Network Admin question

Stevecb06

Hey guys,

Before my question, here is a little about myself. I graduated a year ago with an associates degree in network administration. I landed a desktop support job immediately after graduating, and have been doing that for the last year. A few months ago I decided that I wanted to specialize in the network side of things. I love that networking is so technical, and there isn't as much end user interaction. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy working with people, but one of the things I dislike about desktop support is that 95% of the issues are simple end user mistakes and it tends to get boring.

Anyways, onto my question. I have been studying for my CCENT and feel confident that I am ready to schedule the exam and pass it. I will immediately begin working on my CCNA. Once I have my CCNA, along with my degree, and a year and a half or so of experience, should I expect to be able to land a position such as jr. network admin or something that will get me some good hands on experience in the networking field?

Also, I am torn between whether or not I should continue to gain knowledge and certs that deal with networking only, or if I should branch out and get a cert such as mcsa that would give me some knowledge in the system admin side of things. I don't want to be a system admin, but would rounding out my skills help me as a network admin down the road?

Sorry if this question was long winded, and I appreciate any and all responses!

adam220891

OP,

A couple years experience and a CCNA is a good start to getting a network admin job. You may need to do some NOC work first.

The MCSA is advantageous because a lot of jobs are hybrid roles that require some skill with Windows and virtualization environments. I have two interviews for engineer positions next week that are very Cisco-oriented, but still call for Windows experience.

With that said, you may get a role that has nothing to do with that. I would suggest certing up, and then testing the market. See what 'network administrator' jobs are asking for, as well as NOC technicians, network engineers, etc. You may find a job and it'll be apparent to you what further studies are needed for advancement.

If you don't get a job right away, there's no harm in learning some Microsoft in the mean time. You may find meaningful employment before completing it or you may not and that cert ends up opening doors - it's impossible to say.

I would say that perhaps a vendor-neutral cert, say CompTIA Security+ may assist in job hunts, as it related to network and seems to come up on a lot of job postings. Network+ is good if you are a beginner but it sounds like you may be beyond that stage.

Best of luck.

Stevecb06

Thanks for the response Adam,

I think you are right in that most jobs are looking for someone who is well rounded, especially being that I live in a smaller town. I think if I had any hope of landing a job doing nothing but networking I would need to commute to one of the larger cities in my area.

I will most likely turn my efforts towards an MCSA after the CCNA, although I was hoping to dive right into the CCNP stuff while it was all still fresh in my brain.

I see you are a Jr. Network Admin, is there any one thing as far as certs, education, or experience that helped you land that role, or was it just a good mixture of all of those things?

adam220891

Steve,

One thing I've learned is titles do not seem to mean much these days. Some companies give fancy titles so guys feel more important, and some just define the roles differently.

With that said, I started my position right out of school. I originally just worked with low-level tickets, like fixing printers, upgrading/repairing PCs, etc. However, I then moved on to more server-related tasks including creating GPOs, scripts, deploying software, etc. Lately, I've been able to move into configuring firewalls and switches. It was told to me that I would not get that opportunity, but I got the CCNA anyway, and was able to earn the trust to work with this equipment.

I personally had my A+, Network+, and MTA in networking fundamentals and the A.A.S. degree going into the job interview. I think that got me the interview, but my ability to come across as someone with ambition and high aptitude is what got me the job (the latter has been actually communicated to me, but the former I'm speculating).

Having the A+ and an MTA (realistically, the MTA in networking is very easy, but it is a Microsoft cert) in addition to the CCNA looks pretty rounded to me. Some will say the A+ and MTA is a joke compared to the CCNA - and they would be right. However, more often than not you gotta do your time in the trenches before getting into other areas. Since you already have job experience though, I wouldn't get the A+, but I would consider the MTA because it's cheap and another networking cert re-affirms that networking is your focus.

If you do not really do anything with networking in your current role, I think hopping to a job as a NOC (Network Operations Center) or a role where you can get that exposure ASAP makes more sense. With only self-study and schooling, I know I've had to slowly get my feet wet and screw up a few times to start getting a better idea of how the real world works. It would be difficult for me personally to have jumped to a full-blown networking gig right out of school. I understand that many help desk roles don't offer the opportunity to learn much on the server or networking administration side, but sometimes with smaller companies you have to be a Jack of All Trades (JoAT) and if you are ambitious and can push, you'll be able to get that exposure.

TLDR; Look for a stopgap after the CCENT that offers some exposure so you will better situate yourself to get that full-blown networking gig after the CCNA. MTA in networking may be worth it for the low price and speed at which you can obtain, and MCSA is helpful if you are only seeing hybrid roles in your area.

pevangel

From what I've seen in the market and my experience: network admin = systems admin = JOAT. If you want to be in a strictly networking role, shoot for a NOC job then Network Engineer for a service provider or huge company. Deep dive into networking if that's what you really want to do. The Microsoft certs would just be a distraction.

Stevecb06

Thanks guys. You have pretty much confirmed my thoughts. Looks like I will need to decide between rounding out my skills and staying local, or laser focusing on networking and relocating.

Russell77

All job markets are local. Best thing you can do is look at the jobs that are advertised in your area and see what they are looking for. I don't know what part of Upstate you are in but my guess is that most places are looking for ccna + mcsa. That should get you a look at most MSP's plus other places. There is more NOC work in some cities than others. JR network admin rolls don't come up that often, It's the kind of thing I think most people grow in to from a help desk. If you find a company that has a good size IT dept you might want to shoot for a help desk there then climb the ladder.