How CCNP Certification Can Benefit Your Career

For network engineers, system engineers, network designers, network managers and network administrators, the Cisco CCNP Certification is a great way to upskill and expand your knowledge. 

If you are ready to make the leap from CCNA to CCNP Certification, or you are considering going straight for the CCNP, it is important to learn about what changes and opportunities this might have on your job outlook. If you have been working as a network engineer, network associate or network support engineer, you may want to take the next step by getting your CCNP certification so you can gain more advanced professional options, like becoming a network specialist and network manager. 

The CCNP also allows you to customize your certification by choosing a core CCNP certification track alongside a concentration area that corresponds to your main area of focus, so you can get specialized knowledge in that area. In this article, we will consider what it takes to switch to more CCNP-focused fields and the many advantages this can have for your salary and career path. 

CCNP vs. CCNA Certification

Two of the most popular certifications for IT professionals today are the Cisco CCNA and CCNP certifications. Both of these certifications can open up job opportunities within the broad field of the IT industry. But there are some key differences between the CCNP and the CCNA. 

CCNA, which stands for Cisco Certified Network Associate, is a good well-rounded certification for IT professionals. CCNA candidates should have at least one year of experience working with implementing and maintaining Cisco solutions. Candidates for CCNA certification should have a good basic knowledge of IP addressing and Cisco network fundamentals. 

The CCNA certification can be a good choice for entry-level IT professionals seeking to prove their skills and knowledge and progress to the next level in their careers. 

CCNP Certification

CCNP certification, which stands for Cisco Certified Network Professional, is a higher-level exam intended for expert professionals in their fields. Unlike the CCNA exam, the CCNP exam consists of one primary core exam and an additional concentrated exam that applicants can select from among five distinct options. These concentrated subsidiary exam options include:

• CCNP Enterprise Exam

• CCNP Collaboration Exam

• CCNP Data Center Exam

• CCNP Security Exam

• CCNP Service Provider Exam

Each of these specialized secondary concentration exams gives prospective professionals a chance to prove their in-depth knowledge and mastery of a more focused niche subject within the field. Passing this qualification gives CCNP-certified professionals access to senior-level positions within their organization and access to more lucrative salaried positions. 

Differences Between CCNA and CCNP Certification

Let’s review the specific differences between the CCNA and the CCNP certification and exam processes. These differences range from level of expertise to the cost of the exam. 

Here are some of the key differences between the exams:

• The CCNA is an associate-level exam, while the CCNP is appropriate for those at the professional level.

• The CCNA consists of one single exam. The CCNP includes two separate exam modules: the main general core exam, and then a subsequent specialized concentration exam, with five options for test takers to choose from. 

• The CCNA costs $195 for a single exam, while the CCNP is more expensive. The CCNP costs $400 for the core exam and another $300 for the specialized concentration exam. 

• The CCNA qualifies participants to be associate-level network engineers or network analysts. The CCNP qualifies test passers to be senior-level network engineers, network specialists and network managers. 

• For the CCNA, applicants are expected to prove a basic level of ability in configuring and maintaining routers and switches. The CCNP requires applicants to prove advanced-level abilities to configure routers and switches, as well as troubleshooting any potential issues. 

• CCNA test takers should have one to two years of experience before taking the exam. Those pursuing the CCNP should be experienced professionals who have between three and five years of hands-on experience before taking the exam.

Neither exam has explicit prerequisites. Both certifications are valid for three years after being awarded. 

How CCNP Certification can boost your career

For any software developer or IT expert looking to move forward in their career and stay on top of the latest developments in digital technology and implementing networks, learning how to work with the Cisco server networks is a vital part of career development. Here’s why:

• CCNP Certification validates your experience. Obtaining a CCNP certification shows that you can implement and troubleshoot both LAN and WAN networks. Since this is an advanced-level certification, it proves to potential recruiters and employers that you can work together with other experts to solve challenges involving advanced security protocols, wireless, voice and video solutions, and network reconfiguration. 

• The demand for certified professionals is high. Companies at every scale, from small independent businesses to multinational global enterprises, are enacting major digital transformations as they shift existing IT structures and platforms to services hosted on public cloud servers. For hybrid and remote companies in particular, the move from in-person organizing platforms to product-led remote CRM platforms means the demand for advanced-level IT professional assistance is high. Specifically, businesses are looking for important features in CRMs, such as conversational UI, knowledge-based training and AI-powered automation. The more the digital sphere continues to expand, the more the need for advanced-level IT professionals will grow. Obtaining up-to-date CCNP certification with a specialization in a specific focus is a great way to prove that you have what it takes to fill the skills gap at an advanced-level in any company. 

• Higher salaries. Since the CCNP exam requires you to prove advanced-level mastery of the core system networks, including troubleshooting, implementation and maintenance, you will be more qualified for higher-level positions, which come with more lucrative salaries and attractive benefits packages. 

With higher demands for IT professionals to help businesses transition and facilitate their digital transformations, IT experts must maintain up-to-date expertise and skills in network integration, implementation, deployment and maintenance. Obtaining CCNP official certification is a smart way to validate and share your advanced-level skills and knowledge as a system developer, system engineer, system manager or other high level IT professional. 

Conclusion 

The need for expert CCNP professionals is on track to continue to grow over the coming years, so today is a great time to validate and display your system development skills by choosing from one of the new and updated versions of the CCNP Certification exams. If you’re ready to start preparing for the CCNP, CBT Nuggets can help with our online training. Log in to search all our courses. Not a CBT subscriber? Sign up now! Your first 7 days are free!