One comment inline:
nrf said: >So while yes, I agree that Cisco and the CCIE will probably get better, if >you think we're going to have 1999 all over again, you're just deluding >yourself. The world has changed, and people will simply have to admit that >when it comes to the value of tech skills, Cisco's best days are in its >past, and people should be looking at other skills if they want to remain on >the forefront of what is considered valuable. pvo replied: I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned value. Having an employee with a CCIE designation tangibly only helps those VAR's who can achieve a higher partner status by virtue of it - and thereby receive deeper direct purchasing discounts. Of course, the nature of channel sales renders this moot in my opinion as % discounts are very often manipulated to suit the needs of the Cisco sales team. On the intangible side, it's more of a marketing play. Customers may be more likely to buy from a VAR who has more certified folks than one who doesn't. However, sales tactics, relationships and history tend to balance this. For the enterprise customer hiring for internal support, the CCIE has no particular tangible value whatsoever beyond possibly saving some dollars on the hiring end by speeding the first cut of resumes. However, this has the downside of missing good, non vendor certified candidates while at the same time short listing a group of folks who tend to look for higher compensation packages as a rule. I personally don't think there is an intangible upside to the CCIE for enterprise customers. Good engineers are good engineers. If you do the proper diligence and hire the right ones, you'll likely be satisfied. Also, given the blind faith many recruiting firms have in the CCIE designation, these enterprise customers are likely to face a higher probability of turnover in their CCIE certified staff than otherwise. I don't mean to say that the CCIE itself isn't a worthy endeavor, and indeed for the most part I feel strongly the opposite, however, I think you need to think about it in the right context. When sourcing employment, or selling in general for that matter, you need to clearly understand what tangible and intangible value you bring to the prospective customer/employer such that you can properly position yourself and justify the expenses related to bringing you onboard. With the market as tight as it is now, the focus is clearly on tangible value and those candidates who come to the table with a clear understanding of the return their employer can expect to obtain for the investment will be in a significantly better position that those who simply assume the are worth X dollars based on XXXX numbers. Pete Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=45135&t=40261 -------------------------------------------------- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
