Is a certification more important than a college degree when it comes to computer networking?
Question by random00: Is a certification more vital than a college degree when it comes to notebook networking?
I hear some people say don’t go to college for that and to just get a certification.
I mean I hear some people say don’t get a degree in that and to just get a certification
Best answer:
Answer by Chris S
That’s a topic of contention!
There are pluses and minuses to each type of certification. For a college degree, you normally have to pay a lot of money, and it takes a long time to get the degree. This is not necessarily a terrible thing, most degrees are very thorough and if you do well you’ll probably get an exceptional job with a decent employer (though nothing is guaranteed in life). You will also keep your degree for life.
With a networking certification, it really depends on the one you go for. Though there are a few out there, the main entry level ones are CompTIA’s Network+ certification and the Cisco CCNA. Both of these are excellent, though I reckon the CCNA is more thorough, though tends to be somewhat vendor specific. I did the CCNA some time ago, and I learned a LOT. But, the drawback of a certification is that an employer may choose that they want someone with a telecommunications degree over someone with just a certification. A certification also expires with some time, so you need to constantly renew it.
But, for for myself I found that the CCNA was an exceptional path to learning in this area networks, though one day I want to go to University and do a notebook science degree.
What do you reckon? Answer below!
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It depends. Many places want a degree and some certs. But nothing beats a college degree. More employees want a degree before a certification. remember, a cert teaches you mainly one thing, a degree teaches you not only many things, but also how to teach yourself and troubleshoot many things.
I work with several people who had forgone getting a degree and simply attained the CCIE Certification (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert). Starting salary for anyone holding the CCIE cert and a little experience is up to 100k. My coworker is currently earning 150k+ at 27.
The CCIE however, is no ordinary certification. It represents the highest level of knowledge and expertise attainable in the computer networking field. Expect to spend thousands of dollars on training equipment and YEARS studying for it. Speaking with the guys in my office, they say they pretty much forced themselves to read/practice for 2-3 hours every day, for a year or two, in order to pass the exam.
The typical path and time required to get a CCIE:
CCNA (3-6 months) => CCNP (1-2 years) => CCIE R&S(2-4 years)
The road is long and costly. But, if you have the dedication and means to pursue this certification, the rewards are exemplary.
A college degree will give you a well-rounded knowledge, not necessarily in networking. But you will learn a lot of theory behind networking, some that you won’t find in certification.
As you progress in your academic career you may deliberate a masters or Ph. D in networking. At this top you won’t be working on the operational side of things but rather researching and implementing new congestion avoidance algorithms or routing protocols. You will not only focus on notebook networks but sensor networks, bio/nano networks, and various communication mediums.
If you want to do straight notebook networking you will want to probably take the certification track. It’s more practical for getting a career. In my opinion it’s all operational. I value people that can write a TCP/IP stack rather than one that can operate it. But that’s opinion.