Preface | p. xi |
Why Certify? | p. 1 |
The Quick FAQs | p. 3 |
What Does Cisco Certified Mean? | p. 4 |
Who Benefits from Cisco Certification? | p. 4 |
What Cisco Certifications Are There? | p. 6 |
What Is Internetworking? | p. 7 |
What Are Routers and Who Uses Them Anyway? | p. 7 |
How Do Cisco Certifications Compare to Other Certifications such as Microsoft's MCSE? | p. 8 |
Will Cisco Certification Help Me Earn More? | p. 9 |
How Will Cisco Certification Affect My Marketability? | p. 10 |
Can Certification Compensate for Inexperience? | p. 10 |
Which Cisco Certification Is Best for Me? | p. 11 |
How Much Will Getting Certified Cost? | p. 12 |
Is Financial Assistance Available for Certification Training? | p. 13 |
How Long Does Earning Certification Take? | p. 14 |
Where Will I Have to Go for Certification Training and Testing? | p. 15 |
What Will I Receive from Cisco When I Get Certified? | p. 17 |
Is Passing Exams the Only Thing I Have to Do to Become Certified? | p. 17 |
Do I Need a College Degree to Get Cisco Certified? | p. 18 |
What If I Don't Remember How to Study? | p. 18 |
What Resources Are Available to Help Me Achieve Certification? | p. 18 |
Do I Need Access to Cisco Routers to Get Cisco Certified? | p. 19 |
What Are the Certification Tests Like? | p. 20 |
How Can I (or Anyone Else) Verify That Someone Is Really a CCIE? | p. 20 |
How Can I Promote Myself and My Certification? | p. 21 |
What Is the Future of Cisco Certification? | p. 21 |
The Evolution of Cisco Certification | p. 23 |
The First Certification | p. 24 |
Novell Dives In | p. 25 |
Cisco Participates as Certification Takes Off | p. 26 |
Opportunities and Benefits | p. 33 |
More Options, Better Pay | p. 34 |
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs | p. 34 |
Training to Train | p. 36 |
Adding to Your Bottom Line | p. 37 |
Leading the Crowd | p. 39 |
Career Shifting | p. 40 |
Power Perks | p. 41 |
Priority Technical Support | p. 42 |
Exclusive Forum | p. 42 |
Training and Conference Admission | p. 43 |
Free Subscriptions | p. 43 |
Use of Logos and Marketing Materials | p. 43 |
Other Payoffs | p. 45 |
Study Dividends | p. 45 |
Peace of Mind | p. 45 |
Food for Your Ego | p. 47 |
The Certifications | p. 49 |
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) | p. 52 |
CCNA Suggested Curriculum | p. 53 |
CCNA-WAN Switching Suggested Curriculum | p. 54 |
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) | p. 54 |
CCNP Suggested Curriculum | p. 56 |
CCNP-WAN Switching Suggested Curriculum | p. 57 |
CCNP Specialties | p. 57 |
Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) | p. 58 |
CCDA Suggested Curriculum | p. 59 |
Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP) | p. 59 |
CCDP Suggested Curriculum | p. 60 |
CCDP-WAN Switching Suggested Curriculum | p. 61 |
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) | p. 62 |
CCIE-R/S | p. 63 |
CCIE-WAN Switching | p. 63 |
CCIE-ISP Dial | p. 64 |
Certified Cisco Systems Instructor (CCSI) | p. 65 |
Learning Tree International Cisco Router Certification | p. 66 |
How to Get (Happily) Certified | p. 69 |
Inside Perspectives | p. 71 |
The Way In | p. 72 |
Reports from the Field | p. 72 |
Scott Urban, CCIE, CCNA | p. 73 |
Pamela Forsyth, CCIE, former CCSI | p. 75 |
Terry Slattery, CCIE, CCSI | p. 78 |
Ben Lovegrove, CCNA | p. 80 |
Chad Marsh, CCNA | p. 82 |
Lou Rossi, CCIE, CCSI, CCNA | p. 84 |
Putting the Pieces Together | p. 86 |
Dollars and Sense: Financial Answers Before You Begin | p. 89 |
Total Expenditure | p. 90 |
Creating a Worksheet | p. 92 |
How to Cut Your Costs | p. 93 |
Getting Subsidized | p. 94 |
Training on the Cheap | p. 98 |
Training Methods and Costs | p. 99 |
Taking Advantage of Tax Breaks | p. 105 |
Do You Qualify? | p. 106 |
What You Can Deduct | p. 107 |
Claiming Your Deductions | p. 109 |
Taking Out a Loan | p. 114 |
Certification Mistakes You Need Not Make | p. 117 |
Choosing the Wrong Certification | p. 118 |
Error: Choosing a Certification Because It's "Hot" | p. 118 |
Error: Unrealistic Expectations | p. 119 |
Error: Underestimating Cost | p. 120 |
Mistakes While Working Toward Certification | p. 121 |
Error: Purchasing a Complete Certification Package Right Away | p. 122 |
Error: Assuming Your Employer Will Pay for Your Training | p. 123 |
Error: Assuming Your Employer Won't Pay for Your Training | p. 123 |
Error: Failing to Shop Around | p. 124 |
Error: Ignoring/Missing Time Constraints | p. 124 |
Error: Failing to Get Certified After Your Employer Agrees to Pay for It | p. 125 |
Error: Neglecting Your Job in Order to Study for Certification | p. 126 |
Error: Assuming You Don't Need to Study | p. 127 |
Error: Assuming You Know the Best Way to Study | p. 128 |
Error: Failure to Set Deadlines for Yourself | p. 128 |
Mistakes After Certification Is Achieved | p. 129 |
Error: Forgetting about Continuing Requirements | p. 129 |
Error: Failing to Take Advantage of Perks and Privileges | p. 129 |
Error: Failing to Advertise Your New Status | p. 131 |
Plan, Perform, and Follow Through | p. 132 |
Understanding Training Alternatives | p. 133 |
Workbooks and Study Guides | p. 136 |
Product Documentation | p. 138 |
Computer-Based Training (CBT) | p. 138 |
Online Classes | p. 141 |
Ziff-Davis University | p. 143 |
CyberState University | p. 144 |
Scholars.com | p. 144 |
Training Web Sites | p. 146 |
Authorized Training Centers | p. 148 |
Cisco Academies | p. 150 |
Online Resources | p. 150 |
Unofficial Training Programs | p. 153 |
Training Videos | p. 154 |
Your Personal Training and Certification Road Map | p. 157 |
A Word on Tracks | p. 160 |
Deciding How to Prepare | p. 162 |
How Do You Learn? | p. 162 |
Finding Preparation Tools | p. 167 |
How to Evaluate a Training Center | p. 169 |
How to Set Up a Home Practice Lab | p. 171 |
CCNA Practice Lab Equipment List | p. 172 |
CCNP Practice Lab Equipment List | p. 172 |
CCIE Practice Lab Equipment List | p. 173 |
Where to Get the Gear | p. 173 |
Following Your Plan | p. 175 |
Study Secrets | p. 177 |
You Might Have Heard That... | p. 179 |
When to Study | p. 181 |
Where to Study | p. 183 |
How to Study | p. 185 |
How to Read a Textbook | p. 186 |
How to Get the Most from a Class | p. 188 |
Note Taking 101 | p. 190 |
How to Remember | p. 192 |
Taking Tests | p. 200 |
Before the Test | p. 201 |
The Day of the Test | p. 202 |
A Half Dozen Ways to Beat Procrastination--Today | p. 204 |
Study 15 Minutes a Day | p. 204 |
Put Procrastination to Work for You | p. 205 |
Quell Household Distractions | p. 205 |
Respect What You're Doing | p. 206 |
Get Regular | p. 206 |
Entering the Zone | p. 207 |
Putting It All Together | p. 207 |
All About Cisco Tests | p. 209 |
Registering for an Exam | p. 210 |
Exam and Question Formats | p. 213 |
CCIE Lab Exams | p. 219 |
Utilize Your Certification to the Max | p. 223 |
Advertising Your New Status | p. 225 |
Looking Good in Print | p. 226 |
Marketing Magic Via the Internet | p. 228 |
A Quick Guide to Getting Connected | p. 228 |
Direct E-mail | p. 232 |
Your Cyber Billboard | p. 233 |
Networking and Lurking | p. 240 |
Moving Up | p. 245 |
Up or Out? | p. 246 |
Laying the Groundwork | p. 247 |
Understand Your Manager | p. 247 |
Share the Good News | p. 248 |
Be a (Visible) Problem Solver | p. 250 |
Be Part of the Team (Better Yet, Be the Captain) | p. 251 |
Asking for a Raise | p. 252 |
What Are You Worth? | p. 253 |
How Does Your Employer Pay? | p. 256 |
How Has Your Organization Been Performing Lately? | p. 257 |
Preparing Your Case | p. 257 |
Timing | p. 259 |
Raise Day | p. 259 |
Securing a Promotion | p. 260 |
Promotion to What? | p. 261 |
Honing In On Your Target | p. 261 |
Get On the Schedule | p. 262 |
Preparing for the Interview | p. 262 |
The Interview | p. 263 |
Follow Up | p. 265 |
Increasing Consulting Rates | p. 265 |
What to Do If Your Efforts Don't Work | p. 267 |
Moving On | p. 269 |
Before You Start Your Search | p. 270 |
A Resume Tune-Up | p. 272 |
Keeping It Hush-Hush | p. 277 |
How to Find Job Openings | p. 278 |
Cisco's Web Site | p. 279 |
Headhunters | p. 280 |
Print Advertisements | p. 282 |
Job Fairs | p. 285 |
Online Job Hunting | p. 287 |
Networking | p. 289 |
Follow Up | p. 289 |
Going Independent | p. 289 |
Spare Those Bridges | p. 293 |
Keeping Current | p. 295 |
Training Offered by Cisco | p. 300 |
Company Training | p. 300 |
Do-It-Yourself Options | p. 301 |
Training Directories | p. 302 |
Bonus Benefits | p. 303 |
Record Keeping | p. 305 |
Taking Advantage of Perks and Privileges | p. 307 |
Cisco Certification Benefits | p. 308 |
Getting the Most from Restricted Forums | p. 310 |
How to Benefit from Priority Tech Support | p. 313 |
Putting Priority to Work | p. 315 |
Landing in the Spotlight | p. 316 |
Another Certification? | p. 319 |
More Can Be Better | p. 320 |
Drawbacks | p. 322 |
Selecting Additional Certifications | p. 325 |
The Bottom Line | p. 326 |
Resources | p. 329 |
Certification Fact Sheets | p. 331 |
Cisco Certification Resources | p. 341 |
Publications | p. 342 |
Self-study Vendors (see also Web sites) | p. 343 |
Training Companies (not Cisco partners) | p. 345 |
Web Sites | p. 346 |
Used Cisco Equipment Sources | p. 348 |
Cisco Users Groups | p. 349 |
On Cisco's Web Site | p. 350 |
Cisco Certified Training Partners Worldwide | p. 352 |
Glossary of Internetworking Terminology | p. 373 |
Cisco and Internetworking Acronyms | p. 383 |
Index | p. 387 |
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