I swore by self-taught learning until I saw my coworker's trajectory at Cisco

For 3 years I was dead set against formal certifications, figured experience was all that mattered. Then I watched my buddy Mark land a senior role at Cisco in San Jose after he spent 6 months studying for his CCNA. The difference in his confidence during technical interviews was night and day compared to my last round of rejections. Has anyone else flipped their opinion on certs after seeing a real world example like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

noranguyen3d ago

Read a study that said candidates with a relevant cert get called back for interviews roughly 60% more often than those without one, even if both have similar experience levels. That stat really stuck with me because it shows it's not just about the knowledge, it's about getting past the first filter. Seeing your buddy's jump to Cisco just proves the numbers play out in real life too.

hernandez.morgan3d ago

Certifications aren't everything but they open doors that experience alone just can't. Seeing a coworker level up that fast with the same basic knowledge you have is hard to ignore. The structured studying really does fill in gaps you don't even know you have from just working. Plus hiring managers at big companies love seeing that credential on a resume it's like a shortcut past the gatekeepers. Nothing wrong with being self-taught but combining that with a cert seems like the smarter play now.

jordan3303d ago

The structured studying part is what got me. I picked up a cert last year and found out I'd been doing a lot of stuff wrong for years just because I learned on the job. Stuff like proper subnetting and security best practices that nobody at my old place bothered with. It's not that you can't learn that on your own, but having a syllabus forces you to cover the boring stuff you'd skip otherwise. Pair it with your actual work experience and you look way more legit in interviews.