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Question by random00: Is a certification more important than a college degree when it comes to computer networking?

I hear some people say don't go to college for that and to just get a certification.
I mean I hear some people say don't get a degree in that and to just get a certification




Best answer:

Answer by Chris S
That's a topic of contention!

There are pluses and minuses to each type of certification. For a college degree, you normally have to pay a lot of money, and it takes a long time to get the degree. This is not necessarily a bad thing, most degrees are very thorough and if you do well you'll probably get an excellent job with a decent employer (though nothing is guaranteed in life). You will also keep your degree for life.

With a networking certification, it really depends on the one you go for. Though there are a few out there, the main entry level ones are CompTIA's Network+ certification and the Cisco CCNA. Both of these are good, though I think the CCNA is more thorough, though tends to be somewhat vendor specific. I did the CCNA some time ago, and I learned a LOT. However, the drawback of a certification is that an employer may decide that they want someone with a telecommunications degree over someone with just a certification. A certification also expires after some time, so you need to constantly renew it.

However, for myself I found that the CCNA was an excellent path to learning about networks, though one day I would like to go to University and do a computer science degree.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!