path to networkin field - Help needed

I've been into comps for the last 8 years but very truly it was never more than a single PC (not professional experience, it's my home PC and I kno everything bout it, everything technical, I'm a Geek). So, Although I've got lot of experience in Windows..I just have some basic knowledge about network...yeah just basic...and as I am 22 now I wanna plan my career (is it late?) and I think there are more oppurtunities in the networking field. I would like you to tell me the path (like course or diploma or cert) that I should take to break into networking and I wanna have a good job.. and I dont want my 8 years windows experience remain unutilized...

or tell me if you think I can have a good job if I start from system administration (any courses?)

...and yes I'm MCP (XP)

everyone please help me out... I shall be very much thankful to you!

plz help..thankx thankx thankx

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Comments

keatron

Well, your Windows skills will not be in vain, because even if you go into networking you will still eventually find yourself sitting in front of a Windows box for one reason or another. And that's when those skills will come in handy.

(not professional experience, it's my home PC and I kno everything bout it, everything technical, I'm a Geek)

Careful, none of us know "everything" about anything. I would say get yourself a career guide (there's free ones all over the web, just google). Figure out where you think you want to be. Then post back with where you want to end up then we'll try to help you get there. If you already know for sure that you want to go into networking, the normal recommended path is A+, Network+, CCNA, CCNP, CCIE. Keep in mind this path sounds small but it could very easily take 4 years or more. Just ask the guys on here who has actually taken the CCIE (written or lab) and see what they think. I will give you this word of caution. Don't listen to all the hype about $120,000 dollar per year jobs just because you got some certs. You will definantly need some actual experience, and this might mean settling for a $12/hr job just to break into the field. Once you get a year or two experience, then you can move pretty freely horizontally to better positioned jobs. After 3 years experience you should be able to progress a little faster vertically. After 5 years if you planned it carefully and worked hard, you just might be at the $120,000 mark or at least close to it. After 10 years you're golden. I get job offers daily, mainly because early in my career I signed up with tons of temp agencies and head hunter agencies, and in their records, I've passed the 10 year verified experience mark. (However it's pretty worthless since I have a company now). But it was interesting to see how the jobs literally doubled after the 10 year mark. So instead of thinking. Man, if I go into networking I'll be making 100,000 per year. Think like this, "If I go into networking, work hard, get the needed skills and qualifications, I can be over $100,000 in 5 to 6 years. You have to be specific in your goal, and you have to have some idea as to whether or not you'll enjoy doing the work long enough to reach that goal. There's a topic that surfaced on here not to long ago about people being burned out and tired of IT. Also, one individual posted that he hates he picked this field. His exact words were "what a joke of a career". So consider all these things. And before you start spending money on books and certs, do some searching on the web and find out about the field and what jobs require what day to day tasks. And don't expect to get rich over night. I've interviewed several people who have experience doing break fix work on desktops and because of what they experienced there, decided that they wanted to move into networking. Configuring/troubleshooting routers and other network devices compared to desktop support and general LAN support is day and night. And if you do decide to go this route. Please please please MASTER THE BASICS AND FUNDAMENTALS BEFORE JUMPING INTO MORE ADVANCED STUFF. Honestly knowledge gap is the biggest problem I've seen amongst certified people who claim they're IT gods. I've not taken any Cisco certification exams yet, but I've been working with Cisco routers, managed switches, VoIP phones, and CME routers for the last year or so. Once I feel I've gained the the experience needed, I'll start studying for the exams. So lesson is, don't go and grab every cert available without having any experience in any of the skill areas related to your certification. Why? Because you will probably become disappointed when it's hard to get a job without any experience, then you'll be slamming the certs saying they're worthless.

Good luck and keep us posted as to what you decide.

lordy

If you wanna get into networking take a look at the CompTIA Network+ certification and it's materials.

Net+ is consondired a "starter" certification in network so you can find out if you are able to learn quickly and, most important, if it is interesting to you.

You could then move along to CCNA and other networking certs...

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Lordy

KGhaleon

I agree, and do it for the fun.

Who needs money anyway!?

Most people I speak to say it's better to start in System administration, then move onto networking. I ignored this, so why shouldn't you? If you work hard and stay focused you should get to where you need to be. Just watch out for jobs where you might get dragged into doing non-technical work in a bank or something.

I know an engineer who works for disney, and they gave him a job repairing broken refridgerators and such. ^^;

KG

strauchr

Keatron makes a lot of good points. I posted about being burnt out and found out I wasn't alone by a long shot.

I would say I am about mid career at 26 and worked my absoloute ass off to get here. I am now working for a huge Investment Bank here in London making the equivilent of about $130,000 US a year.

The money is good but I don't know how much longer I can sustain staying at my level which is systems engineering and design. It sounds like a great job but for my first 3 months here I never got passed using MS Word as all I did was AD process designs for group security, naming conventions etc.

I would rather be putting all the systems together as thats what I enjoy but I have worked myself up the ladder way to fast and now I feel like a regular boring office guy.

Where I am now I work as a senior engineer which means that all I do is document things and pass it down to the other engineers. I don't even have an administrator account!

So to me I am at my pinacle, well what I thought it would 5 years ago and I am a bit dissapointed. I am now reconsidering my future as I really wanted to work up to CIO level eventually but that would be even less technical and hands on and I think I would get bored. (Maybe not bored of the perks of a CIO though

)

Anyway, thats me just ranting. If you want to get into networking Cisco certs are the best route if you want systems admin (equally as good just depends on what you like) then MS route would be best. There are always other non mainstream paths such as Linux, SUN, Citrix, Netware, Databases, programming, Data Centre, IBM AS400 and I am sure there others I have missed. I have done pretty much everything I have listed except programming, except at college.
Actually, I have done no *nix either.

So as you can see there is a lot to chose however IT is dynamic I have moved between a lot of roles so if you pick something your not stuck with it for life. Thats why MS and Cisco certs are a good grounding cos they can get you a foot in the door and you can get experience and branch out from there.

But some good advice is to get the experience with your certs, no employee likes to hire someone with all certs and no experience, and if you get into the right company with some basic certs like Net+, MCP, CCNA then the company will mostly pay for the rest of your studies AND you will get the experience needed with it. Its a double win.

2 other things, its never to late to start and never, ever, ever tell anyone, not even the computer illiterate that you know EVREYTHING about computers, even your own computer. I can gaurentee you that someone somewhere will show you something you don't know. It just doesn't give a good impression to other IT people, especially ones with lots of experience.

garv221

Like Lordy said, study your Network+. That will get you a great understanding of networking. Cisco will then take you down the path of networking with their gear which is a majority in the market. Amerinet/Juniper hold their ground as well. After Net+ I would dive directly into CCNA while it is still fresh. Like everyone said, there is pretty good money in networking if you play youyr cards right.