Do you need Cisco Certification?

I am a macintosh artworker / graphic designer by trade. However in many of my jobs I have often been pushed into the position of IT guy and Network fixer. At first I just had to work it out as I went along. Many times having no clue and unplugging the wrong bits and pieces. Turning off the wrong things in windows and many other problems. But eventually I got the very rough hang of it.

I never moved much beyond that point and although i deal with a home network right now it is not enough to propel me to the next level if I decided to pursue a career in the IT field.

Pursuing this kind of carear, say in networking, to a high level requires a lot of knowledge. Like being a taxi driver you need to know all the rotes and shortcuts. You need to know how to overcome sticky situations and navigate through traffic. This requires training that is of a high standard. That is why people with Cisco certification are often trusted and much more likely to be employed over people without.

The Cisco learning curve is unique and there is a reason why it is a highly valued qualification. You will learn every aspect of your job and be given specific certification showing what you are officially capable of. You can take tiered courses from entry level technical course to advanced mangerial levels.

If I decided that I want to advance in IT I will definitely look into these course starting on entry level and seeing how that improves my prospects before moving onto the higher certifications.