Ask the Expert

Should I pursue the CCNP or concentrate on security certs?

I have been working as network administrator for a little over two years. I have recently finished the CCNA and the CCSP(CSPFA-PIX Firewall).Should I pursue a CCNP(routing) or should I concentrate on the security side?

    Requires Free Membership to View

    Login

Given some interest and certification in security, it may make more sense to stay on that track than to shift to switching and routing. Certainly security does remain one of the few bright spots in the IT industry, and security related work is relatively easy to find (especially if, as I suspect, some of your prior experience is security related, as it usually is for most network admins).

But the real issue here is for you to decide what interests you the most, and pursue the direction that interests and motivates you the most. Long after the thrill of a new job or a steady paycheck subsides (as it almost always does with time), real interest and engagement in what one does on the job every day will help you stay motivated and make you more content. That's why I usually advise people to pursue what interests them if at all possible, because that's the best guarantor of a good career and as happy a work and life experience as one can get.

This was first published in October 2005

Join the conversationComment

Share
Comments

    Results

    Contribute to the conversation

    All fields are required. Comments will appear at the bottom of the article.
    Back to top