I am an L1 Network Engineer in a Telecommunication Company with CCNA knowledge. What course should I choose for my career growth, CCNP or AWS?

Networking professionals can undoubtedly get a job in networking companies through CCNA training and their in-depth knowledge of the subject.?

If you don't believe us, you can check out the PyNet Labs placement review page, where you will see so many network engineers have taken the CCNA training and got placed in different MNCs by PyNet Labs' Placement team.

After having relevant years of experience, every working professional wants career growth, a hike or a promotion. To have a hike or career growth, networking professionals must upgrade their skills with trending technologies.

At the same time, what's next for career growth after completing CCNA? CCNP or AWS? The most in-demand courses after CCNA and in recent years, we have come across many professionals with this question. And, every time we have the same answer for them, which we have tried to put together for you all. So, here it goes...

Keeping on the Networking Path:

Let's first understand what CCNA is. And why do we need CCNP after CCNA?

CCNA is the first step for ambitious network engineers to pursue their careers in the Networking Industry.

CCNA is a Cisco Certified Network Associate exam also known by its exam code CCNA 200-301. Completing the CCNA training or certification gives you a broad range of knowledge of networking fundamentals. After taking CCNA training and in-depth knowledge, Network Engineers can install, operate, configure, troubleshoot, and verify basic IPv4 and IPv6 networks.

What does a Network Engineer do?

The CCNA certificate is only valid for three years, and then certificate credentials expire. Moreover, for Networking professionals, the CCNA certificate is optional to get a job unless they belong to countries like the USA or Canada.

After CCNA, why CCNP?

Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) is the professional-level certification which is the next level of CCNA. This certification has seven tracks where network engineers can choose any one of their choice and interest.?

After completing CCNP training a network engineer will be able to handle, install, and troubleshoot advanced-level networks in any enterprise. As companies are advancing with the trending technology every passing day, the demand for network engineers with the latest skill set is increasing daily. Also, according to the surveys, there were 8000 openings for Networking professionals with CCNP knowledge in May 2021.

Therefore, network engineers with CCNP training and in-depth knowledge can get professional-level jobs in the medium to the large-scale industry at a starting package of 6-8 LPA.

What next after the CCNP?

From the professional level to the expert level!

One more Cisco certification training, i.e., CCIE, is Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert. It is recommended that network Engineers have at least five years of work experience before they take the CCIE exam, as Networking is all about handling networks.

It is optional for the network engineers to take CCIE certification training after having work experience. Still, if they do so, it will benefit them little, as hands-on working experience will play a vital role in understanding this expert-level training syllabus.

Exploring the World Beyond Cisco:

Other than Cisco certifications, there are many different technologies to explore, such as AWS, AZURE, PALO ALTO, CYBER SECURITY, and many more!

Let's see what are the benefits of AWS training after CCNA.

The most widely and well-known cloud platform used globally is Amazon Web Services (AWS), which provides over 200 fully functional services from Data Centers worldwide. The expertise of Amazon Web Services (AWS) has become more well-known in recent years as cloud computing has gained popularity. It's not surprising that many big and small companies have chosen to host their solutions and services there since AWS is the sector's oldest and largest public cloud service.

Choosing AWS after the CCNA is also a good option for network engineers as they already have learned all the networking concepts in CCNA, and it is helpful when you go for the AWS certification. Also, selecting AWS is beneficial as network engineers are not just learning the single vendor technology; they are learning from the most significant cloud vendor, which means they have the skill to work on other cloud platforms as well.

According to statistics, there are 70000+ jobs open in the cloud profile. If you don't believe you can get the stats from any job board such as LD or Indeed.?

From this, you can learn the demand for AWS techies or IT professionals with other cloud knowledge.?

Conclusion:

It isn't very easy to say which is the best option after the CCNA certificate. Selecting CCNP will help you to advance your knowledge with the same vendor, and you can have a lot of experience with Cisco-based OEMs.?

Watch this video for a clear understanding!

On the other hand, selecting AWS will give you knowledge about the other vendor, which is also very much in demand.

Therefore, all working professionals must take the certification according to the required skill set at their workplaces.

Also, check your interest in the technology because that matters the most. If you want to do any certification just for the label, then it's unnecessarily investing your time and money.

As a Network Engineer, you have to make a wise decision about which career option is best for you.

Hope that helped, see you in the next LinkedIn Article.