary depends on which of IT's many offshoots you prefer. However, job growth across the field is expected to be strong.

Network Security: Network security is actually one of the major career paths for people with Cisco certifications, but it is wider than just Cisco. Network security personnel are responsible for keeping the company's networks safe and secure from unauthorized access. It is another fast-growing field.

Telecom/Wireless: Telecommunications is another career paths for which a Cisco certification is one way for employees to prove their skill. Telecom/wireless experts build and maintain networks used for communication--whether than be voice or video.

Webmaster: A webmaster creates and maintains a website, and is responsible in many cases for both the function of the website as well as its content. This job requires not just technical skill but also design sensibility, depending on the nature of the website. It also requires at least an associate, but a bachelor's degree is helpful.

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