CCNP in Europe without experience

DKempeneers

Hello everybody,

i need to know what you thing about my situtation.

I passed my CCNA R&S 19/01/15 & i'm enrolled for CCNP R&S. I start my study for 300-101 yesterday.

What you think about CCNP in Europe (live in Belgium) without any exeperience in network. I worked 5 years ago as a technician support IT in an little enterprise (during 3 years). I touched some simple networks at this time... my experience is very very very limited.

I know that the most important thing after obtain my CCNP is that make my first networking experience in an enterprise that accept me.

Have you any advice for me ?

Thank you,
Denis.

OfWolfAndMan

Even if the material stuck with CCNA, it'll still be difficult to pick up a lot of the new concepts without much exposure to the real thing.

fredrikjj

What's the question?

If the question is if you can legitimately complete a CCNP without much prior knowledge, then the answer is obviously yes. Many people, including myself, have done it. It's even a class in many college programs across the globe (often via Cisco Netacademy).

bharvey92

What do you do currently? Do you still work in IT support?

I can say from experience yes you can pass the CCNP without using it day to day by building a home lab and using GNS3 etc. But after that you defintely need to get a solid networking job so you are using the concepts on a daily basis. Not sure about "Europe" as a whole but I can say from experience since I've got my CCNP you are more sought after. So get that and see where it takes you, sure you'll land a job in no time.

DKempeneers

fredrikjj wrote: »

If the question is if you can legitimately complete a CCNP without much prior knowledge, then the answer is obviously yes.

Yes it is, many people told me. "Don't no start your CCNP without experience in enterprise. If you do that you will never find a job. It is just a paper & everybody can study the Q&A & land an cert..."

I know that ma CCNP inscrease my chances to find, even i haven't exp.

What do you do currently? Do you still work in IT support?

No i stopped working in IT since 3 years & I start my CCNA last year.


I hope my english is clear
Denis.

Alex90

Well I think that you need to set you expectations according to your job experience. Without experience you will likely need to start on a service desk/help desk and work your way up from there, maybe if you're lucky you will get a job in a NOC to start. After that you can build on your knowledge and then move onto a position as a network engineer or something along those lines.

While useful, a CCNP will not give you a magic key to a networking job unless you have something to back it up. I am based in London so I'm guessing it's similar to in Belgium.

fredrikjj

If you've been unemployed for several years and are unable to find a job you should probably go back to school. If that's not an option, look at what skills are in demand in your area and work on those skills (maybe it's Linux or web development or whatever). Some kind of coding work is probably easier to break into as a self-taught person because you can demonstrate what you know by giving someone your code. No matter what you do it's going to be an uphill battle because your unemployment means that you no longer fit the profile of the perfect employee that goes from high school to college and then to an uninterrupted series of progressively more advanced jobs.

DKempeneers

fredrikjj wrote: »

If you've been unemployed for several years and are unable to find a job you should probably go back to school. If that's not an option, look at what skills are in demand in your area and work on those skills (maybe it's Linux or web development or whatever). Some kind of coding work is probably easier to break into as a self-taught person because you can demonstrate what you know by giving someone your code. No matter what you do it's going to be an uphill battle because your unemployment means that you no longer fit the profile of the perfect employee that goes from high school to college and then to an uninterrupted series of progressively more advanced jobs.

I never been unemployed. I worked in IT for three years, then i worked as a electrician and now i study for improve my knowledges in network. I want to work in networking, it is for this reason that i start my CCNP. I can find a job with my CCNA then make my experience during few years before take CCNP... but i had the opportunity to be enrolled in CCNP class now and i told myself that is a better thing to find a job with CCNP than CCNA. Even the first step is to make my experience..

I know that the CCNP cert is not the magical paper that gives me the best first job. But i know that inscrease my chance to find a good place to make exp.

Between an CCNA & CCNP certified technician, i hope that the CCNP technician has better chances to be engaged ^^

joetest

Sure you can get it without exp, but I'd suggest getting some sort of job using your CCNA first. You can of course get the CCNP but I personally wouldn't put it on my resumé without experience first unless you absolutely know the material and can explain the concepts in a simple way - if you can't and it's on your resumé it would be frowned upon. I have 2-3 years exp and am just finishing up my CCNP as we speak.

It's a professional well respected certification - you should be able to back it up with or without experience.

negru_tudor

joetest wrote: »

It's a professional well respected certification - you should be able to back it up with or without experience.

This! Go for it man! As long as you're passionate about it and really manage to grasp the concepts and bag the knowledge, you'll do just fine. Get some used switches and routers, hook them up with GNS3 and you'll be able to GAIN the hands-on experience you need to be comfortable with going into any interview.

Where there's a will, there's always a way!

Good luck!

eliasy

Hi denis,

where are you taking your ccnp courses, if I may ask,
I live in belgium too.

regarding your question, I would say, go all out to get your ccnp but mention on your cv
you have really strong theoritical knowledge and are looking for a job to implement what you've learned.
just don't expect to land ccnp level jobs and wages.
I know it's annoying when people tell you experience is everything but once you'll get a networking job,
you'll realize there's no bigger truth.
best way to start imo is in a noc at a service provider.

good luck with your studies and job hunting

bharvey92

eliasy wrote: »

Hi denis,

where are you taking your ccnp courses, if I may ask,
I live in belgium too.

regarding your question, I would say, go all out to get your ccnp but mention on your cv
you have really strong theoritical knowledge and are looking for a job to implement what you've learned.
just don't expect to land ccnp level jobs and wages.
I know it's annoying when people tell you experience is everything but once you'll get a networking job,
you'll realize there's no bigger truth.
best way to start imo is in a noc at a service provider.

good luck with your studies and job hunting

If you get your CCNP and lab properly with a setup at home and extensively lab you can add to your CV you have configuration experience with BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, PVST+ etc as you have physically which is always a plus.

JustFred

I agree with Harvey.

f0rgiv3n

I'm of the opinion that experience should follow CCNA then once you understand things a little more CCNP would make more sense. Obviously it doesn't matter too much if you can fully understand the material.

That said, you kind of need to be careful with overcertifying yourself without experience when it comes to interviewing for jobs. People might be confused with what level you are as a network engineer.

Employer looking for CCNA level network engineer:
This candidate is relatively new to networking, great that's what we're looking for! Wow they do have a CCNP, is the candidate wanting CCNP level salary? Will they be bored with this job?

Employer looking for CCNP level network engineer:
This candidate has a CCNP which is what we want but what we're really looking for is an experienced network engineer.

I just feel like having a CCNP with no experience puts you into an odd situation when it comes to job hunting. That's my two cents

DKempeneers

negru_tudor wrote: »

This! Go for it man! As long as you're passionate about it and really manage to grasp the concepts and bag the knowledge, you'll do just fine. Get some used switches and routers, hook them up with GNS3 and you'll be able to GAIN the hands-on experience you need to be comfortable with going into any interview.

Where there's a will, there's always a way!

Good luck!

Thx for your encouragement !

where are you taking your ccnp courses, if I may ask,
I live in belgium too.

Taking at Liège. (Corail Center). You know ?

I know it's annoying when people tell you experience is everything but once you'll get a networking job,
you'll realize there's no bigger truth.
best way to start imo is in a noc at a service provider.

Yes, hoping that i can work in an ISP after getting certified

If you get your CCNP and lab properly with a setup at home and extensively lab you can add to your CV you have configuration experience with BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, PVST+ etc as you have physically which is always a plus.

You are right, my objective is not only to learn the theoretical review & take the exam without "material experience" I take a lab everyday in GNS3 and i'll take practice lab on real material every friday of weeks.

Employer looking for CCNA level network engineer:
This candidate is relatively new to networking, great that's what we're looking for! Wow they do have a CCNP, is the candidate wanting CCNP level salary? Will they be bored with this job?

I thing you're right too, but i'm 24 yo and when i land a job, the employer can play on my years for underpay me for the start.
It is not if i 40 years old and the employer know that i need a big salary even i've any experience in networking.

I dont want the CCNP salary for the first years. I need some experience for then ask this salary.

Why i take my CCNP now ?
1) Because i had the chance to be directly enrolled in class after my CCNA.
2) The CCNP R&S is a big review of CCNP and i thing it is defenlty good idea to take my R&S as i have a lot of time just for this. Then i can pass some additional CCNA & CCNP during work (ex: SP or Sec)


Sorry for my limited english.

Denis.