I have been writing articles for a new site I am launching and some of them are about having credibility. It got me thinking. Does a certification give you credibility?

Passing an exam only really means one thing. That you passed the exam. In the context of Cisco, unless you have cheated somehow then it means you have hit the level of knowledge Cisco deem you need for that level of role:

Network Associate Network Professional or Network Expert

The certification gains you:

Respect from colleagues Personal satisfaction Career choices Kudos Increased confidence

But this isn't the main thing to be honest, although they are all important.

Having the qualification means you are the sort of person who has the determination and tenacity to put the work in to achieve your goals.

You can be answering all the forum questions. Know all the configs and secret commands but when it comes down to it, do you have the strength of character to sit down for two hours per day and do you have the courage to walk into the testing centre and risk failure.

Hats off to you if you do because you are in the minority.

Paul Browning

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0 of 0 people found the following comment or review helpful:

Great words!, August 20, 2010

By mlletech - See all my comment or reviews

Thank you for writing all of these motivational statements. It helps so much to keep us all on track. I love it.

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0 of 0 people found the following comment or review helpful:

	Finding time, May 16, 2010
	By pwilko - See all my comment or reviews

Finding time to prepare to sit a cisco exam is really hard. Knowing the exam isn't easy makes getting the certification so much more rewarding.

Peter

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0 of 0 people found the following comment or review helpful:

Inspirational, May 12, 2010

By kevin31 - See all my comment or reviews

Hi Paul,

Great article very intresting read and as the others said its inspirational.

Sure that last paragraph wasnt about me? lol

Keep them coming.

Kevin

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1 of 1 people found the following comment or review helpful:

	Your Credibility Rating, May 11, 2010
	By cygnusx1 - See all my comment or reviews

Great article! I love going against the grain, bucking the system and being in the minority...so much so that I will wear my bell bottom blue jeans as I hold my future CCNA cert high and shout to the demons of ingnorance, lazyness, and fear, "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!" ...now back to my studies.

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1 of 1 people found the following comment or review helpful:

	Inspirational Stuff!, May 11, 2010
	By scardno - See all my comment or reviews

Very Inspirational Paul!! Encourages me to keep studying as there is some days I don't feel like studying,
Steve

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