Juniper Networks offers one of the options available for gaining professional qualifications in creating, managing and maintaining networks. Their training paths begin with their basic juniper network certified internetwork associate certification and offer three more levels for network engineers to explore. After the specialist level, but before the top expert level, engineers can take the professional level exams to build on their certifications.
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What is JNCIP?
Juniper Network Certified Internetwork Professional (JNCIP) certification is the third level of certification offered by Juniper Networks as part of their training paths. They offer four different training paths that include professional level certification and also go to an expert level.
Engineers can choose from Data Center, Enterprise Routing and Switching, Junos Security, and Service Provider Routing and Switching. Juniper Network certifications demonstrate knowledge not just of Juniper technology, such as the Junos operating system, but also a wider knowledge of networking.
How JNCIP Helps IT Engineers
JNCIP certification helps IT engineers in several ways. It shows that engineers are working on their skills and choosing to follow a path of progression. The certification requires engineers to pick a particular subject area and focus on doing one of the carefully designed paths.
This helps engineers to focus on building their skills in a particular area and becoming an expert in that area, rather than having a broader but more shallow knowledge of networking. A JNCIP certification could lead to higher salaries and more job opportunities. It gives official confirmation of your skills at a professional level.
The Benefits of JNCIP Certification
IT and network engineers can benefit from JNCIP certification when they decide to progress from the associate and specialist level qualifications. One of the benefits of these exams is that they are a prerequisite for the expert level exams, so they then allow you to continue the progression of your skills and knowledge.
Another major benefit is the choice of subject areas, so you can pick one that best suits your interests and existing skills, as well as choose to complete more than one path if you want to. The exams take only a couple of hours to complete, so certification is easily achievable with the right knowledge.
Skills Measured by JNCIP Certification
Different skills are measured by the JNCIP certification, depending on which certification path you would like to take. The JNCIP options are Data Center, Enterprise Routing and Switching, Junos Security, and Service Provider Routing and Switching. To take any of these exams, you should already have an advanced level of knowledge and experience in networking.
As an example, the Data Center exam covers the deployment and management of data centers and data center interconnect, among other things. Each training path tests your higher level of experience and knowledge, rather than the fundamental skills you might be expected to have for more basic certifications.
Juniper JNCIP Certification Exams
Unlike the expert level certification from Juniper, professional level exams don't last a gruelling eight hours, and nor are they practical tests. Instead, they last 120 minutes (two hours) and consists of multiple-choice questions. The benefit of these written exams is that you can receive your results immediately. The exams are JNCIP-DC, JNCIP-ENT, JNCIP-SEC, and JNCIP-SP, with each exam testing knowledge on a specific networking subject.
To prepare for these exams, it's necessary to have the prerequisites, as well as to have plenty of experience and previous knowledge. Juniper Networks recommends a number of advanced courses to help with preparation for the exams.
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Juniper JNCIP Certification Prerequisites
JNCIP certification is a professional level certification and so requires various prerequisites to be able to take the exam. To take the professional level exams, you need to have completed the specialist level exams and the associate level exams.
This means having completed the JNCIA-Junos associate level certification, as well as the JNCIS-ENT, JNCIS-SEC or JNCIS-SP certification. These exams can be completed in a few hours, but they will require preparation.
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Juniper JNCIP Certification Training
To prepare for JNCIP certification exams, it will certainly help to have some real-life experience with Juniper products and networking. However, there are also options for training to help you learn what you need to know. Juniper offers advanced courses over a number of days.
For example, to prepare for the Data Center exam (JNCIP-DC), you can take the Advanced Data Center Switching (ADCX) course, which lasts five days and can be completed online. Additional resources and publications are also available from Juniper, including a variety of online materials that can be viewed or downloaded from the official Juniper Networks website.
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Juniper JNCIP Certification Jobs
JNCIP certification opens up new opportunities for network engineers along with a number of career paths. Whether you want to improve your skills and knowledge in data centers or Junos Security, you can show that you have taken your skills to the next level. By demonstrating your thorough knowledge of networking technology, you can find opportunities as a network engineer and in similar roles.
When you're looking for work with your new certification, remember to consider freelance work as an excellent alternative to permanent employment. It gives you control over your career and allows you to find the network engineering opportunities that work for you. FieldEngineer.com makes this possible by opening up the marketplace to freelancers and to businesses that are looking for the best talent for their projects.
Juniper JNCIP Certification Salary
With JNCIP certification, you could enjoy a good salary when employed. Network architects earn an average of $95,000, while network engineers earn around $111,000. The more you are able to demonstrate your skills and knowledge with the right certifications, the better you will be able to negotiate a good salary.
If you want even more control over your salary, using FieldEngineer.com to find freelance network engineering work is a smart move. With our easy to use platform, you can search for the work that works for you and, best of all, set your own prices to get the salary that you want.
