The Power of CWNP Certification

    I started my career in IT as a contracted help desk. I worked for a "value added reseller" that would contract out members of their helpdesk to one or more companies. Meaning I would take phone calls for any number of technical issues for many different companies. At one point I was contracted to three different companies. I would work on generic computer issues, networking problems, printers, SOHO routers, etc.

    From there I obtained both my Bachelors degree and the CCNA. This allowed me to obtain a role at Walmart Global Tech as a Wireless Network Technician. The CCNA weighed very heavily compared to my Bachelors to my surprise. While at this team, I worked on Cisco, Juniper, Mist, and Meraki access points, wireless controllers, switches, and routers. This team placed a huge emphasis on the importance of CWNP certifications. Since I was itching to get into an engineering role, I began studying for the CWNA using David Coleman and David Westcott's CWNA guide.

    While this is not the "official" certification guide, I personally believe it provides a much better introduction into wireless networking. Given that I knew very little before reading this guide, it helped ease me into what wireless networking is and how it works. This book consumed months of my time reading, taking practice exams, and trying to apply what I learned to my technician workflows. I was quickly able to understand what the engineering team was talking about during our team meetings! I began using a Raspberry Pi and freeware like OpenWRT to study more in my free time. The moment I passed this certification, I started getting more messages over Linkedin for wireless engineering positions.

    After passing the CWNA, I wanted to keep the momentum going. Since I was in a technician position, where most of my time was spent troubleshooting an existing wireless network, and not designing it, I chose to go after the Certified Wireless Analysis Professional. The objective of this certification stood out to me most.

    My initial thought was understanding this material would make me better at my job. I was right! This time, using the CWNP official guide, I spent months studying, reviewing packet captures, working with engineers on the team to fully understand what is going on as packets are flying through the air. The knowledge from this certification also helped me obtain a promotion to Senior Wireless Technician.

    With my knowledge and experience from my wireless roles and certifications, I managed to obtain a position as the Wireless Network Engineer for a local university. I was thrilled that I was able to fully utilize everything I've learned in a new position. At this university I was able to fix several chronic wireless issues they were experiencing.

    While I was doing well in this position, I wanted to understand wireless design better and how to design an efficient wireless network. I began studying for the Certified Wireless Design Professional with the CWNP official book. This time applying what I learned to a lab/demo environment of Aruba APs. This helped me make well educated decisions on how to design networks for new buildings and improve existing.

    I want to reiterate that the knowledge gained from the certifications is what means something, not the title or piece of paper. The acronyms put behind your name can certainly help you get noticed by recruiters and get interviews. However, the knowledge is what gets you the job and allows you to perform well.

    After finishing the CWDP, I wanted to finish rounding out my wireless knowledge with the Certified Wireless Security Professional. This would allow me to deeper understand security concepts and how to apply them to the network I was managing. This allowed me to troubleshoot authentication issues better, and design with security in mind. 

    At this point, I obtained my current position. As a Systems Engineer for Extreme Networks. Designing, troubleshooting, and providing pre-sales guidance to customers about both their wireless and wired networks. I get to utilize the knowledge gained from CWNP certifications every day and provide that value to customers. I believe I'm making a positive impact on my customer's wireless networks, allowing them to fully understand and manage it easier. I find myself providing configuration guidance frequently and ensuring best practices are followed. I could do excel at this position or even have obtained it without the skills these certifications provided.

Conclusion

    CWNP certifications can catapult your career growth. I was able to jump from help desk to wireless technician, engineer, then systems engineer very quickly. This is due to the sheer amount of knowledge you gain from these certifications. There's a distinct lack of wireless engineers in the marketplace, CWNP certifications can help show employers that you know what you're doing and provide a vendor agnostic approach to wireless networking. Meaning you can apply your knowledge anywhere, regardless of what vendor your employer is using.