I want to get into another serious question and the question is “Is Network+ Certification worth it?”
I get asked this question a lot!
This question tends to come up and it typically comes up when you’re making a comparison of the Network+ to other certifications like CCENT, CCNA, CCNP, MCSA, MCSE.
Is Network+ Certification Worth It?
All of the certs I listed above pertain to Networking, but really what I want to get into is comparing Network+ to the CCNA Certification.
I’m also gonna talk a bit about CompTIA vs Cisco.
I’m going to talk about the CompTIA Network+ kind of salary that you would expect after you get your Network+ Certification, and other aspects of this question when it gets asked.
The overall view is really what we want to do with the Network+ Certification
The reason I say that is that I highly recommend that you get your Network+ Certification.
There! I said it!
It’s what I’ve built my YouTube channel and this website on, and it’s really the MOST recommended for a number of different reasons.
“The thing about most of these certifications is you don’t need a college education or a diploma to go and get most of them.”
You can study for them and you can pay for them – or you can get somebody else to pay for them with a voucher – and you can go take these certifications (at least I know you can in the US and Australia and Europe and India and a lot of other different countries that I’m aware of, it’s pretty much the same way).
You either go take a CompTIA certification or you go take a Cisco or a Microsoft certification, and if you pass the test for the cert you’re testing for you’re “certified”. You’re considered “certified” in the area for the test you took.
Why is the Network+ Certification recommended?
It’s not an in-depth certification and I don’t want to go too in-depth in this post.
I just want to make this kind of short and sweet…
Network+ Certification is not an in-depth certification but it does cover a lot of the different AREAS of computer networking.
So if you go take the Network+ as compared to say a CCENT (CCENT is actually the first half of the CCNA Certification and although Cisco is kind of a standardized way of looking at networking in particular not every industry uses that).
You can sometimes get into other brands like HP or Juniper switches using different routers and different other company names of routers.
Their IOS (their Independent Operating System or the operating system they use on those switches and routers) might be different.
They may have different command line commands they use.
Many have different ways of connecting those devices to other devices to make a network with them. You’re going to get different aspects with different brands.
When you start reading into industry-specific compared to CompTIA’s Network+ you’re doing just that…getting into industry-specifics.
So that’s really what I want to kind of come across with here…
The reason I recommend – and the reason a lot of industry experts recommend – Network+ is for several reasons:
1.)You’re getting that overall gamut of different topics to study for. You’re becoming aware of especially if you’re moving into networking you’re becoming aware of all of the things that you will need to learn about and understand to be a network engineer to be a network admin or a network technician whatever it is you’re planning on doing in the computer networking field.
So it’s a good base for that.
It shows that you have a good baseline understanding of most of the topics required in networking and that you can pass a certification test (just like with a college diploma) it basically shows that yes I’m intelligent enough and capable enough to learn that much information and pass it on a test. And really that’s what it is.
2.)The other thing about Network+ is you’re taking a lower level or kind of a first level certification but you’re also getting a kind of a feel for it. I’m gonna say this in two ways you’re getting a feel FOR how a certification test works and you’re getting the feel OF having achieved it.
You’re probably going to get some simulators on Network+. You’re going to get a lot of multiple-choice questions.
You’re going to understand how a certification exam works and feels when you go and take it.
And when you pass it – and I’m hoping that everybody watching this and everybody on my website passes the Network+ because that’s my ultimate goal is to get you past that point – you can move on and take the next step and start moving towards your career or your business as fast as possible.
Once you pass it, you’re gonna feel good because you have a good qualified certification under your belt!
More Good News About Network+
The other aspect of Network+ is that it is now moving closer and closer to being on a qualified level with CCENT.
Again that’s the first half (CCENT is the first half) of a Cisco CCNA Certification.
At this point you can still take the first half of CCNA, get your CCENT which is the first half (they call that ICND1) and then you can take ICND2 to get your completed CCNA Certification.
ICND1 is the CCENT
So you’re a CCENT Certified once you pass that ICND1 exam.
The Network+ exam with CompTIA is not industry-specific but it is going to follow along most of the standards that you need to learn in the industry.
Network+ is going to get you into learning about those standards in the industry and about those topics and about those protocols and about those things that you need to understand to be ready for the next certification level.
In fact, most people that pass the newest Network+ certification exam (and the way that I’m going to be helping you learn that information on that Network+ exam) it makes them more qualified to move immediately into taking a CCENT or just going ahead and taking the entire CCNA Certification or MCSA certification.
Your Next Step…
So here’s what you need to do:
You need to check out some of the free Cheat Sheets that I offer here.
I’m going to have several available here on this website. You need to download those.
Once you get into the Cheat Sheet you choose I have a link to a certification path PDF that will help you decide where you want to go from there.
But again “Is Network+ Certification worth it?” Absolutely!
(And I don’t want to hem-haw on that anymore)
I want to solidly answer that question in that I and many industry experts recommend that you go take it, you get it and because it’s gonna motivate you once you get that Network+ Certification.
It’s not in-depth in every topic but you’re allowed to continue studying and every topic.
As long as you’re alive and breathing you can study more in-depth in each of those topics and go towards the next level certifications, the industry-specific certifications.
But it’s going to make you feel really accomplished and that’s what I want for you! I’m gonna kind of be motivating here on these Fast-Track Fridays.
“I want to be more motivating for you as I teach you what I know”
I want you to take the fastest track possible to get the knowledge and the understanding into your own head (and into your own life) to become a network engineer or networking expert.
