NEW in Networking?

Hello guys!

I need some sort of advise from anyone.

I just finish a certificate III in network administration at TAFE sydney after year an a half of study.

I'm working in a completely different industry though. ! wanna get into the IT industry but i find it hard as every place asks for experience.

I also have a electronic engineer background, only did 2 years so my knowledge is mostly on the theory side of electronics.

I was thinking of getting a CCNA certificate as well hoping that would open the doors to a networking career, but even a junior network administrator requires some sort of experience.

Does anyone know the best way to start a networking career??

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If you have good background knowledge on networking, CCNA will be a good option. To get a job employers always asks for experience. But if you don't have one, a certification at least proves that you are through with the technology and concepts. Thus it will at least help you to put your step in the industry. More than anything the certification will give you a confidence that you are through within its scope.

mikeyoung

Get a job in IT anywhere you can doing whatever you can. EVERYONE has a network now, so you can begin to learn how networks operate outside of the books. Once you are there, hang out with the network guys at your shop. Most of us, love to answer questions about how it all works becuase no one ever asks. If your shop uses Cisgo gear, hook on to a good mentor and start learning it. If your shop doesn't use Cisco, learn what they do have.

Also, start with network + and security +. These can be very useful "door openers" and "tie breakers," when you are competing for jobs.

I recommend some Cisco experience before you start your CCNA. It will be so much easier if you have that exposure.

Good luck and keep us posted on how it is going!

Mike

tohu_tangata_citizen

Thanks SV and Mike for your advise
i appreciate it

optimus

Well, you are in the right mode, which is studying.

A lot of us old timers (I've been in the field 10 years), were lucky, because the hiring was pretty rapid in the mid 90's . I was fortunate to hang on to my job through the turndown also.

My advice is to keep studying

as much as you can, and eventually, some company will let you get your foot in the door. Also, as the above person wrote, try and network with people in Australia, who might be able to get you in on a job. That is what I did.

0ptimus

tohu_tangata_citizen

Yeah I think you're right. Study is always benificial, but I keep noticing everyone starts working with networks before taking any exams or get certificates. I guess CCNA would make more sense for them.

Anyway, i hope i'm in the right track. Thanks for the advised

he-man

Theres also the supporting cert's in other vendors ie Microsoft.

A network is not going to be running ONLY cisco equipment, your gunna get network issue's caused by rouge instance's of DHCP, corrupt DNS zones, corrupt Active Directory Schema, all posible Microsoft issues that at first might look like your cisco hardware is to blame!

What im saying is that to support a 'Network' its useful to be vendor aware.

my 2cents (pennies) worth

DarklyWise

I also agree that some vendor neutral certs are of benefit ( Network+, i-Net+, Security+, Server+ from CompTIA) and will compliment your current skillset. CCNA is also a great cert to get and an excellent starting point for networking; don't forget about MCSE, plenty of winblows machines out there, even though well know that *nox rules the world!

Also, consider getting a degree with an IT focus, you already have a degree so you're already more than 1/2 there...

Good luck

tohu_tangata_citizen

Thank you all for your advise.