[patilvjay89]

Hello guys,
*** tell me if ccna is worth doing. I am a graduate from science stream and also have taken 2 microsofts exam IE.(mcp) I wanted to do CCNA. Recently I searched the net and got horrible answers regarding opportunities for fresher. I am very desperate to know that should I go for ccna or it would be waste of time and money.

[ITstudent2006]

I myself was put in a similar situation. I chose to go the CompTia & Microsoft route. That is not saying my way is correct but from what I read and understood I felt it more beneficial (for me) to not go the Cisco route.

[cajalat]

Patovjay89,

For starters... there is no substitute for real world experience. I've been in the business (Networking) for many years and I have interviewed candidates with lots of letters behind their name that couldn't navigate their way around networks. Paper certificates sometimes are more harmful than helpful especially if your resume shows certificates without real experience.

Having said that, some certificates are nearly impossible to get without solid real world experience to back them up. For example: CCIE (Networking) or GSE (GIAC Security Engineer). Others are what I call "filler" certificates which really don't amount to being able to do the job and are more high-level and look good if you're going to be a manager. Those certs can be earned with studying and practically no experience. Others are what I call "starter" certificates which should help get your foot in the door as a Novice. CCNA leans towards the starter certificate. It isn't bad, it won't hurt you and will likely land you a good beginner job.