Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

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Salam everyone,

I have been a regular visitor to this site for sometime now. I just wanted to seek some of ur opinions since most of u come from IT/technical/engineering backgrounds with a alot of experience

A bit about myself…i m an electrical engineer graduated from Ryerson University..in May 2005. Right after graduationg, i landed a job at Rogers Telecom formerly Sprint Canada in their Network Management Centre (also known as NOC). Ppl from Canada would know that Rogers bought Sprint Canada last year.

Its been almost 1.5 yrs since i joined Sprint/Rogers. Now i know that if i need to accelerate in this Telecom business, i would need to pass some certifications, specifically Cisco Certs.

In my current job, i dont configure or design any networks, I provide level 3 support to a wide variety of platforms…Mostly Fiber optic networks (Nortel, alcatel, etc). For Data (frame relay, ATM circuits) and IP side (MPLS, Shasta, COsine, NAses, etc etc) i just do some very basic troubleshooting but nothing hardcore.

Question is that if were to go for cisco certs m i too late ?? Is this networking, IP market nearing its saturation point especially with soo many Cisco certified techs. I am at a point now that i would like to get a new job. As u guyz have figured i dont have any experience with configuring routers, or troubleshooting them.

On the other side due to lack of experience with cisco devices, i m tilting more towards MBA. I havent done much research on MBA so dont know wat specific business field i would like. From school years, i did really good in engineering economics and Accounting. With MBA i think i will have more career choices

I would really appreciate ur views, comments..or anything at all…it will help me to reach a decision…Thanks

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

go for ur MBA....cisco sucks! no future in it :)

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

Yes, it seems to be a sort of saturation in Cisco certs, but since you already have a good start in Telecom + an EE degree, a Cisco cert would be a plus to it. If you had not the relevant experience, i might have suggested for MBA. But doing MBA now, looks a bit off to me. If you look at the IP deployment, it is still a big market. I'd suggest go for Cisco ..... doing CCNA and CCNP won't be that hard. If you reach to CCIE, you are all set, inshallah.

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

MBA indeed requires more...in terms of experience and something solid that can make it easier to get into a B school. I think MBA would be good idea somewhere down the years..with some experience.

Also Ryerson university has a M.Eng program in Telecom, apparently after goin through the program it becomes easier to pursue CCIE. Anyone heard of this program, or been through it.

I think if i have CCNA and CCNP it will also be a plus to get into MBA as well

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

dude, the first question is what do see yourself doing, what do u want to do, cisco certs, meng, MBA are all headed in diff paths.

I mean i see you want to advance,a nd probably want to get better pay, but without some goals and interests, its not going to really pan out.

and by all means I realize that goals change throughout one's career based on different opportunities, exposures etc, but you have to start somewhere and have a general sense of direction.

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

Take Fraudz advice and map yourself a pilot career path – you’ll need to do some groundwork research by talking to other professionals in the networking field.

I personally did my certs including CCNA, CCNP and Sun Solaris Net Admin right after my B.Sc. and with a few years of experience under my belt, I proceeded to pursue an MBA. This was because I saw myself better in a technology consulting role where I would be involved in the early business analysis and requirements engineering phases of the systems cycle and the concluding change management proceedings.

With almost 3.5 years of experience before my MBA, I had realized that I was getting bored of the middle stages (involving design, development and implementation). This realization provided the impetus for me to pursue my MBA.

You need to somehow get a grasp of your own inclinations and what will satisfy you in the long-run. Unfortunately, 1.5 years of experience isn’t much… most MBA schools won't even look at your application unless you have 2.5 years of full-time work experience.

Personally, I would advise going for a couple of certs and see what ensues… you don’t have much to lose - a few months of studying/practising and the exam fees. On the contrary, an MBA is a huge investment in terms of time, money as well as several other opportunity costs. You should be pretty sure about your decision before you embark on an MBA.

As far as prospects are concerned, I know people who’re sitting unemployed even after an MBA… and also those who did certs and didn’t really get anywhere. In the end it all boils down to having a game plan where you match your qualifications with experience and then advance to the next level.

Cisco qualifications certainly still have a lot of potential… perhaps not as many in the generic Network Administration and Support domains (where CCNAs and CCNPs are needed), but more so in the areas of Security Administration, IP Telephony, and Multi-service Integration (voice, video, data). For lower order cisco certifications, if you have an aptitude for network architecture consulting, then I would recommend the CCDA, CCDP track.

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

I really appreciated all of ur comments and views....especially Umar bhai and Fraudia....couldnt reply to this thread due to a family emergency.....

My eventual target is to get involved with Ip/Data/Network engineering, but in Telecom these days especially here in Canada, you need Certs to get a job in IP/data engineering.

For now i think i will start with CCNA and go for CCDA/CCDP, since i think it will definitely help me to pursue the designing/engineering path.

Once again thanks for ur replies guy...if anyone of u have any tips or tricks about CCDA/CCDP.....plzz share .

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

So far you have gotten some really good reply. The only thing I'd like to add is that a technical certification and an educational degree should not be mutually exclusive - in other words, you can try to pursue both concurrently. However, in your present situation, it will make more sense to go for Cisco at this time. Good luck.

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

my thoughts exactly - esp. in today's day and age, most people try to gain that competitive edge through industry endorsed designations - at the very least... it shows some initiative on part of the individual - cuz otherwise, everyone has a degree.

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

If you want to do a medical/dentistry/accounting course let me know, Insha'ALLAH you will get an internationally recognised degree...

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

lol … you think he’s such an idiot that he’d go for medical/dentistry now :hoonh:

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

I think combination of a degree and certifications would provide an upper hand …i have to admit i overlooked this option. A cert and degree would definitely complement each other

I have enrolled myself in CCNA program today…(its not winnet sys) and i m hoping to finish it by the end of this yr…

Thanks again for ur replies everyone…

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

Good yaar…although i was really good at accounting in my school yrs…never thought of making a living out of it…but thanks for ur advice anyways…

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

that’s how I put myself through school… in my third year of undergrad, I started along the path of getting certified and every year got a new project / contract or a training assignment. It helped me sustain myself through my final two years of undergrad and then my MBA.

Good luck with the CCNA :k:… that was my first one too :slight_smile:

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

Your welcome brother, if you have accounting qualifications you can set up your own practise Insha'ALLAH and earn lots by getting loads of businesses who need your services, you can also go into things like tax broking etc. If you have a certified accountant technician degree then you can work for a firm and they will sponser you for an acca test paper or alternatively you can do a 1 or 2 year course depending on your qualifications. I know a place that does law also and the course is relatively quick. Let me know what type of proffession Insha'ALLAH and i will see around.

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

lolz, however every year mature students are enrolled, some in thier 60’s too! Subhan’ALLAH…

sarcasm !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

Crescent bhai ...thanks for ur offer....for now i think i will stay with CCNA

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Re: Career dilenma: Cisco certs or MBA

In 60s !? .... wow, may be they need career-change so desperately either 'cause they are not getting jobs in their field anymore, or doing just for fun/interest.....good to know that.