Even during the period of global recession, IT has remained a growing
sector. Networking, in particular, has expanded rapidly.
The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics ranks network
systems analysts as the second fastest-growing occupation, with 53.4 per cent
job growth predicted from 2008 to 2018.
Despite the increasing pay and growth, demand
still beats the supply of qualified networking experts. Fred Weiller,
director of marketing for Cisco Learning, sees a “talent gap between business
needs and people with the right skills.”
Cisco certification plays
a crucial role in connecting trained network professionals and hiring managers.
According to the
consulting firm IDC, 66 per cent of managers believe that IT certifications
improve the overall output of professionals, and
three out of four say certifications are vital to team performance.
Weiller also cited a 2009 PayScale figure demonstrating a standard salary
premium of 10 to 20 per cent upon certification.
