I Agree
I think you have a good point there. Over the years Cisco has slipped. I don't think their products are as good as they used to be in terms of design, ease of use, stability, build quality or quality of support. The competition has caught up and in some cases have surpassed Cisco now, so a Cisco cert is not really the defacto standard any longer in my view.
Also, the quality of the training available today is over-priced and over-rated almost across the board. They don't prepare you for the real world. The prospect of having to spend that kind of money is a huge gamble now with so much uncertainty and companies hoarding their cash. Plunking down 10 grand (or more)for a cert and then having no prospects to show for it is a hit I know I can't afford to take. It's a double-edged sword isn't it?
The training and certification game has become just that, a game. 15 plus years experience should be more valuable, but if no certs show up on the robotic scans companies do on you now you don't even get looked at. Bring that sword over here so I can jump on it!!
