CCNP Collaboration

CCNP CollaborationI assume that CCNA Collaboration is behind us and we can now concentrate on the next challenge. The wondrous CCNP Collaboration certification.

When I started, it took me a year and a half to complete all of CCNP Collaboration (CCVP at the time) exams. I took my time with it, studying diligently, taking notes, really letting the knowledge soak in. I can’t even begin to tell you what effect it had on my career. I got sharp and I got good.
It was almost addictive, learning new things every page, applying them daily, getting to the bottom of what i was doing blindly till now. It was like taking the red pill, it was eye-opening.
The knowledge in the books kicked me to the top of the technical food chain, I became the go to guy. It was awesome! I acquired knowledge and tools that greatly helped me with daily challenges, it made work much easier and got me in the flow.

Results followed shortly after. Apparently, i wasn’t the only one taking notes on my quick climb.. Few month after the CCNP my salary almost doubled itself in comparison to what it was a year and a half earlier.

I’m not telling you this to show you how great it was for me, i want to show you the enormous potential of what it can do for you!

There is one thing i want to make clear, in case you didn’t read between the lines.
My success did not come as a result of passing the exams. My company at the time (Cisco gold partner) couldn’t care less about the CCNP Collaboration, they had enough certifications under their belt. My success came directly as a result of my new knowledge, tools and how i used them. My success came because my knowledge gave tremendous value to my company.

Before you begin, you must understand that you are not learning for the exam, your mindset should really be about learning to be a top gun. believe me, success in the exams will follow, and so will success in your Cisco career.

The CCNP Collaboration certification consists of four exams.
There are really few ways to go about it:

The Classics

The official books, printed by Cisco Press. They are the most comprehensive guides on the market, packed with knowledge and to the point makes them very hard to compete with.
The content of the books is formatted in the familiar Cisco way, the structure is very logical making it very easy to understand and digest. This was my preferred method during my studies, I loved the night lamp light, but if you prefer kindle or the laptop screen, they pass the point just as well as the hard cover.
These books are not entertaining nor interactive but from my experience, include valuable information i had trouble to find anywhere else, and that worth a lot.
I owe these books a great deal, would definitely be my #1 recommendation.

Cisco Press CIPTV1
CIPTV1
Cisco Press CIPTV2
CIPTV2
Cisco Press CAPPS
CAPPS
CTCOLLAB
CTCOLLAB

 

 

Video Courses

CCNP Collaboration Allin1 Video LiveLessons offer a complete, 4 exams preparation videos. It’s led by Kevin Wallace who actually wrote quite a bunch of the Cisco Press books over the years.
Kevin is very clear and has a great way to explain complicated concepts. I can still hear his voice in my head spilling his knowledge over Partitions and CSS. He will definitely leave his mark on you.
If your attentions span for books is short, give these videos a try. They are shorter then the books but still contain some immense knowledge for a very reasonable price.