NOC or Network Admin: Guidance needed

Hi All,

I will be graduating with my BS in Network Administration from WGU this month. I was wondering if I should go for a Network Admin position or start out in the NOC. I have a CCNA and a lab at home but little work experience in networking. Last week I setup a Cisco Wireless AP for the first time at my job

but that's it. Our company is small and is a non profit and while I do have access to some HP switches nothing ever goes down that needs me to troubleshoot and fix.

So what you think NOC for a awhile or try to jump right in by going for a Network Admin position?

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Comments

ajs1976

why limit your options? Look for both.

tkerber

100k wrote: »

Hi All,

I will be graduating with my BS in Network Administration from WGU this month. I was wondering if I should go for a Network Admin position or start out in the NOC. I have a CCNA and a lab at home but little work experience in networking. Last week I setup a Cisco Wireless AP for the first time at my job but that's it. Our company is small and is a non profit and while I do have access to some HP switches nothing ever goes down that needs me to troubleshoot and fix.

So what you think NOC for a awhile or try to jump right in by going for a Network Admin position?

Really depends on what you like or want to do. The NOC guys I work with mostly monitor infrastructure, install updates, patches, and make minor configuration changes to the networking equipment. But this could also depend on the company as well.

I would think Networking Administration (in most cases) would give you a wider variety of work and technologies to touch. Whereas if you're in a NOC you may only get to dabble here and there--but this is just gathered from the NOC people I've met at a few different companies I've worked at.

TechGuy215

I agree, why not try both?

There are entry-level positions available for network admins.

Also, a little insight from my own experience whilst searching for Networking Positions the following is USUALLY true:

Network Administrator = Servers (Physical and Virtual), Messaging Management, Patching, etc...
Network Engineer = Routing, Switching, Firewalls, VOIP, etc...

Also, search by your Certifications and Degrees if your looking to utilize those particular skills.

Good Luck on the Hunt!

100k

I just wast sure about the prospects of getting a Network admin position being that I just graduated but as you all said why not apply to both. The most they can say is no right?. I really want to avoid anything with servers. Just not my thing but if that's the only way I will have to spin one up in VMware.

100k

Its funny just saw a job post for a Junior Network Admin in my area. Below are the responsibilities. Sounds like a NOC job but it pays more than I am making now and has the title I need so I may apply.

"Performs technical work supporting users of communication network systems and related equipment by answering incoming telephone calls, responding to and researching trouble tickets. Provides immediate solutions whenever possible and minimizing interruptions in network services to clients by monitoring the various systems. Responsible for monitoring and providing problem determination for large complex network systems, documenting findings and assigning problems to the proper areas, providing feedback to the callers, entering all problems into the problem tracking system, placing and monitoring service calls."

the_Grinch

Yeah Network Administrator doesn't mean what it use to mean anymore. Definitely apply for both because honestly in today's world the job title means less and less. I am a Network Administrator, but haven't touched a networking device until a few days ago and I've been here a year now. As others have said seems today Network Administrators are doing more server stuff with a smattering of networking thrown in. Having been on a NOC, you really can't go wrong starting as an analyst. Knowing how to do the show commands and reading a config file along with seeing alerts can definitely only help you when you move to the actually setup of networking devices. Good luck and congrats!

Ismaeljrp

I've been working in a NOC for the past 2 months as a tier1 network specialist. I do mostly monitoring, taking calls, create/escalate tickets, or resolve the more basic ones. All our gear is pretty much Cisco, so that's good. Here you learn to be good at utilizing show commands to figure out issues, so yeah troubleshooting is the biggest part. Not actually network deployments. It's a retail company and MSP/ISP, so when we get new clients that's when we deploy, but it's small stuff not big networks here in Puerto Rico.

NOC can get you a lot of troubleshooting experience, but actual administration of an Network infrastructure on a day to day basis not so much. I like it because I'm getting into MPLS, BGP and VOIP. Non ISPs don't do much MPLS and BGP unless it's a huge network, or actual scope is limited, so that's cool.