Can go a long way, unfortunately, these days too many people are focusing on general IT degrees or MCSE certs that don’t amount to much when it comes to actual hands on ability. I’ve grown up in the IT field. Pops worked for IBM for something like 28 years before he took early retirement and moved on to Hitachi Data Systems and a couple of other IT jobs. Its always come natural to me (as I’ve grown up around it) and if I run in to a problem I need help with the big G is usually there to lend a hand.

One area I’ve always looked at though are the benefits of getting a Cisco certification. Cisco is the uncontested leader in networking and one of their certifications would come in no end of handy when battling the network gremlins. Who knows, if I had one of the certs, I probably wouldn’t go glassy eyed when someone starts talking about the benefits of IPv6 over IPv4. Luckily, there’s a good resource for those of us in the field who are looking to expand our horizons.

The Cicso Learning Center offers a huge array of Cisco certification programs and training that will help get you ready for the real world applications of networking as opposed to the “book” knowledge most programs provide. Another plus is that there is a nice size userbase to lean on when you need a little help.

Take a look at their CCENT program, geared for those interested in getting in to Network management. There are some pretty cool tools on there (such as the binary game) and its a terrific place to start learning the biz for network management. *mental note, must strengthen network management skills*. Check it out and let me know what you think!

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