RE: OT: Cisco Certified Architect

Yes, but I think those numbers need some interpretation. For example,
what are the number of jobs available where companies can actually employ
a CCIE. Do they need one? Can they afford one? The total numbers are
just abstract. Also, in the eyes of many companies and expired CCIE is
just as good, which of course only further devalues it (both regarding
supply and demand and information retention). Lastly, as anyone who has
worked with CCIE's will tell you they just aren't what they used to be. I
think alot of emphasis is put towards studying just what's on the lab
instead of improving as an engineer. I've run into alot of CCIE's both at
my day job and when consulting that just aren't the right fit for some
reason. Like they have no customer service or project management skills,
they can't stick to a budget, they are the wrong kind of CCIE (IE: a CCIE
Voice designing an OSPF network). The numbers are what they are, but as
one of they guys who get's called to help the CCIE's with the hard stuff I
think it's time for something better.

From:
Ryan West <rwest_at_zyedge.com>
To:
Darby Weaver <ccie.weaver_at_gmail.com>, GroupStudy <ccielab_at_groupstudy.com>
Date:
07/20/2009 12:27 PM
Subject:
RE: OT: Cisco Certified Architect
Sent by:
nobody_at_groupstudy.com

To generally answer the first two questions, you need not look any further
than:

http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/ccie/certified_ccies/worldwide.html

Why not just state the numbers in the future...

Total of Worldwide CCIEs: 20003 (last
updated 06/26/2009)
Total of Routing and Switching CCIEs: 17247
Total of Security CCIEs: 2328
Total of Service Provider CCIEs: 1414
Total of Storage Networking CCIEs: 145
Total of Voice CCIEs: 1039
Total of Wireless CCIEs: 6

Americas
Total: 6755 North America 6352
                 Canada 864
                 Mexico 139
                 USA 5349

EMEA
Total: 5349

Pacific Rim
Total: 7797 Pacific Islands 696
                 Australia 601
                 New Zealand 90
                 Asia 7195 <- very broad, but wow.

The number that I still value is 5349, to me that's still an impressively
low number for a technology certification.

-ryan

So while some people may think the CCIE has become devalued because it now
has numbers as high as 24,000, we have to ask some real questions:

1. What is the number of active CCIE's total?

2. How many are there per state, region, or even country?

3. How many CCIE's does a CCIE really have to compete with in his or her
world for a job or project at any given time?

The answer to all three questions:

Not that many.

I don't think the CCIE has played out yet. I don't think it is a lot
easier
to attain in terms of actual work required or in the knowledge level
expected.

Yes - I do think a lot of the current CCIE's took shortcuts and apparently
so do the proctors who spoke with me on the subject. But hey - I'm not in
China and so 90% of those people in that demographic who fit that MO are
not
my comptetition for a job anytime soon.

In the USA, my area, the numbers have not really exploded. They have...
maintained at best and are quite modest by comparison.

So the numbers are not quite out on the CCA yet.

They are out on the CCIE and it is probably the better of the two to still
bank on.

While there are alot of CCIE materials available today, there still leave
something to be desired, else why would people, advertise, and sell
materials that cost more than the legitimate study aids and be able to
keep
doing it? Common "cents" prevails.

The truth is people who are working hard and harder to earn a CCIE will
always be in demand, and those other folks will still be unemployed
looking
for the next best thing.

That's just the way of the world.

But hey there is a whole market of resellers who need a fresh new "food
supply" to fuel the "ecosystem".

By the way - a quality engineer will still be a quality engineer - with
or
without a CCIE, whether there are 1000 CCIE's or 100,000 CCIE's.

Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net
Received on Mon Jul 20 2009 - 13:10:54 ART