Should I Get the CCNP After the CCNA?
About this video
Chuck answers whether you should pursue the CCNP Routing and Switching after the CCNA Routing and Switching, or specialize first in a track such as security, collaboration, data center, or wireless. He passes on advice he got from Jeremy Cioara while studying with CBT Nuggets: get the CCNP Routing and Switching after the CCNA because routing and switching is the backbone and foundation for all the other tracks. He explains the landscape has changed: Cisco once required the full CCNA Routing and Switching before branching off, but now you can pass ICND1/CCENT and go directly into CCNA Security, Collaboration, or Wireless — a change he initially thought was crazy given how much foundational material the CCNA R&S contains. Roles are also more specialized than they used to be: small companies need jack-of-all-trades engineers, while larger companies and value-added resellers (Cisco partners) silo people into voice, security, data center, or wireless roles. His advice: complete the CCNA Routing and Switching first no matter what. After that, let your job decide — he admits he is a hypocrite here, because a voice environment was thrust on him at work, so he earned his CCNA Voice first and only then jumped into CCNP Routing and Switching. If nothing in your role favors a specialty, default to the CCNP Routing and Switching to stay well-rounded, then specialize; taking a break to learn Python after the CCNA is also a smart option. The video ends with a giveaway of five of David Bombal’s Packet Tracer lab packages.
Key takeaways
- Complete the CCNA Routing and Switching first; Chuck treats it as the non-negotiable first rung before any specialization.
- Default recommendation: follow it with the CCNP Routing and Switching, since routing and switching underpins every other track.
- Exception: if your current job is pushing you into voice, security, or another specialty, certify in that specialty first, as Chuck did with CCNA Voice.
- Cisco’s newer structure lets you branch into other CCNA tracks after just CCENT/ICND1, but Chuck argues you would miss needed foundation.
- Large companies and Cisco partner VARs tend to silo engineers by specialty, while small companies need generalists — factor your employer type into the choice.
Episode details: published December 17, 2017 · 7:18 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are NetworkChuck’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.
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