Any Networkers here?

Any cisco cert'ed networkers here ? im currently ccna and working for ccnp

Been awhile since I Cisco'd.  I dropped my certified status a few years ago.  Same thing with the Microsoft stuff.  It got to a point where it was just a money making thing for all the certificates. One little change and and they wanted hundreds of dollars to take a new test.

Starting out you do need it to get your foot in the door.  After a few years when you can show what you can do tell them to shove it or go to a company that will pay for your testing.

Take it from someone who was in the merry go round of MCSE, MCSA, MCAD, MCDBA and MCDST hell.

thanks for the tips
which department do you working at now?

I own a business, and we do everything from repairs to networking, building and maintaining server farms. Consulting on projects.  Pretty much everything.  You got to do it all these days, if you just concentrate on one area you are toast.

I have worked with Cisco products since the early '90's. However, I have never gone for the certifications. I never saw the utility in spending the time and money. I have found that experience will trump certificates any time.

More then once I have had to clean up after someone that had certifications and experience in a lab but had never applied that knowledge to the real world.

Lipps is correct that if you don't have the experience then you are really left with no recourse but to get the certifications.