The Value of the CCIE

There are no formal prerequisites for CCIE certification.  Other professional certifications and/or specific training courses are not required.  Instead, candidates are expected to have an in-depth understanding of the subtleties, intricacies, and challenges of end-to-end networking.  You are strongly encouraged to have three to five years of job experience before attempting certification.  To obtain your CCIE, you must first pass a written qualification exam and then a corresponding hands-on lab exam.  This rigor translates into value in the workplace.

What CCIE certification stands for:

• CCIE identifies experts with the skills and experience to handle the most challenging assignments in their field.  CCIE exams are constantly updated and revised to evolve with the industry, focusing on current technologies and real-world applications.
• CCIE is recognized worldwide as the most respected high-level certification in the industry.  The program continually updates and revises its testing tools and methodologies to ensure unparalleled program quality, relevance, and value.
• CCIE is an objective way to compare individuals or job candidates with different experience and backgrounds.
• Preferred status is given to Cisco partners who employ CCIEs.

Why you should hire a CCIE:

• Maintenance of your network is fundamental to protect assets and to ensure seamless operations.  The environment is growing more complex with operations conducted over VPNs, wireless, remote access and the Internet.  You need proven experts to choose, implement, and maintain the solutions required.
• Having certified staff can increase the confidence of your customers, investors, and business partners, and thereby boost your organization's credibility, reputation, and value.
• Certified CCIEs are a highly-select group.  Less than 3% of all Cisco-certified individuals make it to the CCIE level, a tiny fraction of IT professionals worldwide.
• Passing the exams is not easy.  Earning your CCIE requires passing a lab exam in a time-pressured environment.  Hands-on experience is the only way to prepare for the lab.
• CCIEs have invested a lot to expand their knowledge and further their careers.  The average candidate spends thousands of their own dollars and at least eighteen months pursuing certification.  He or she will likely attempt the lab exam more than once before passing.
• CCIEs are committed to maintaining their expert skills.  Keeping their status active requires passing a recertification exam every two years.

Why you don't want to lose a CCIE from your staff:

• The risk to operations is significant with the loss of a qualified IT expert.  The remaining staff must compensate to avoid disruptions that impact customer satisfaction, reduce productivity, or inflict economic loss.
• Return on investment in an employee is disrupted with turnover.  Employers invest in certified staff through training courses, books and technical materials, practice equipment, time off for study and exams, and the cost of the exam itself.
• It takes time to achieve certification.  The typical CCIE will spend at least eighteen months completing the process and take the lab exam more than once before passing.
• The benefits of Gold or Silver Channel Partner status are only available to companies who maintain the required number of certified staff.

Cisco limits the recruiting of CCIEs from one partner to another:
Because of their expert skills and experience, CCIEs are in demand among Cisco's channel partners.  To limit the adverse impact of losing a key staff member, Cisco's Gold and Silver Channel Partner Program sets policy regarding hiring CCIEs away from other Cisco Channel Partners.  In general, the program rules prevent a reseller who hires a CCIE away from another reseller from using that CCIE to qualify for Gold or Silver status for a period of twelve months.

CCIE certification in Voice indicates expert-level knowledge of VoIP solutions in the enterprise.  Candidates should be able to install, configure, and maintain Voice solutions over IP networks.  The CCIE Voice track, however, does not certify an understanding of the infrastructure over which VoIP solutions are implemented.

Recommended Training

Recommended courses include the curriculum for CCNA  recommended training plus the curriculum for CCVP recommended training plus:

CCIE Voice Training Path

CCIE Recertification

CCIEs Are Required to Recertify Every Two Years

Active CCIE status shows your commitment to maintaining expert-level knowledge in an industry critical to the success of virtually every organization. CCIEs are encouraged to continually expand their technical knowledge and are required to pass a recertification exam every two years. If you do not complete your recertification before the deadlines, your CCIE certification will be suspended and you and your employer will lose the benefits associated with your expert status. You have one year to reinstate your CCIE status before you becomes inactive and must begin the certification process all over again.

CONTACT US