I am a computer networking student and i’m in an extremely lucky position next semester. I only have to work weekends and complete a few elective courses. I basically have four months to study and attain the CCNA.
Unfortunately, I think that employers seeking interns might see my certification as me compensating for my grades (2.6 gpa with a bunch of withdrawn courses). Is this a well founded fear?
Thanks. I also have a couple months repairing laptops as experience but I’m thinking of leaving that out.
You must log in or register to comment.
Which do you think looks better - a 2.6 GPA, or a 2.6 GPA and having earned a CCNA?
Some employees just flag keywords and having CCNA will get you a few hits for that reason alone. It also gives you a foot in the door to address your interests and to offer any explanation you may want to give for your grades. Maybe you’ve had family or life difficulties or you’ve struggled with physical or mental illness. You can take the chance in an interview to explain how you had some difficulty but then you chose to dedicate the last several months to study and earn the CCNA. I think that will go a good way towards demonstrating to an employer that you are motivated and willing to work.
I’m a SW engineer in the US involved in hiring, so I don’t know how norms differ across industries or regions, but when I go into an interview, I ignore the GPA (if even provided) and care far more about the answers to interview questions. School isn’t for everyone, and that has pretty much no bearing on their performance at work. I also would never request a transcript, at most I’d call the school and verify the candidate attended (I value honesty; some of our best hires had no degree).
I don’t know how valuable the CCNA is, but I personally wouldn’t worry about it being seen as a negative, at worst it’ll probably be ignored. If an employer somehow gets spooked, you’re probably better off not working for them anyway. Some cultures really value certifications though, so YMMV (I personally only look at relevant work experience on the resume).
Good luck! I just wanted to give some perspective from the other side of the table.
A little bit of unsolicited advice: You don’t have to tell them your GPA.
Don’t lie, that’s an instant disqualifier. But, you don’t need to list it on your resume or otherwise offer it up unless they ask. The only time I was ever asked was when I was applying to do a co-op through the university and that was literally the university asking. I never put mine on my resume and was never asked by any potential employers.
I also have a couple months repairing laptops as experience but I’m thinking of leaving that out.
I wouldn’t. At this point in your career, any amount of work (or even “work”) experience is a leg-up.
I don’t see getting a cert as a bad thing. As far as “how good” that would be hard to gauge. IMO, a better way to look at it is what are the downsides of studying and getting the cert.
In my case, I guess I would have to decide between continuing to work in a field unrelated to IT or taking a break to attain the CCNA. Not sure if there’s a right choice here.
