subject: Interview Tips For Those Possessing CCNA Certificates [print this page] Interview Tips For Those Possessing CCNA Certificates
Aha, you did it! Working for one of those CCNA Certificates proved to be a lot tougher than you thought.
What's next?
Did you know that people who just passed their CCNA exam will typically end up in 1 of three categories? The first category: people just getting a feel for the IT realm. Within this second category, you have people who want to move from the LAN side of Networking over to the WAN side. The third category: the engineers or administrators that are already working on the WAN side of the network and want to move up the ladder.
Nonetheless, the time will come when you'll have to face that lovely job interview. Some CCNA-certified people do extremely well in interviews, and some don't. By following the tips below, you'll improve your chances of being the CCNA that walks away with the job.
Be confident. Don't be cocky. CCNA Certificates are wonderful to have. In fact, they are what many of us start our careers with. However, do not walk into a job interview thinking you are a networking mastermind just because you passed that exam. Some of Cisco's expert CCIEs will even have trouble during the interrogation process.
Show the interviewer how confident you are, even when faced with difficult questions. If you truly understand the CCNA topics and were able to get some hands-on, then you'll do fine. If they happen to be outside the realm of the CCNA, then definitely make sure to stress your ability to learn quickly.
Keep learning and improving after your've earned your certification. Remember that any knowledge you don't use will quickly become forgotten. It's cool if you want to take off a couple days to reward yourself for your efforts, but then it's back to business. Make sure to review your CCNA topics and shortly thereafter, get started on your CCNP. There have been many newly-minted CCNAs who quickly forgot everything they learned for the exam because they stopped studying right after they passed.
Start getting ready for that interview like it's another CCNA exam - because in reality, it is. The exception is that you don't get multiple choice.
Prepare for the interview prior to even taking the exam. How can you do that? Learn and prepare for your exam the proper way. Get some hands-on time, either through your own equipment or a good software simulator. Get a high-caliber Cisco education. Talk to others in your field. If you do these things now, your potential employer will see you as a high-caliber candidate on the big day and not just one of the many CCNA certificates to sort through.
