This guy is absolutely correct. I'm a senior IS major. I started applying for positions and every interview I've had did not want CCNA. They outsourced they're networking to 3rd parties and everything was handled in the cloud. I stopped studying for CCNA and started learning cloud technology. I start my first IT position on Monday. The basic stuff I learned from reading the CCNA book was valuable for the knowledge but cyber and the cloud are what you need to know. Great video!!
That's what I've heard but I also hear that all clouds are based off networks so ccna will be a foundation for the rest of what you're doing and helps understanding concepts for harder cloud certs and your job in general Edit: nvm I should've watched the entire video before going to the comment section lol
I do feel there is a bit of bias given that he is a cybersecurity channel. If you want networking advice, go to a networking channel, not cybersecurity.
In my experience there's 2 ways to go when still applying for a entry level position in IT: Either you apply for a help-desk position at start and after 6-12months doing that try to apply for a better position (admin, cybersec etc) likely in the same company OR you get some certifications on your own (Comptia ones, CCNA etc) and by learning for them online for free and just buying exam vouchers (around 200dollars per cert) treat it as an investment so you can skip the help-desk part and apply for better positions immediately. Both paths should eventually lead you to a position where the company sends you to acquire some real certs costing 8-10k$. It's just again as a lead in a department I'm more inclined to send a guy to those courses who already has passed some entry level certs...
@@UnixGuy Could you do a video on the value of starting at a helpdesk? For me it was great for learning IT troubleshooting and the fundamentals.....but admittedly that was back in the token ring days.
You will have a very tough time if you skip Help Desk. Admin and Engineer roles are NOT entry-level roles as you need prior IT experience. It took me 3 years to become a Linux Admin after starting in service desk. I have no degree or certifications. I did stuff outside of Help Desk to aquire my experience. Rarely anyone would start of as a Sysadmin as their very first IT job. You need to very experienced when handling a companies critical infrastructure. If you don't know what you are doing can cost a company lost in down time, money and your job.
@@caridabaptiste9878 I had piror experience working with Linux. Started out with Ubuntu Server 10 back in 2013. I did some consultant work on the side, built and deployed a servers to a small business. I drop out of college around that time and never went back because I didn't learn anything in a classroom. I already knew 80% of everything that I taught myself. I was moving faster than what any college professor could teach me.
Ccna will give you good foundations in networking principles in general which you can draw on when you need to understand or deep dive at any stage. It is also impressive on a cv and a talking point for an interview. I accept that time is limited for learning but if your job is centred around cloud then it will be a deep well you can draw on. There is something to say for structured learning with recognised cert rather than RU-vid
@@UnixGuy yes I watched the video, not criticising just expressing an opinion and we should be open to a range of opinions and let people make up their own minds
@@flyduck for sure my friend, and I respect your opinion. True a lot of people believe it to be foundation, I argue that many (most really) people in IT don’t have it and never bothered with it and I presented a different point of view :)
I've done just that, instead of going for CCNA, I went for CompTIA Network+, Security+, Linux+ then cloud certifications. Just over 1.5yr in Helpdesk role, I managed to find a cloud support role. Then a year later cloud engineer. Now picking up IT security skills and certifications for specialization in Cloud Security in the near future.
@@UnixGuy I am a high School pass out and 29 yrs of age now I work an odd job Can you please suggest me a road map if possible through certification and boot camps to build a carrier in cloud?
I honestly agree a lot with your perspective with the CCNA. I work in an environment as a network Administrator and rarely get to do any real work on Cisco equipment now anyway. BUT the fundamentals you learn from the CCNA especially the current version is indeed worthwhile in the field as a starting point. The network fundamentals are important. My next route will be cloud engineering or security but I think anyone learning ccna should be commended. It’s a hard cert. you will learn a lot. Use that knowledge to move onto more demanding aspects of IT. If you think your not going to spend any real time on Cisco equipment moving forward then sure use a more specific route (pun intended).
it’s definitely a challenging cert and I agree with you, it’s a must for network engineers. What I usuallu don’t agree on is that cyber security professionals should go the same route as network engineers, Whilst it is possible, I just recommend more efficient ways :)
@@UnixGuy totally agree. I love networking so I’m happy to learn it. If your desire is cyber security then there are better methods. I’m interested in the Microsoft security cert atm as I’m using the platform a lot with our company’s Microsoft environment.
@@mikewillodea good choice, Microsoft is everywhere! they’ve just released this if you haven’t seen it which is a great intro that you can do more microsoft azure stuff after: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8gks3pe69hQ.html
Thank you for your video. I am currently working as Help desk technician, and studying CCNA with a lot of pleasure to build up my confidence in IT, even if i won’t take the Networking path aka Network admin in the future. I totally understand your perspective, i know that there is not a perfect /magic certification to move up but i strongly believe that i have to start from somewhere .. Keep up your excellent content
Nice buddy. Im in the exact same position right now and learning for my CCNA as well. It really gives you a lot of motivation and confidence in IT. Also I would recommend you to build your own lab and go crazy , you will acquire so many good and important skills.
@@milesdyson5211 I think you are right, maybe some companies arent worried about if you have CCNA certification, but maybe other are, i believe is a better have and didnt need than need and didnt have the certification. its only my opinion, maybe im wrong.
Thank you so much for this video! Unixguy! As you know I’m at a community college my major is Information Assurance and Cyber Security. On our curriculum we have to take three classes of CCNA 1,2 and 3. Except for the last one we can take intro to cloud computing. I found cloud computing waaaay more interesting 😂. Can’t wait for next year to take intro to cloud computing. Thank you so much for your valuable information as always 🙏🏽
I think the main point here is that if you really really want to become a network engineer then sure go for ccna, ccnp and so on, you will have to know all that stuff. If you don't want to be a network engineer then you can learn networking basics yourself or pass n+, for example. There's no point spending your time learning ios commands if you are not going to use them.
Pretty much, and if you want to become a network engineer you really need to be clear on why you want to do that as it’s not the high growth career area that it used to be 15-20 years ago. Thanks for watching and thanks for your summary and perspective
There is a lot more to CCNA than just learning ios though. It's a much deeper look at networking than Network+ is. You have to learn how to configure vlans, spanning tree, how to configure static routes, OSPF, etc. Network+ just teaches you what those things are, not how to actually configure a working network. Having that fundamental knowledge is something that is beneficial in all aspects of IT. Networking still has similar aspects in the cloud, and you can build on that with AWS, you need a strong networking background for cybersecurity as well. The only issue with CCNA is that it's so in depth that it's a huge time investment. Probably 3-6 months at least. But it will only help you if you have the time to learn it.
Dude i gotta say you’re awesome. I’m majoring in cybersecurity at my college and our curriculum requires us to take a few networking courses, including a dedicated wireless networking course (CWNA). Luckily, I ended up passing my CWNA exam and now I already have a wireless networking certificate. However, I had been nervous because ultimately my end goal is to do some sort of security, whether it’s networking, cloud, etc. After watching your video I’m glad that there are options out there, and I’m more glad to know that employers are looking for more than just a CCNA. I’ll say that at my college, they love to shove networking in your face. I’m a second year student, and have yet to do something “security” related besides basic network security. So screw it, I’m going to spend my own time outside of school to try and accelerate my education and career.
well done mate, universities are notorious for being behind the times - they will teach you what they know to teach rather than what’s actually going to get you a job in your field (cybersecurity). It’s fine to learn all these basics in your degree but if you want work in cybersecurity then you better spend the majority of your time on cyber security. Start with this video and work your way through my videos, you’ll figure out what to do next: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ug_ruisDUXc.html
I can relate to this, my uni also shoves CCNA in my face saying that its a must to get hired. We already have 3 networking courses before we end the second year.
@@fluffyball3347 unfortunately people who teach at universities have no idea what the market wants and they lack real world experience. At best some of then may have worked in the field a decade ago or have done some internships
Thank you! I came here for an honest opinion from someone who knows the industry, and you provide just that. Not everyone will have the same opinion and the comment section shows that, but thank you so much for providing your view on the topic.
@@UnixGuy alot of people study the ccna. Also network chucks videos barely cover the ccna. That's like a introduction you tools. Again even if it was the full course not all people who study can pass it. That's the point of a test.
@@G3RM3X617 You are right, I agree that a test measures understanding the material to an extent. My suggestion regarding studying the ‘foundation’ part if someone haven’t got a uni degree or a diploma and doesn’t know anything about networking then they can learn that and move on to pay for tests and things that will give them more opportunities, hope that clarifies it
@@UnixGuy another one is funny is when people say the a+ is common sense cause it's not. Even if they have more advanced certs there is a good chance there are some topics on that test they dont know. Not knowing some of it is all it takes to fail. Also it's not common sense unless they could take the test this minute and pass. If you have to study even a tiny bit it's not common sense.
You honestly made me feel doubtful about my current IT BSc degree. I am doing cyber security and it's a network-focused degree. Now I am thinking of going towards CS.
no kee doing your degree. Your specialisation is good and it’ll open doors, you’re not specialised in cisco, you’re specialised in networking, you can build on that
@@UnixGuy what if you're from a different field / profession altogether and want to move into IT (say Cyber Security). Wouldn't CCNA be a must to get one's fundamentals down - I'm talking about someone with no prior IT experience or understanding of networking concepts.
Thanks for the video. I've to admit that I planned to pass CCNA exam, but after watching your video I'll probably not even if I already started to study (I've done 1/3 of the studies). In my case, as a cybersecurity consultant junior, CCNA is not necessary. In the comment there are a lot of people that don't understand that he never said that CCNA was useless. It's still a great cert. It combining networking fundamental and applying these fund to Cisco devices. But, It is for this last reason that it is not adapted to all profiles. As an engineer - consultant in cybersecurity / Cloud consultant you will never (or very rarely) need to configure network equipment. So yes, the certification is still good because it allows you to see the network fundamentals (just like network+ or a network course) but as I said before, the certification is also based on Cisco equipment configuration which is completely useless unless you want to become a network security engineer. So the only part that will benefit you will be the network fund part (which you can learn by other methods, cert). Lot of questions in CCNA are related to equipment configuration so pretty useless except for a network engineer. Of course, depending on your country, it may be recommended to take it because companies don't evolve and think that no matter what your position is, it's essential to have it (which is not true). To conclude, I'll say that CCNA is adapted to network (security) engineer profile and yes network fund are required if you work in security or Cloud but there are other better way to learn them. As he said, if you want to work in Cloud and/or cybersecurity learn network fund (following course or network+ is fine) and then go directly on Cloud (AWS / AZURE / GCP) / Security cert (Pentest, IAM, etc) You can use this link to find the good cert for you : pauljerimy.com/security-certification-roadmap/ On my side, I'll still keep following CCNA course (from Jeremy IT Lab) because I still need to learn / validate some net fund and I found that his videos are great. But I won't past the exam or pratice CCNA using labs, learning Cisco CMD because I'll never use them. After validating network fund, I'll be following Security+ and then Cloud security (Aws, Azure, GCP) and specifics products cert (CyberArk, Crowdstrike...) regarding what I want to learn. Sorry for bad english
I slightly disagree. It really depends depends on your situation really. I wanted to get into cyber security with about 6 months of helpdesk experience in IT. I completed a cyber security bootcamp got the security+ certificate and struggled to find an entry level cyber job. I settled for a well paid internal IT support role for 8 months, got the CCNA and then was finally able to get multiple interviews for cyber security roles. I think the CCNA gave me the knowledge most modern candidates lack (networking foundamentals). You'd be surprised how much the CCNA is still respected by hiring managers. I think you dont have much experience in IT getting a CCNA and a Security/Cloud certification combo will make you stand out. If you already a few years of experience you're better off getting a Security or Cloud certification instead of CCNA.
A lot goes into getting a job than a piece of paper, if you had experience in IT, a bootcamp, a security+ my guess would that combination (specially the experience) is what helped you I’m not against people doing a CCNA, all I’m saying is there other FASTER ways, that’s all.
Networking is not as lucrative as before but it is fundamental to being an admin. Network+ would probably be sufficient in place of CCNA. A lot of Cisco techs are indoctrinated. The simple fact is that many competitors can do the same thing.
You can still get paid a lot in networking but as I said there are less number of roles to go around. Also in the video i mentioned that the ‘fundamentals’ are covered over and over in all degrees/diplomas and other certs
1. It's always a plus to have more granular knowledge. I do prefer CCNA + AWS so I do not have to explain subnetting or BGP. 2. CCNA explains cabling, explains binaries and hexa (swallow). It recommends you always to get deeper, so being an electronic engineer it's indeed a plus. 3. The part that explains with kids metaphor was not necessary. It's rude. 4. AWS & cybersecurity are trendy, this is right. In both cases having networking/security/sysadmin background is a must or at least a big plus. I understand that your intention may be beneficial for many IT incomers to know where to driver their efforts but, I am not sure if pointing to CCNA as a weakness or lose of time creates more confusion than focus. Plus, I do believe that for network engineers it's almost a requirement (CCNA or JNCIA or any associate vendor level) even with, the little bit of networking you saw in your degree.
1- But it’s not. My whole point is time should be spent elsewhere. For someone who wants to do DFIR work which pays a tons with A LOT of demand, CCNA is pointless and the path itself is long and pricey 2. yes and ? you can the information that you need from every cert, more is not better. 3. The arche-type exists in IT and very common, when a grown man/woman behave like this, they will be called out. 4. Wrong again, they’re far from being a must. This is what I’m trying to explain; that notion os outdated and is wasting people times. 5. If you want to be a network engineer, go for it and good luck. I repeatedly said in the video that I didn’t meant there are zero networking engineering jobs. That was not the point my point. if people still want to cling to “lets do ccna, net+ , A+’ etc, then more power to them, I said my 2 cents and adults can choose to do what they want with their time/money
@@UnixGuy It is good to hear different opinions and I do respectfully disagree with most of the explanations provided but indeed I do appreciate it for taking the time to answer.
Just checking some comments. Azure and many other Cloud provider's now have Cloud Network Engineers certifications meaning Cisco being less relevant due to I being vendor hard specific. Although most organizations are Hybrid not fully Cloud yet, the future for traditional Cisco Network Engineers will shift to Cloud Network Engineers. You have to evolve. Alot of Sysadmins jobs have evolved into Cloud Engineer and DevOps Engineers. I'm headed that direction my self as a RHEL admin that apply my professional Linux experience with Cloud computing. Everything is becoming more automated these days. Almost all Sysadmins use DevOps automation tools including myself that uses both the SaltStack and Ansible.
You are right. Cloud and Security certifications are very key. I was to advise my son to do CCT now I know.......let him just familiarise himself to networking but focus on cloud or security certifications
It depends on where your interests lie. As I'm sure you know, there have been many that have gotten entry jobs on the strength of the CCNA. Yes, you are correct that Cisco R&S are not as in demand as they used to be, however, you are giving a one-sided viewpoint based upon your CS background. Cisco R&S' are still the standard, and are very much a part of such areas as cybersecurity.
I don't know. I kind of agree but kind of disagree. It really kind of depends on what you want to do. For cyber security, yeah, it's probably not really necessary. If, however you want to be a Network Engineer or work for an ISP company the CCNA is probably a hard requirement. Regardless of whether you sit for the exam or not the knowledge and information in the CCNA is extremely important and valuable. A LOT of cloud and even cyber security people don't have a good foundation in networking and that ultimately holds them back. That said every company and every role is going to have different requirements when it comes this type of stuff. My suggestion is look up the job roles and companies that you are interested in and see what certifications and experience they require then work towards that. If earning the CCNA can get your foot in the door somewhere then it's absolutely worth it and not a waste of time.
In my opinion this advice has good intentions but seems unrealistic for the current job market. It's easy to say "go for cloud or security" because those are the growth markets with the best paying jobs but you have to start somewhere. I've never heard of anyone starting in those fields without getting really lucky with an internship and a direct hire right out of college. Going straight to Cybersecurity with a Sec+? I very much doubt that. I know Sec+ is in high demand but usually in conjunction with other work experience. On it's own it really doesn't teach you anything practical, it's just a vocab test. CCNA is a great way to transition to an admin role that'll make that transition to cloud or security easier later in your career. Both those fields are uber competitive and tough to break into without some solid work experience on your resume.
Just because you haven’t heard of people getting hired straight into security or cloud roles doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. It’s a lot more common in the industry, I’m in cyber and I see it every day. Yes security+ is just a start, if you watch my other vidoes I lay out career plans for various paths. Yes people used to start out with things like A+, Net+ , CCNA in the past, you can still do that now if you want, I’m telling you things have changed and there are alternatives that can make the whole process faster and save you time but it’s totally up to you. You’ll find people who do things a certain way to be emotionally attached to it and they want everyone else to follow the same path. - I’m telling you there is another way, but again, please do what you think is best for you :) thanks for your comment and your respectful communication
it’s an ok cert, not what I recommend. If you want to learn cyber security start here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rz0RL4Xue-A.html
@@UnixGuy I watched the entire video, and I wanted to come back and thank you for providing the link to that video. It motivated me to get started with the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate. When I finish it, I'll start applying for jobs and do TryHackMe Soc 1 while I'm waiting. Thanks for clearing up the path!
Yes, He is correct!! I have been working in Network Operations now, it's been 5 years but after that I wanted to change I'm not receiving much opartunities in Networking even tried searching number of jobs, now after his video I started AWS cloud, almost completing the course by end of this week. - Thank you so much
Hello, I've understood your point, I've failed my CCNA test this Friday and after watching your video It did shed a light on why this certification is not the "holy grail" I've put lots of work on the study but now I am really considering cloud administration. Jira to be more exact. It might be a niche area but I guess cloud is the future. Thank you for your insight!
I have been working as a IT field technician for the last couple of years. I started out at the Helpdesk. I am almost done with a AS in business IT support but I want to pivot into digital forensics. Where do I start? Please help!
I mostly agree, but I think this also largely depends on which vertical you work in. Manufacturing, Industrials, B&M retail, and others with a lot of physical locations will still have a need for a lot of the concepts that CCNA and even to an extent CCNP and CCIE teach. Cisco has even re-titled their CCNA to "CCNA Enterprise". Same with ISP's. If you work for a company that is 100% remote and has no physical locations and really does everything in the cloud then yes I agree CCNA does not make sense in this context.
the vertical has nothing to do with it, do CCNA if you want to be a career network engineer - which is a shrinking career - otherwise there is no point
@@UnixGuy Been there done that. Moved into cyber security for some of the same reasons you've mentioned. This is just my observation from having worked on both sides, and coming from a shop that scaled back on their cloud migration due to cost reasons.
@@danielcasey7385 fair enough, and yes you are right many people haven't calculated how much they're spending on cloud and the bills comes as a shock. What can we do, we need to adapt to the changes in the market, thanks for your contribution Daniel
Pretty new to IT. I currently hold my Sec+. I have been told I should get my Net+ to be more marketable. However, I want to be a Cloud Security Engineer or Cloud Security Architect. So I feel going for my Linux+ is better. Thoughts?
congrats on getting the security+ . you most definitely don’t need anymore comptia certs. go straight to cloud certs and dont waste time/money. This video will help you get started: Become a Cloud Security expert | Step by Step ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NGvgJKtygwo.html
@@draemcgowan7290 I look at certs differently/ the learning. Comes from the job not the paper back book knowledge / certs are a way to gate gate keep just like degrees we’re on the past - u learn from the job the problem is To many folks think you have to be geniuses I ended up getting a government Helpdesk job for 70k - but I’m working. On bachelors and more things to get me to the 100k mark
But since organisations that embrace the cloud are normally on hybrid cloud scenarios then onprem knowledge is also valuable. I would still encourage people to take those certs like CCNA, Linux SysAdmin and Windows Server if they find them valuable for their job prospects
I see no reason for someone who won’t be configuring cisco switches to do CCNA, I recommend time spent more strategically rather than doing outdated things ‘just because’.
It not that CCNA is bad, it just takes up to much time on extra info that is not needed in these days. Yes network fundamentals is are extremely important, but learning command specifically for cisco devices is not worth the time value because you will spend a lot of extra time studying information.
I kinda disagree. The CCNA and my work ethic helped me advance my position where we support close to 20k OLG sites that use Cisco routers, basic cloud stuff and data center technologies and Fiber. But I do want to switch to Cyber and get an entry level position. Nice video but do you have a video about switching from between networking to cyber?
Congrats on your success and very happy for you! Looks like you have great work ethic and you will succeed in any path you decide to take! For cyber security, this is the best path for you: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rz0RL4Xue-A.htmlsi=i2uWxzOI52VO5U89
The CCNA helped me launch my career. However the truth is not one of my ~30 Certs have landed me a job. Networking as a career field is fun but it is a shrinking field and even the Network Vendor are aware of this. If you are a Network Engineer and you're not at least cloud literate I would suggest you might be playing catch-up moving forward in your career
that’s what I’m trying to say, the CCNA may have helped you but times are different and there better alternatives out there. Unfortunately people perpetuate outdated advice
Hello! First of all, congratulations on the job of informing the community about career and direction. But, I believe that the title of the video as ccna being a waste of time is not a reflection of reality. The cisco ccna certification provides a strong and essential foundation for any analyst's technical training, making a difference and impacting the lives of thousands of people entering the IT field around the world. I think your statement is very extreme and not true. I speak from experience, that thanks to ccna I managed to change careers. But of course it's not the same for everyone and certification should be done if it makes sense for the career prospects of anyone looking to work in IT. Those are my considerations.
Thanks for your comment Diego, and we’re gonna have to agree to disagree regarding CCNA being ‘foundation’, I addressed that within the video. Having said that, congrats on getting a job and I wish you all the best my friend :)
Hi sir Currently i am working in Tcs as a Network administrator. I have total experience in IT field 1.5 years. Now i want to move cyber security/cloud security side. Can you please tell me where to start?
Really insightful video, so I was actually thinking of going for CCNA, then LPIC, then Sec+, in the end I really don't want to be a network admin/engineer, just want to have solid ground with respect to linux and networking, so what would you recommend, net+ just doesn't make sense in my opinion, as the price to value is lower than opinion, I could be wrong here, but at the same time I want to have certs that I can change jobs even as a sysadmin, before being a very competent penteste/purple teamer, what sort of paths do you recommend I take? Appreciate you time and guide.
Hi i’m a senior university student, and i’m studying for my comptia sec+ , and i’m planning to get eJPT after sec+ , then I’ll find a job in pen test industry. My question is do you think these two certs enough for an entry level pen test job or should i get another/more certs?
These certs are definitely a great start and you should start searching for a job after but it’s going to be really tough. Follow the recommendations I lay out in this video for pentesting to improve your chance of landing a pentesting job: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CePhURvdyqk.html
Linux+, Linux runs the server world. I would skip this guy's advice and get your CCNA, maybe CCNA Cyber OPS. N+ covers a lot of networking concepts and makes it easier to grasp the base concepts of the CCNA. CCNA will take you down the rabbit hole in terms of how it all works and why.
After watching this i think doing the new Cisco CCST Networking might be a good alternative to CCNA, its a Networking fundamentals exam and only cost $125.
Sir, as you've mentioned that Cloud Certifications are more recommended in current scenario, which is obvious because everything's is shifting into cloud based storage system,, but which cloud certification should be better to go on first ? I'd love to know your suggestion ,,, Also I'm a frequent viewer of your channel and saved it in My Bookmark List... Thanks For you information.. Looking for learning more from you.... 😊
Thank you for your very good information, but in my country, due to sanctions, 90% of companies cannot have new equipment, and these 90% have relatively old Cisco equipment, what do you suggest in this situation?
Hi Resha, my absolute pleasure my friend! Learn the equipment needed in your country to get the job done but at the same time you need to upskill and gain new skill. The data still need to live somewhere (public/private cloud), and it still need to be secured. so combine those skills and don’t restrict yourself
Happy to know this. I have been seeing recommendations also for the COMPTIA A+ but i don't want to deal with those. I want to focus right away in cyber sec. So i was thinking of doing first the google cert for cybersec and then the comptia sec+ after. What do you think?
@@midnighthymn honestly both are great pathways and cyber has many sub-specialisation. Pick one and go deep with it, it’s easier to pivot to something else once you have experience and higher level certs
you should add "if you dont want to be a network engineer/Net admin/Net technician" This course teaches fundamentals of networking and applying them. Not to mention cisco is world proprietary.
nowadays ppl are moving to cloud, the certifications i will focus are cissp, aws solutions architect prof, azure fundamentals and some azure certifications
Fair point, but I’ve already addressed you point in the video. Thinking that basic networking knowledge is exclusive to CCNA is both false and doesn’t reflect the reality of the market where most people don’t have it and dont need it
I passed my network+ but my company uses cisco gear. Im strong on fundamentals. what beginner areas of ccna should I focus on that will allow me as help desk to gain more opportunities on the job? troubleshooting, configurations, etc.
Hi UnixGuy! I have recently got my degree in information security & assurance but have yet to get any certification or experience. What is the recommended next step you think I should take? Thanks
your first goal is to get your first job and it’s a challenge, make sure you polish that CV and apply to as many roles as possible. I have many videos that help with individual topics, but this should be a start: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GPmVphOqSGY.html
I believe I know what he meant when he said CCNA is required on his country. In some third world countries like mine where the minimum qualifications for entering an IT position is a bachelor’s degree, and every year hundreds of thousands graduate. Most companies whose HR department(not IT hiring managers) are not as progressive, will just trim the job seekers by as many certifications they have. It is sad but in some parts of the world is a reality
Same Here. I live in Jamaica and am struggling to find my way in IT after 5 years of leaving college. A lot of the jobs here are advertised with CCNA and/or CompTIA A+. I have a bunch of Azure certifications and I make under 25K USD a year in a rather shitty job that affords me little to no real experience but doing cert exams. I really need to pivot as I am not doing too well in my career and it's beginning to affect my mental health. I thought to look at the CCNA to see if I can leave my MSFT Cloud Specialist job and get a better job that is less cloud-centric. So, while he's right about the tech advancements and the cloud becoming the new thing, there are companies here in Jamaica still running Server 2012 on old hunker junker servers and when they put out their job postings, CCNA is bound to be among the requirements.
Great, I am scheduled to take the CCNA exam on Sept 8th. I am trying to re-enter IT. I have CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ and get no response from employers. Now, I am wondering what to do?
If you've already studies and booked the exam, then do it it won't hurt and the knowledge you gained will help you. From there, pick something in demand like cyber or cloud, you can skip the A+ and Network+
Apply for better jobs. I bet you’re applying for jobs around where you think you fit. The problem is that you’re applying for jobs you’re gonna grow out of, not into. Apply for that job that is 2-3 steps ahead of where you are right now, and take it for pay that is only 1 step ahead of what you think you’re worth
So Basically I don't need CCNA before I enter into cloud computing, but I need Networking experience, How would I get that experience without a networking Job
no, you don’t need networking experience but you need basic networking knowledge. Follow this plan: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zFFMhpCLJi0.html
I actually do hiring quite frequently and this is my reading of the market. As I said, repeatedly, this doesn’t mean there are zero networking jobs. If after watching the video someone still wants the CCNA I think they should just do it, each to their own.
Wow! Each of us must judge for ourselves if CCNA or any cert is of value or not. It ultimately depends on your career path. If you want to be a network engineer, good luck without a Cisco certification...you're going to need it. The IT industry is vast, but there are only 4 pillars. The 4 pillars are Networking, Security, Database, and Virtualization. Allow me to explain. All areas of IT involves at least 1 or more of these pillars. IT is as vast as outterspace and yet networking is 1 of the 4 pillars. By the way, a database is simply a list. And since a program is a list of instructions, then coding/programming falls under database. Cisco holds a huge market share of the IT networking field. Most networking protocols (open or proprietary) were or are developed with or by the assistance of Cisco... to include many of the open standards. Cisco training teaches both open and proprietary standards. If you studied CCNA then you have a better foundation of IT networking concepts. For example, the concept of layers is essential in any IT career. OSI layers, TCP/IP layers, abstract layers in association with virtualization, infrastructure layers, etc. CCNA validates that you have the foundational knowledge, skills, and discipline to go further.
Thanks for taking the time to explain your views. I agree with you that cisco certs are needed if someone wants to be a network engineer, I touched on that in the video. However, I also said that this is not a path I recommend for beginners because it’s not a high growth path. I also agree with you, everyone is free to do whatever they think is best for their career. If they beleive CCNA and network engineering is the way to go then more power to them and I wish them the best of luck.
CCNA covers Python and APIs. There is so much more to CCNA than router and switch platforms. Cisco introduced the IoT concept. Now they (Cisco) is trying to indoctrinate the concept of Internet of Everything. Cisco is a major contributor of network virtualization, and network virtualization in the enterprise environment. The starting point of this frontier are the concepts covered in the CCNA objectives. The truth is that the most skilled IT professionals have obtained and exceeded CCNA level knowledge. They may not have taken the CCNA exam but they have the skills and knowledge to pass it. Since networking is 1 of the 4 pillars of IT than its a skill and knowledge that shouldn't be considered trivial.
@@davethomas3287 Mate most people actually working in IT do not have CCNA or care about it. If you work in the industry ask your colleagues, but my two decades in the field most peope don’t have it. You make it seem like universities dont exist and it’s either Cisco or nothing at all. It’s okay, you love Cisco, why don’t you go ahead and get your CCIE and work on cisco gear for a career? There is nothing stopping you from doing so. Discard everything I said and do what you think is best. And for the record, no Cisco didn’t introduce the conceot of IoT nor are they doing anything worthwhile in that area. Again, never mind me, please pursue a career as a network engineer, specialising in Cisco gear. Wishing you all the best.
@@UnixGuy I understand what you're attempting to express. You don't need a Cisco Cert. to be successful in IT. Analogy, you don't need a security cert to be a coder. You don't need a certification in reading, but you need to know how to read. You just don't need the cert.
@@davethomas3287 except for reading schools exists. For IT, universities exists and the majority of people in the industry don’t have or care for CCNA. I get it, there are passionate individuals who love the CCNA and that’s ok. I just attempted to provide some reality check, and I anticipated some backlash as not everyone will be willing to consider a different perspective. In fact, a lot of the commenters haven’t even watched the video yet they somehow feel obliged to ‘give’ advice, more so when they have been in the ‘industry’ for less than 2 yrs and have barely scratched the surface. Not saying that’s you, you are clearly passionate about Cisco and there is nothing wrong in pursuing a career in network engineering, its just not something I recommend aspiring professionals to do
I’m studying software development at college and they offer me a certification in CCNA (I took it because I wanted have really good base at network and cybersecurity for my backend developer career) but at the end of the day I want to specialized myself in DevOps and Cloud Manager. Should I take CCNA or focus myself straight to cloud?
So you saying the new people in it or with little experience can go straight to cloud and cybersecurity jobs by taking cloud /security certs. Correct?that would be extremly difficult. Let us know if someone get a job after doing what you are saying on your channel Of course if you have some experience in IT like working as sys admin or network engineer you dont need ccna.
Yes I am. I’ve been in tech for two decades, MOST people in tech have zero certifications. Zero. People have a mix of degrees and experience. Watch the video again, I explained clearly why people think ‘ccna’ is necessary and why it is false.
Just started studying CCNA and found this video. Well, After getting my degree in college in just a couple of weeks I already landed my first job as IT. But I already have work experience in different field like BPO and Food industry before getting into IT. I was an IT staff and later got an offered to another company as IT specialist. Now I'm still getting better. Best of luck to everyone out there!
@@UnixGuy That's fast thank you for noticing my comment! Can we connect in LinkIn ? I just want to have more connection for work availability especially during this days It appears that remote jobs are growing.
Great and concise video I wish to ask you about knowledge required for an entry level job position? I have a Cisco CCT ,Comptia ITF+ and Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity entry level technician certifications,but problem is in my country they prefer experience or degree for some reason,it is not easy for someone that doesn't have working a great knowledge base to land the first job
It really varies depending on the position. By virtue of the role being ‘entry level’ they shouldn’t expect more than what you already have. The rest depends on how many opportunities available in your city, how well you interview, your CV, your interpersonal skills, etc. I explain the process further in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GPmVphOqSGY.html
Depends on the company. The cybersecurity engineer that works with me has ACMP, PCNSA, CCNP, and NSE4 and no cybersecurity certs. And mind you we are a fortune 500 company.
that’s fine, that’s their path. They could be doing more ‘network security’ tasks like firewalls, which is essentially a network engineer role not a cyber security or they may have moved from a networking background. Their certifications are not a reflection of cyber security, I know many skilled people with zero certifications
I don't have an issue with most of your points. I don't think certifications are the end all be all. I currently work with a former senior network engineer who has zero certs but I do question what is a good school? What is a bad school and what is the metric so we can see these numbers? Imo, these are subjective terms that aren't backed by tangible numbers. In the US at least there are not a lot of colleges or universities known for their networking programs. I never had anyone take notice of my degree but they have with the CCNA. It's enough for them to show I have an interest in networking, not that I know everything. I have no plans to do cyber security so I'm probably not the intended target demographic for your video. I don't think you're necessarily wrong either. The market is moving towards cloud but I just question some of the points of your argument. There's going to be something that employers are going to be looking for other than a degree whether it's a cloud cert, tangible experience or otherwise. Just my opinion.
hey mate, thanks for your comment, you do raise very valid points. The market has changed dramatically, and you are right many jobs do not care for degrees but I elaborated in another video that some companies will never hire someone without a degree but that's a different conversation. There are many great degrees in the US, so many! The best universities in the world happen to be in the US (Carnegie Mellon, Virginia Tech, UC berkely, Purdue, Stanford, etc etc...) and there is on campus hire, I know FAANG and many fortune 100 companies hire graduates on campus so good degrees definitely exist both for undergrad and postgrad. I agree, employers do look for more than a degree which is what I explain in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GPmVphOqSGY.html ( explain my thoughts regarding degrees vs certs vs experience). My channel is geared to help people navigate a career change to cyber security however im making more and more videos for cloud as it's a path that I recommend, this is a video for cloud: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NGvgJKtygwo.html
@@UnixGuy let's go with your universities being the best. How many students are there in America? How many can get in? What about people that are career changers and can not afford loans? In the us, most people go to community colleges. This is a fact. In fact the govt has given community colleges the biggest relief because most people start at community colleges. New grad programs do exist but you're not arguing for exceptions. You're arguing for the marketplace. A lot of people are not going to get into these select colleges. If they have no experience there must be some what to verify they have some knowledge. Standardized. I think CCNA is still a good cert. I benefitted from it and in early in my career. I think there's a reason why you have early career comments of people saying the CCNA is worth it we'll because it's benefited them. Have something surpass the CCNA? Sure. Is it a waste of time for cyber security professionals? Maybe. My colleague is skipping it and going for oscp. Is it a waste of time? Well it depends on what someone is going for. It's too much of a blanket statement to say. Like I said I received a 90k offer. I've been told in interviews(where I was rejected) the only reason I received a phone call is because I have a CCNA. I received this 90k offer based on something similar to you. This contractor is a Cisco partner and wanted people certified. I was denied several times before I was placed on a short list and ultimately got the job. Just my two cents. Thanks for the discussion.
@@Reason_over_Dogma mate I think now you’re debating degrees vs certs which is not what I advocated for in this video. Yes I agree with yoir points that certs are ideal for career changers which is what I recommend in my other video - I just happened to to recommend DIFFERENT certifications. I have no doubts CCNA helped you early on your career but times have changed and there are better certifications out there
You saved me the need to pay for that course... I took the IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST course from coursera and I think it was a way better choice for the price and content...so Thank you very much!
theres no way you landed a job from a coursera course alone, no way in hell. that doesnt even come close to comparing to ccna or any of the comptia certs. miles away. a 10 year old can get coursera certs, all you have to do is click "next"
No one can answer this question, it depends on the company, the type of role you got, the level of experience you have and the value you provide to a company. A certification doesn’t equal a job, it just improves your odds of landing one. This video explains what it takes to get a job: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GPmVphOqSGY.html
Thank you so much!!! as I don't want to waist any anytime, also what you say confirms What I'am seeing when I type CCNA in the job search on my geographical area. It only shows 30 jobs.....Thank you for this video!
You’re welcome my friend. People are so emotionally attached to it because they got the advice from someone older who did it 10-15 yrs ago when it was hot. I find its hard to change people’s beliefs specially when they’re emotionally attached. I have other videos that discuss certifications that are actually in demand, have a look and please feel free to ask me any question
@@UnixGuy Exactly thanks to that I bought some Cisco physical equipment that I don't need so today I took your advice and went to cloud gurus, I wasn't aware till you mention it that i can do security on the cloud ..So thank you again!
quick question... in the cloud the switches are router auto maintains? and they are waiting for Cisco certified and if you have no idea what is going on the network, cyber security for you is almost unreachable.
I could, but again, why? there are plenty of solid in demand certification provider, I see no reason why anyone need to cling to Cisco. It’s a choice, each to their own.
Hey @unixguy is it true I have to go into a help desk role in IT before I go into a specialized role like cyber security or cloud engineering? I Keep seeing that being said among other youtubers and the reason for this is “experience”. Disclosure I have no experience in IT whatsoever but I’m almost done with my CC isc2 certificate.
hey mate, this USED to be true 10-20 years ago but now things have changed. You CAN go to helpdesk first but you can also start your first job in cyber or cloud, I hired many people who didn’t have IT/helpdesk experience straight into cyber roles Follow this roadmap if you want to make a start: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ug_ruisDUXc.html
@@UnixGuy thanks for the info. I think you’re one of the best youtubers for quality career advice, everyone else is saying to do a bunch of networking, Linux, and coding certs before even touching cyber security. Idk if they are getting paid by these certification companies to tell people that but it certainly is very strange.
@@dad5410 I think they’re telling you what they’ve done themselves or they’re echoing what they heard before. I went through this path myself and it was required in the past but things have changed and there is no readon why people should go through the pain (and time waste) that I went through
I finished Cisco free for all basic in networking, and after trying CCNA I feel like I just reviewed most of the stuff I learned from their free course, except the subnetting and cicsco devices configuration.
*"...CCNA waste of time..."* It's not, it's a bit like Windows, all the IT guys bitch and moan about how crap Windows is but it's still the dominant force. CCNA is similar, it's the bench mark to which you will be compared to and the bare minimum to get your foot in the door.
@@UnixGuy *"...what are you even talking about?..."* A UnixGuy acting as though he doesn't understand the Windows analogy 😁 *"...foot in which door exactly..."* You talked about new comers finding a job etc then ask that 😐 Sure, you can get network fundamentals from a university but do you have any idea how much that route will cost you? You can get network fundamentals from other vendors but none of them have the prestige that Cisco has. Like it or not, CCNA is the most recognised cert about and for someone new to IT who doesn't have a clue about what route to take or which opportunities will be presented the CCNA is an excellent under pinning foundation. And your right, you could do cloud and security without understanding the fibres, lasers, backbone topology, routing and switching but you would be foolish if you did because your analytical skills would be next to useless outside of your specialisation. The demand for network engineers is on the decline but the requirement to understand network fundamentals isn't. The CCNA isn't about cram dumps or the certification per se, it's about the learning experience and the knowledge gained and that is never a waste of time.
@@kingsman428 mate you’re making way too many assumptions and frankly speaking that tells me you’re just new to the field, which is perfectly fine. CCNA is not ‘the most recognised cert’, that’s actually not a thing. Also regarding degrees, I have another video that talks about the building blocks of getting in the industry (experience, certs, degree, networking with people), I never said degrees are a must but they help. Thinking that ‘networking fundamentals = CCNA’ just tells me you haven’t been in the industry that long (or at all). Again, thinking CCNA is giving analytical skills is quite frankly laughable. It’s a newbie cert that barely scratches the surface. Not picking on you, but if I were you I’d listen to those with more knowledge in the field than me, you’re welcone to disagree and do what you think is best for you. As I said, I post these hoping it helps someone with their career, while acknowleding that you can take the horse to the river but you can’t force them to drink Good luck my friend
Is there anything to be gained in terms of understanding **how** a network engineer might construct a network from the Cisco point of view that might give me a tactical advantage over defenders or is that another thing that can be learned elsewhere? If so, where?
you’ll need to know the basics of networking, which can be learnt through certs that I recommend in my videos. If you are a defender then you need to focus on learning the defending side of things. Follow this roadmap: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DRJic8vCodE.htmlsi=K1IgEbK-yZJUQmoO
What I gather is you do not need CCNA but you do need networking fundamentals which the CCNA is a great source for that knowledge. But some time is waisted on CCNA product specific learning and memorization.
4:07 this is the logic in South America to obtain a undergraduate/associate / bachelor degree equivalent in IT, utter BS, they don't think in terms of the marketability of the degree but in terms of filtering who is fit to their standards to obtain the certification! when the students go out to the real work they crumble down because they underperform given they can't program nor troubleshoot, they are not up to date/ state-of-the-art.
I agree, the CCNA is a bit outdated. A lot of companies I work with don't use Cisco gear...you would be better off learning general networking concepts...TCP/IP, vlans and such.
Interresting vieuw on the exam. For me it helped me to switch carreers. I was doing sound and wanted to get into network engineering becuase it looked challenging. After 5 months i got my ccna and got a job short after. I agree with you that the job didnt require the specific exam, but i got the job mostly because they saw i had the motivation and drive to learn something myself without someone forcing me to do it. So yes maybe you are right and the exam is a bit outdated, but i learned the basics of networking and it help me change my path so i dont agree with you that it is not valuable. Working on azure as we speak :)
Congrats on the career change and I’m glad it helped you to change jobs. My point is there are other certs thst can do the same and more efficiently but since you already managed to switch careers then it doesn’t matter to you, very happy for you! Good luck with Azure 👏🏻
@@UnixGuy I understand what you are saying. Like most people, CCNA is the first exam you stumble upon if you google or youtube the network essentials and fundamentals. So what do you do.. GET IT!! Maybe it was a bit ''waist'' of time (i dont think it is because learning something new is always a +) but i do understand that there are more effiecent paths to take. Nontheless, i enjoyed learning CCNA because it was something new and challenging. And after azure i will definately take the AWS road you advised in another video!
@@m.d.1862 yeah those are fair points, as long as you got to your goal, it doesn’t matter, it’s the beginning of your journey and you will do more exciting stuff down the road :)
now i am so confused i was thinling to take the ccna exam at 25th and pick up my career from there cuz i need a job and the monye so i thought i will take the ccna then find a job the nstart ganing skills and bulid a creer from there going advance at it like taking ccnp next or getting any other certfication to strenthen my cv now i am second gussing myself should i cancel the exam and start from somehere else ?
If you already studied (which I assumed you have since the exam is on 25th) then please keep studying and get the exam done / it won’t hurt you. Get it over with, take the learning and move on
What do you think about CCNA when applying for a position related to SD-WAN? I think CCNA + BGP knowledge + OSPF knowledge + SD-WAN certifications is a good road map.
@UnixGuy I’m currently studying for the CCNA exam.They are making minor updates which involves cloud and Ai. Will it be necessary to get another cloud certification after getting my CCNa?
Great video, the Unix Guy is absolutely right, even if you plan to start with AWS Cloud Practitioner, my recommendation is just jump in next level AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate, because story there in CCNA and AWS 1st & Associate is almost same.
You made me sad, becouse you are have a point. Well, i wasted few months studying CCNA. I have Security+, and I am not sure what do so next. wanted to go ccna>aws sysops route, but now I think i should skip ccna.. Well at least I got the knowledge from studying.
Hey Salee, please don’t be sad! You now have a more balanced view of things and you can adjust your expectations. If you finished studying CCNA or about to finish, I say go ahead and do the exam and finish it off then you can go ahead and continue with your plans to pursue AWS. If you’ve just started with CCNA then you can go ahead and just start AWS following this plan: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NGvgJKtygwo.html
@@UnixGuy thank you! I am 70% done with ccna, and I am 100% done with aws cloud practitioner. I will do the exam on Monday (aws practitioner). After that I wanted to go ccna>sysops> cloud security. I also work on tryhackme and letsdefend platforms. I have a full time job in oil refinery so I scrape every available minute for learning. You saved me alot of time for saying what should have been obvious to me. ccna is not what I remember it long time ago. It is fun learning for ccna, but I can't afford wasting time I cant wait to work in IT again! Sorry for bad English, it's not my mother language. And thank you again! You spent your time helping anonymous people on internet, you are awesome guy.
@@Salee1204 You are on a great path then! the time you spent studying CCNA is not lost as you can carry the knowledge with you! Put all your time and effort in those cloud certs and life hopefully will change for the better. PS; Your English is great my friend!
@@UnixGuy One question, I saw your other video.. Should I go for Aws SAA or aws SysOps? Sysops looks like more fun, hands on. I wanted to skip SAA to save time, but will do that first if you recommend that.
@@Salee1204 in the grand scheme of things, it won’t matter too much. Think of the certs as means to learn a skill rather than a piece of paper, so choose what you believe will give you the most hands-on skills
