The Fate of Tyrlon and other Dubious Things

As many of you know I work in the Information Techology field as a Networking Analyst.  Most of my job doesn’t revovle around networking though, since being in any sort of IT position usually results in being a “jack of all trades” when it comes to supporting the network, the servers, and the people.

I’ve been thinking about whether it would help my career to obtain some Cisco certification such as CCNA or CCNP.  Our IT housed networking department on campus has just one person who is Cisco certified so there definitely is a need for more people who have the correct certifications.  In a University there is usually a lot less focus on certifications as compared to the corporate world, but it definitely is a good way to prepare yourself for the corporate work-force since you can make a lot better salaries in the corporate world than you do working for a state agency.

The IT field has recently had a huge explosion in growth, a lot of which can actually be pointed at the increased cost of out-sourcing due to fuel costs and other concerns.  Many more jobs are being moved back here to the U.S. and there are a lot less fully qualified candidates competing for those jobs than there were just a few short years ago.  I have worked in the IT industry for almost 6 years now and have seen the number of positions that even my own agency has been posting rise dramatically.

In the IT field there is also a lot of turnover which creates opportunities for people who are well trained and have a desire to work hard and learn more.  On the job training is almost always a part of any job and obtaining certifications can often be done with the employer paying for the training and certification itself!  This is a tremendous opportunity that should not be overlooked.

The Cisco Learning Network site is a great way to figure out which certifications would be the best fit for your career goals and also contains helpful test questions, blogs, and information about the kinds of opportunities you can find with that particular certification.  There is also an extensive forum of like-minded IT professionals that frequent the Cisco Learning site so that you can get assistance with all of your questions.

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