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For over twenty-five years, I’ve worked with network infrastructure, either in an Engineer, Manager, or blended role, and at the time searching for one of these positions, as long as it involves network infrastructure. My goal with this article is not to knock anyone, certification, or preference of certification and experience, but to receive feedback. I appreciate any help you can provide.
I had found a position whose certification preference is CCIE, but the description was noted as “preferred,” so I applied with current Cisco CCNP and CCDP certifications. I’m not implying these two or any two professional certs equal a CCIE certification.
At that time, I was not interested in a specialized position, for example, security. I prefer having more horizontal certifications than vertical, though I’ll admit I entertain this option. A vertical path is beneficial for a specialty such as Security or Data Center and is preferred by many. Still, as a Network Engineer and Manager, most of the positions I’ve had or managed were broad in responsibility. Hence, multiple diverse certs are appropriate for now, at least for me.
My preference is to obtain and retain professional-level certifications and apply the time I’d spend for a CCIE certification towards a specific vendor product or a technology. For example, at the time, I was studying for AWS and Palo Alto Networks certifications. In my spare time, which was not much, I expanded my Cisco ACI experience and learned more about Cisco DNA. After all, most job descriptions list multiple products and technologies.
Regarding the position I mentioned earlier, I had two very productive and positive technical phone interviews with the hiring manager and team members, of which I was confident afterward. About a week later, the recruiter contacted me and said: “The team feels you can handle the position and are a good fit and your salary requirement is below what they would pay someone with CCIE, but it is a CCIE position.” I said to the recruiter, “I have two current professional level certs, CCNP & CCDP, as well as experience with many of the products and technologies which are in line with the responsibilities of the position,” to which he responded, “we don’t recognize that in place of CCIE.”
I know the effort it takes to study for and pass the CCIE; it is significant, and those with the certification should be proud. There are benefits for the employer; for example, support calls are directed to experienced support engineers. That may be why they want CCIE, and maybe they need that skill level.
Though I was not selected, given the recruiter’s comments (good fit, handle the position) and my experience with many products and technologies aligned with the responsibilities of that position and other opportunities, I was still confident.
I want to thank David Bombal for influencing me in this field and for his encouraging videos to stay relevant and motivated.
On Another Note!
Although I’ve had multiple technical certifications at once, I’ve never considered myself a Rock Star. This label has been and still is, used in job descriptions and by hiring managers or recruiters. Read further in my article on this subject – Are you a Rock Star?
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