So you just passed your CCNA certification. What should you do next? In this post we will discuss Life after the CCNA.
The CCNA which is short for Cisco Certified Network Associate.
This is a certification by Cisco. This certification proves you can install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot routed and switched networks. For years, the CCNA certification has been the one most sought after certifications I know of.
Especially if your going towards a networking or network security career.
For many of us we get this certification and then wonder. What should I do next? The obvious is start applying for jobs. But its not that easy. I remember when I first got my ccna.
I knew it was valuable, but I didn't know how to extract the value from it. I didn't know which jobs to apply for or which companies and industries valued the CCNA. Last I didn't know the opportunities that it would lead too.
The secret to success in almost all fields is large, uninterrupted blocks of focused time - Ryan Holiday
Value of CCNA Certification
One of the best values you get from the CCNA certification.
Is that you went through, learned the material, studied, and passed the certification. This means you know have a valuable skill set that most don't have. This skillset will help set you apart from anyone who doesn't have this certifcation. In short it makes the job pool your competing against smaller.
Another Value add is that it enhances your resume.
You can add this certification on your resume and word is " when you submit a resume most of the time its not an human who looks at it first. Usually its a computer, but most certifications are also key words that the computer that pulls your resume is checking for. So when your apply to a job and that job is a networking job or it could be another job in IT.
If CCNA is a keyword and you have it on your resume. The computer will flag it for a human to take a look at it.
Career Opportunities
Its not a doubt in my mind that the CCNA certification opens up doors that was once closed for you. It broadens your market you know have jobs that you can apply to that you once couldn't.
For example, before my CCNA I was applying for factory jobs, manual labor jobs, or customer service jobs. This was my realm, then after I passed this certification. I could now apply for career jobs. I went from someone who just needed any job to someone with the ability to start a career in networking or IT in general.
Trust me, there's a big difference between a job and a career. After getting this certification, I could apply for roles like Network Technician, Network Administrator, or Network Engineer. Once I gained some experience, if I got tired of networking, I could switch to another IT career. Networking is the foundation. Once you understand it, you can build on it with security, cloud, or anything else that interests you. No matter what, it will always involve the network in some way.
Steps to Take After Getting Your CCNA
Update your Resume and LinkedIn Profile
Soon as you get your CCNA, the first thing you need to do is update your resume to include your certification. Then add this certification to your LinkedIn profile. This way is any one searches for someone with a CCNA your account will come up. You could also change your account settings to open to work to let employers know your looking for a job.
Apply for Jobs
Go on sites like Dice or indeed even LinkedIn and start applying. With a CCNA with no experience, I would aim for roles like Network Technician, Network Admin, and Network Analyst. If I don't see any traction from this, I would also apply to lower roles. The goal here is to get in the door. Some lower roles would be Desktop Tech, Help Desk, Computer Operations. The main thing to remember here is consistency and not to get discouraged if you don't get a job fast. I often say one of the things that separated me from some of my classmates as a student. Was I kept applying, I was working a customer service job and the whole time I would still apply. I did this till something came through. So don't give up.
Stay Ready
While doing the above, you still want to keep the knowledge you gained from the certification. So things like still doing labs, still reading and learning and advancing your skills. You want to stay ready so you don't have to get ready. For me most of my Tech interviews happened when I least expected it.
Network with Professionals
Attend networking events in your area, try the app meetup. At these networking events you never know who you will run into. You could run into a hiring manager and other engineer who can put in a good word for you. In this game sometimes its not what you know but who you know. One way to meet other professionals is with these meetups. The other way would be by joining online communities.
