Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)

Offer CCIE boot camps and educational programs to existing employees The CCIE salary range varies, but starts in the low six figures. To have a CCIE at the low end of the CCIE pay scale, consider paying for an employee's CCIE training. You can do intensive training via a boot camp, slower training via traditional courses, or self-study courses via web or CD.

I recommend:  If your network professional already has her CCNA certification, consider sending her to the Internetwork Expert boot camp to rapidly give her the educational experience she needs to get the CCIE. CBT Nuggets offers a self-study course for the CCIE.

Utilize a CCIE on a temporary basis if necessary As high as the salary range for CCIEs is, you might consider finding a consultant that can help engineer your network or troubleshoot mission-critical applications.

I recommend:  If you only need temporary network consulting, you can find CCIEs who will work on a short term basis from Rent A Cert. If you need long-term temporary CCIE consulting, consider Progent.

Make sure your network candidate is truly a CCIE Unfortunately, there are people who will claim certifications who aren't certified. Fortunately, there are ways to know whether a candidate actually earned the CCIE certification.

I recommend:  Use the Cisco verification tool to see whether an individual earned the CCIE. Consider running candidates through a mock CCIE test like the one available from Test King to make sure their knowledge is current.