Start Your Career in 2020 with One of Top 5 Networking Certifications!

The IT professionals, especially those who are serving in the networking sector, are in high demand. Please note that working in a networking position doesn’t give you a ticket to get a well-paid position in your company. You must validate your knowledge and skills to be stand out among other applicants. If you want to have a successful career in 2020, you need to earn at least one or two of the best networking certifications.

In this post, we’ll look at the top 5 networking credentials you need to obtain in 2020. Let’s discuss them right away.

1. Wireshark Certified Network Analyst – WCNA

Wireshark University was founded in 2007. The institution provides one certificate, but it’s going to be worth all the effort. WCNA validates the skills and knowledge of the network analysts by using Wireshark and network security, network troubleshooting, and TCP/IP network communications. To get this certification, the students must pass one exam. The WCNA-102.x test consists of 100 multiple-choice questions that you must complete in 2 hours. You also need to pay a fee of $299.

This credential is valid for three years, and you should get 20 continuing professional education credits every year to maintain it. The credits must focus on functions associated with the WCNA exam domains such as analysis and sniffing. You can participate in the Black Hat conference or SharkFest. You may also need to study for the test with the training program to get the CPEs.

2. SolarWinds Certified Professional – SCP

SolarWinds is a tech company based in Austin. This organization allows the IT professionals and businesses to get access to tools, solutions, and products. They use these resources to enhance performance, monitor, and find solutions to real-world issues. SolarWinds provides solutions in various areas, such as system management, network management, security database management, Cloud, and IT help desk.

Currently, the company provides one certification, known as SCP (SolarWinds Certified Professional). The credential is designed to prove one’s expertise, knowledge, and skills in using the network management product portfolio or SolarWinds system management. The students can opt to test for the certificate on the Server and Application Monitor or the Network Performance Monitor paths. In any case, they need to pass one exam. The certification test includes 75 questions that should be answered within 90 minutes.

The company seeks to ensure that the SCP holders maintain their knowledge base. This is because new technology products are being produced. To achieve this, SolarWinds obliges the certified specialists to uphold the SolarWinds subscription. The professionals with the SCP certification are required to attend training and events organized by this organization. With this subscription, the individuals get access to online training courses, are invited to online and in-person events, get improved support and a chance to study with the SolarWinds experts. You need to pay $200 as a yearly subscription. The SCP credential expires after 3 years in case an applicant doesn’t maintain the subscription and doesn’t take part in the training.

3. CompTIA Network+

It is an entry-level certification. It is designed for the individuals in the IT industry who want to upgrade their resume. It is also meant for the beginners in the networking field. This vendor-neutral certificate serves as a springboard for many professional networking credentials. Given that it is an entry-level certification, there are no requirements for taking the CompTIA N10-007 test. The exam contains 90 questions, and the duration for completing it is 90 minutes. Furthermore, there are numerous resources that will help you prepare for this test. Also, please note that you’ll need to pay $329.

4. Cisco Certified Network Professional – CCNP

CCNP is available in different paths, such as Enterprise, Collaboration, Security, Service Provider, Data Center, and Cisco Certified DevNet Professional. To get any credentials in these categories, the individuals must first obtain CCNA. After earning CCNP for the networking professionals, you can proceed to pursue another specialty in the CCNP tracks. If you are planning to earn CCNP Enterprise, for example, you’re required to pass one core exam (350-401 ENCOR) and one from six available concentration tests.

Remember, Cisco recently updated its certification program by retiring some certificates and introducing new ones. These new changes took effect on February 24, 2020. CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE were affected. For example, the most popular CCNA R&S and CCNP R&S credentials have been retired and replaced with other certifications. The replacements are CCNA Enterprise and CCNP Enterprise, respectfully.

5. Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert – CCIE

It is among the top-paying networking certifications. It involves a number of critical networking paths. These tracks include Enterprise Infrastructure, Enterprise Wireless, Data Center, Security, Service Provider, Collaboration, and CCDE. It’s important to point out that getting this credential requires rigorous and serious work. However, the outcome is worth the investment and effort.

The Cisco CCIE certificates have the capability to open many job opportunities and high earning potential. To obtain one, you need to pass some exams. There are no specific requirements for taking the written test. Once you pass it, you can sit for the lab exam. You must pass the written test to qualify for the lab one. If you don’t pass this hands-on exam within 3 years, you will need to take it again.

Conclusion

There are numerous options for the networking experts to pursue apart from these five. For instance, you can take the Open Linux Networking credential, known as CCONP (Cumulus Certified Open Networking Professional). Even though it’s not available in our list, JNCIE-ENT (Juniper Enterprise Routing and Switching – Expert) is another great certification for those specialists who want to learn about Juniper technologies.

As you can see, the networking professionals have many credentials to consider. Please note that an IT certification can create a huge difference in one’s career advancement. 2020 seems to have many surprises for the IT industry. If you want to advance your career in this field, you need to take these top networking certificates. Get ready to pass one or two tests and take advantage of numerous possibilities in your IT career. It’s good to point out that getting the credentials is challenging. Therefore, you need to use the right study materials to prepare for the prerequisite exams.

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• Tags: ccie, ccnp, cisco, comptia, network, networking, solarwinds, wireshark