For those who don’t have enough time, anyone dedicated enough can squeeze in a page of reading or make flashcards to break out for those times you’re standing in line or waiting for transportation. Take it from any of these IT professionals who earned their certifications using techniques like this certification game plan.

Not having the right resources can be solved by doing research: There are many free resources on the Web for those looking to obtain networking certs. This networking material on the CompTIA A+ 220-701 and 220-702 Exam Cram is one such example. Buying the right book used or new can also be enough to get you to pass your exam. I’ve received feedback from networking professionals that reading a book from front to cover was enough to get them to pass their exam on the first try. If you’re not sure which materials are best, SearchWinIT.com recommends these practices for finding the best certification prep materials.  

When it comes to price, imagine not getting a job because your competition had a certification. Not having a cert could be what costs you your next job interview — especially in such a competitive job market. For networking newbie Melissa Snider, it wasn’t until she earned an MSCE certification after her degree that she received phone calls from potential employers. (You can read her success story in this article: Career advancement in four steps: Computer networking certification and career advice.) Often times, too, certification centers run promotions to get you to take their tests for free, like this Microsoft beta cert exam.

Then again, I know many bright networking and wide area networking professionals who are in jobs that make them happy, and they do not have a certification on their resume. In those cases, a certification can be insurance. If you are in the field, chances are you already know the basics covered in A+ or Network+ certifications (the most basic of network-related certifications). If you’re not sure about your networking prowess, take a look at common WAN networking misconceptions A+ exam test takers make or view the quintessential IPv6 basics every professional should know to stay relevant in their field.

The bottom line is if you know it, show it. Having the proof that you’re a professional can prove to potential employers that you’re worth the hire — and to companies you’re already working for, that you’re worth keeping around.

In a recent chat with Rocky Mountain IPv6 Task Force (RMv6TF) chairman Scott Hogg, we discussed how the recession could continue to affect IPv6 adoption.

“I think people might use the economy as an excuse not to work on [IPv6 adoption],” Hogg said, “but the costs don’t necessarily have to be high to transition…. The cost for organizations to migrate to IPv6 are mostly around people’s time…. I could argue that in a down economy, if there aren’t other projects taking place, IT people have lots of time at their disposal” he added.

In my rebuttal, I claimed that IT has more to do because layoffs have probably left one person doing the job of two or three others. But if you don’t have a job — whether you were laid off or whether you’re new to the IT market — IPv6 can be an even greater opportunity for you.

“If you’re unemployed and you want to build a career in a hot emerging market, you could use your time to learn about IPv6 and really become on the cutting edge,” Hogg said. “You’d have lots of job opportunities, I think, if you knew about IPv6 at this point.”

Part of the trouble though is finding programs in the IPv6 field. Hogg said, “There aren’t a lot of really good training resources out there available for people to learn about IPv6. There are some good books to read that have been written in the past 5 or 6 years [such as IPv6 Essentials and IPv6 Security] … but it’s difficult to find readily available low cost IPv6 training.”

You can always start with an IPv6 tutorial if you know nothing, but for more information, attending a two-day conference could be another option. At a low cost ($200 or free with a valid student ID), the 2010 Rocky Mountain IPv6 Summit will be holding its third annual conference. For those who cannot go to the conference May 26-27, you can view the information after the conference off of the RMv6TF website and even view past presentations to learn more.

Median Salary by Years Experience – Job: Network Administrator, LAN / WAN (United States)

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The site also breaks down salary by city and state. A WAN engineer in New York City, for example, will make on average $51,135-$80,000, while their counterpart in Austin, Texas will make $45,550-$57,000 … although the latter will also have a substantially lower cost-of-living.

Not surprisingly, California tops the state charts, followed by New York, but a quick browsing reveals there’s opportunity nearly everywhere, depending on what your salary expectations are and where you’re prepared to travel.