It may sound new to hear that some individuals are actually “Network professionals” or that they are building careers around “network.” Some professionals work in networking and make careers out of it. However, to become a recognized professional in this field, individuals may have to take certain certifications that are highly regarded in the networking industry, one of these Certifications is Cisco’s CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate).
What is CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)?
CCNA – Cisco Certified Network Associate is a beginner-level IT certification provided by Cisco, a company specializing in networking hardware. The certification can prepare any entry-level professional for networking roles in IT which be networking specialist, network administrator, or network engineer. The idea of CCNA is to boost your knowledge of basic networking concepts that may be required of you as an entry-level professional. However, to be awarded this certification, you must:
- Write the CCNA certification exam which costs about $300.
- Passed the 200 – 301 CNA exam.
- Be willing to study hard for the exams.
This CCNA certification is a highly recognized and widely accepted one. Only professionals who have passed the exams are eligible to be referred to as Cisco Certified Network Associates.
What type of Jobs can a CCNA take?
With a CCNA certification, you can be:
- Network Engineer
- IT support specialist
- Network Administrator
- Network Specialist
- Cloud Network Engineer
- Systems Administrator
- Network consultant and more.
Where can I take the CCNA Exam?
To take the CCNA certification exam, you can visit the Cisco certification exams website. You can either choose to schedule an exam or practice an exam. When you click on “schedule an exam,” you will be required to log in with your email address (provided you have opened an account with Cisco before now). When you gain access to the page, you can now schedule your CCNA exams.
Salary of a (Cisco Certified Network Associate) CCNA
The salary of a Cisco Certified Network Associate is not dependent on the Cisco board itself but on the type of job, the certification holder takes up after the exam and a couple of other factors. A network engineer and an IT support specialist can be Cisco certified network associates but their salaries can differ depending on their job role. Also, even if both have the same roles but they work for different organizations, their salaries may still not be the same because the organizations are different and would pay them different amounts.
However, CCNA is well recognized and regarded by many organizations and because of this, will want to pay them good salaries. According to Glassdoor, Cisco certified Network Associates make about N650,000 monthly with the average pay being N250,000 monthly.
