Making the Web Change People’s Lives Is What Drives Me to Study Cisco Certification
For many network engineers, the reason to study for a Cisco certification is bigger than a pay rise: networks connect hospitals, schools, banks and families, and building them well genuinely changes how people live and work. That idea, “making the web change people’s lives,” is how network engineer Zhao Mengmeng described her motivation in a profile of CCIE holders, and her path from university administration to an engineering role at an Australian telecom offers a useful look at what Cisco certification can do for a career, and what it takes to earn one.
From admissions office to network engineering
Zhao’s background was not a typical IT route. According to the profile, she studied education, human resources and information engineering at postgraduate level, and worked in recruitment, business analysis and virtualization project management before specializing in networking. While studying in Australia, she noticed how much time manual, paper-driven admission processes cost both staff and students. That experience convinced her that technology, and specifically well-designed networks, could remove friction from everyday services, and she decided to move into engineering.
She went on to work as a network engineer at Optus, one of Australia’s largest telecommunications providers. Her story is a reminder that career changers bring real strengths: an understanding of users, projects and business needs that pure technical study does not always teach.
Why she chose Cisco over other vendors
Zhao had also studied Juniper technologies, but she chose the CCIE track because she felt Cisco’s curriculum was more systematic and its concepts carried across to other vendors’ equipment. Technologies such as dynamic multipoint VPNs, routing protocols and quality of service have close equivalents on other platforms, so a deep understanding learned on Cisco gear tends to transfer. Her husband, also a CCIE holder, reinforced that view by showing how closely the material matched day-to-day work.
She stressed that the exams reward understanding rather than memorization. Her approach was to learn each concept thoroughly, picture how it would behave in a real network, and then prove it in a lab. That habit, she said, meant she could contribute to live projects soon after certifying.
The Cisco certification path today
Cisco’s certification program has been restructured several times, most notably in 2020, when older tracks such as CCNP Routing and Switching were replaced by CCNP Enterprise and related tracks. The broad ladder looks like this:
| Level | Certification | What it covers | How it is earned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | CCST | Networking and cybersecurity basics | One exam |
| Associate | CCNA | Networking fundamentals, IP services, security and automation basics | One exam |
| Professional | CCNP (Enterprise, Security, Service Provider, Data Center, Collaboration and others) | Advanced design, implementation and troubleshooting | A core exam plus one concentration exam |
| Expert | CCIE | Expert-level planning, deployment and operation of complex networks | The track’s core exam plus a hands-on lab exam of about eight hours |
| Architect | CCDE and CCAr | Network design and architecture | Written and practical design exams |
Certifications are generally valid for three years and can be renewed by passing exams or earning continuing education credits. Cisco adjusts track names and exam topics from time to time, so always check the current blueprint on Cisco’s official learning site before you start studying.
Rough costs to plan for
Exam fees vary by exam and country and change over time. As a rough guide in the US, associate exams have typically cost a few hundred dollars each, CCNP core and concentration exams somewhat more, and the CCIE lab well over a thousand dollars, before travel to a lab location. Add study materials, practice labs and possibly a training course. Many employers reimburse exam fees, as Zhao’s did, so ask before paying out of pocket.
How to study for a Cisco certification effectively
- Start from the official exam blueprint. It lists every topic and its weighting, and it is the most reliable guide to what you need to know.
- Build a lab. Cisco Packet Tracer is free for learners and fine for CCNA-level practice. For advanced work, virtual labs such as Cisco Modeling Labs, EVE-NG or GNS3 let you run real network operating system images.
- Learn the “why,” not just the commands. For each protocol, understand what problem it solves and how it fails. Break your lab on purpose and fix it.
- Set a SMART goal. Zhao described certification as a textbook specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound target. Book the exam date early and plan weekly study hours backward from it.
- Use practice questions to find gaps, not to memorize answers. Cisco’s exam agreement prohibits using leaked real exam content, and doing so can lead to revoked certifications. Legitimate practice tests and lab workbooks teach you to reason through scenarios.
- Join a study community. Forums, study groups and colleagues who have passed are invaluable for motivation and for explaining tricky topics.
Third-party training providers also publish study plans and lab material for specific tracks. Candidates aiming at the service provider expert lab, for example, can find preparation offered for that exam by providers such as SPOTO, which also keeps an older professional-level page at cciedump.spoto.net/rs-ccnp.php. Whichever resources you use, check that they match the current exam version and focus on building real skills.
A sample weekly routine for working learners
Most candidates study around a full-time job, so consistency matters more than marathon sessions. A routine that works for many CCNA and CCNP learners looks something like this:
- Two or three weekday evenings: 60 to 90 minutes of reading or video on one blueprint topic, with short notes in your own words.
- One weekday evening: a lab session building and troubleshooting what you studied that week.
- Weekend: a longer lab combining several topics, plus a timed set of practice questions to find weak areas.
- Every few weeks: review earlier topics with flashcards so they do not fade.
Tracking hours and topics in a simple spreadsheet makes progress visible, which is exactly the “measurable” part of the SMART approach Zhao recommended.
What certification changed for her career
In the profile, Zhao said her first CCIE brought a significant salary increase, which motivated her to keep going. Just as important was the wider scope of work it opened. She took on projects involving servers and public cloud platforms, not just routers and switches, and found that a strong networking foundation let her pick up new architectures quickly. Colleagues began bringing her the hardest network problems, and her manager saw her credential as something that strengthened the company’s technical reputation when bidding for projects.
She also saw the CCIE as a way to challenge stereotypes about women in engineering. An expert credential is an objective signal of skill, which can be especially valuable for people who do not fit an industry’s usual image.
Realistic expectations
Certification is not a guarantee of a job or a raise. Employers look for experience, communication skills and the ability to solve real problems. The best results come when certification study runs alongside hands-on work, whether in a help desk or NOC role, an internship, or a home lab project you can talk about in interviews. Salary effects vary widely by country, employer and role.
Where networking is heading
Zhao hoped future networks would rely far more on automation, reducing repetitive manual configuration, and that has largely come true. Network engineers are now expected to understand APIs, scripting in Python, infrastructure as code, software-defined WAN and cloud networking alongside traditional routing and switching. Cisco has built automation topics into CCNA and CCNP exams and offers dedicated automation-focused certifications.
If you are still choosing a direction, it helps to compare vendor-specific and vendor-neutral options. Our overview of the top CompTIA certifications for IT professionals covers popular vendor-neutral starting points, and our guide to choosing MPLS and firewall security for business shows the kind of real-world decisions network engineers help make. Students weighing wider options may also like our look at career prospects for computer science graduates.
Frequently asked questions
Which Cisco certification should I start with?
Most people start with the CCNA, which covers networking fundamentals and is widely recognized by employers. Complete beginners may begin with an entry-level CCST first.
How long does it take to earn a CCIE?
It varies widely. Many candidates spend several years gaining experience and certifications first, then a year or more preparing specifically for the core exam and the eight-hour lab.
Do Cisco certifications expire?
Yes. Most are valid for three years and can be renewed by passing qualifying exams or earning continuing education credits.
Is it worth studying for Cisco certification in the age of cloud and automation?
Yes, for many roles. Cloud and automated networks still rely on routing, switching and security fundamentals, and current Cisco exams include automation topics.
Can I use exam dumps to pass?
You should not. Using leaked real exam content breaks Cisco’s exam agreement and can lead to revoked certifications. Legitimate practice tests and labs are the safer, more useful choice.
