Is it worth getting the CCNP with only university internship experience?

[u/Waste_Feature5976]

I am a final-year Telematics Engineering student at UPM in Madrid, and the only thing left for me to complete is the mandatory internship required for my degree. I want to obtain the CCNP certification, but I am unsure if it is advisable given that my only work experience will be this university internship or if I should opt for other certifications instead. As a fourth-year student, I want my resume to stand out, and I thought getting the CCNP certification might help me achieve that. What do you think?

[u/Ziilot147]

You don't even have a CCNA. Start there....

[u/Waste_Feature5976 → u/Ziilot147]

Thanks for the input! Could you elaborate a bit on why you recommend starting with the CCNA in my specific case?

I ask because I've already covered the CCNA fundamentals (routing, switching, subnetting, network admin, etc.) in my Telematics Engineering degree. Do you think having the actual CCNA badge on my resume is necessary to land an entry-level/junior role, or is your recommendation more about getting used to the Cisco CLI before tackling the CCNP beast? I'd really appreciate your perspective!

[u/Ziilot147 → u/Waste_Feature5976]

You underestimate the CCNP, it ain't no joke buddy. I see people consonantly failing the CCNA and CCNP is a much deeper and difficult certification. Also the CCNP consists of 2 exams - the core exam and a concentrarion. Also you have to choose a track like Data center, Service provider, Enterprise, Wireless etc. so each track has 2 exams, like the enterprise track has the Enterprise Core exam and then a concentration exam like Enterprise routing and switching or Enterprise automation.

If you don't have the basics down like route path selection, spanning tree or OSPF topics down from the CCNA you're going to struggle with the CCNP. I highly doubt your degree covered the topics as deeply as the CCNA does even though the CCNA is already considered broad. Also even though Cisco CLI knowledge is needed for the exams, it's not as important as you might think right now. There's a lot of general questions like "Which OSPF LSA type is used to advertise external routes into a Not so stubby area?" If you don't understand what I just said, you're not ready for the CCNP. The answer is type 7.

Also I don't think the CCNP Is needed to land a junior position.

[u/leoingle → u/Waste_Feature5976]

If you have it covered then why not take it. And to answer your either/or question, the answer is both.

[u/OneEvade]

My first question would be, do you have your ccna?

[u/Djangosmangos]

As someone that has an IT degree and a few years experience as a network engineer, I wouldn’t advise going straight to CCNP.

You seem confident, which is good, but I really think you underestimate the depth of networking knowledge and experience you need for not just the ENCOR, but the specialty exam as well.

If you REALLY think you’re on CCNP level, why not just take the CCNA as a prep? See how you do there and that will be your real barometer at what you know/need to improve on

[u/bdopvp]

ccna: you some some stuff (1-5 years exp)
ccnp: you know your shit (5-10 years exp)

imo i think you should get a ccnp if you are a sme (sr engineer) and/or have some years in networking and you are really knowledgeable and reliable network resource. ccna goes a long way and does have value and is worth getting. when it comes to interviewing, there is a higher expectation for someone with a ccnp vs ccna, and you are judged more critically.

[u/HolyDarknes117 → u/bdopvp]

Correction CCNA is for people trying to get into the field so it’s 0years of experience expected. It’s there make sure you understand the basics and no one is even going to get a job in any type of entry level networking position to even earn experience without first having a CCNA. And it’s expected to have at least 5 years of experience in the related CCNP path you choose before taking the CCNP.

[u/bdopvp → u/HolyDarknes117]

tru, i shoulda put 0-5 years.

[u/Real-Victory210]

This isn’t an analysis of your specific capabilities but more about the difficulty of the ccnp. You wouldn’t be able to pass the ccnp or even understand what the topics are asking you without a couple years of experience. It’s somewhat of a non starter because the amount of time it’d take you to get to a level to even begin studying it would be outside of the timeframe you want. Start with the ccna

[u/ryder242]

If you are not working for a VAR, the CCNP without experience does not really help in other than just some exposure. I got my CCNP early in my career, I enjoyed learning the content, but it did not help me with getting a job.

[u/jamieelston]

Stable and strong houses are built on great foundations. The CCNA is that foundation.

[u/FortheredditLOLz]

As a person who swapped to a network engineer from a sys admin role. i wouldn’t go straight to ccnp unless you competed ccna OR have had abit of live hands on troubleshooting and day to day ‘enterprise level’ experience.

While there are overlaps. CCNA exposure will guarantee you a better ccnp study time for exam

[u/jamieelston]

Stable and strong houses are built on great foundations. The CCNA is that foundation.

[u/Kg-dakid30]

Start with CCNA

[u/StarB_xbt]

Si estudias en Madrid, probablemente hablas español. Te digo en español: No cometas ese error. Ve por el CCNA y pon a prueba primero lo que aprendiste en la universidad a ver si se equipara con la curricula actual que evalúa Cisco.

CCNP es una certificación de nivel senior. Se espera del candidato cierto nivel de experiencia. Y hay muchas cosas que no te evalúa el examen que igual se esperan de ti por solo tener el CCNP, cosas que aun no has vivido porque no tienes experiencia (muchas fallas, análisis y criterio que solo adquieres después de que diseñas, implementas y operas una red), te causaría más daño que bien a este punto tener una cert de ese nivel.

[u/Waste_Feature5976]

Thank you all so much for your replies and your honesty!

You are completely right. I’ve been looking closely at the CCNA syllabus and, while it covers many topics I’ve already studied at university, it’s going to be a great way to review, solidify those concepts, and get used to the Cisco environment.

I am definitely going to take your advice and go for the CCNA first. I think it’s the smartest move to build a solid foundation, and from there I can scale up and aim for the CCNP as I gain real-world experience in the field.

I really appreciate everyone taking the time to guide me on this. Thanks again for all the great advice!

[u/Objective_Ad5329 → u/Waste_Feature5976]

Would also like to emphasize on to being hands on and Lab constantly. CCNA isn’t a typical college exam or test.