Can I find a new job easily with just a CCNA?

Raymond Mason

Hi there! I was wondering something. Can I find a job easily when I get my CCNA? or should I have something along with it? Maybe another certification? I think I would get hired for sure if I had a CCNP but it would be odd to have no work experience and have an advanced certification.

I have found threads on this issue but they where years old. So I thought to make this topic to get a more up to date opinion.

markulous

You probably can find a job with a CCNA. Getting more certs isn't going to hurt, but you can probably get a NOC job or help desk job with that depending on the area. Guessing no experience?

NovaHax

Absolutely. In my opinion, the two best entry-level certs for getting your foot in the door (if you aren't already employed in IT) are either CCNA (Networking) or A+ (Hardware Support).

Raymond Mason

Thanks guys I feel a lot better now about it. I am practicing some Java on the side so maybe I can get a basic certificate in that some day. I got a little interested in Java since I wanted to play a certain type of game but it didn't exist. So I decided I was going to make it while learning Java at the same time.

You guys gave me new motivation. I was kind of getting down because I heard that having a CCNA with no experience wasn't enough.

networker050184

Easier than without it, but it's not some magic key to a job or anything. You're right, CCNA alone is not enough to get you a job. There are so many other factors that go into it.

LeBroke

There aren't really any certifications in programming. Generally, if you have little/no experience, or if your experience is mostly freelance up to this point, you showcase your portfolio, the same way a graphic designer would.

I.e. you'd show off your Github portfolio, projects you've worked on, etc. Many programming interviews are also whiteboarding exercises where you may be asked to write some basic pseudocode (or code in the language of your choice) to solve a specific problem (i.e. sorting).

Otherwise, a CCNA will help you. A CCNP.. will not. If you have no experience, and apply for networking jobs, one of two things will happen:

1. You won't get any mid-level engineer positions a CCNP would qualify you for since you have no experience. On the other hand, a CCNP will overqualify you for low-level NOC/technician jobs because the employers will think you're either overqualified, or you'll want way more money than they are offering.

2. Hiring managers will think you dumped the exam.

phantasm

A CCNA may help you get a job and it may not. A CCNA is good entry level cert and shows ability to learn networking as long as you didn't **** it. You;ll need experience, but a CCNA may help you with landing an entry level job. Read; probably low pay.

An analogy if I may: When I was in my 1st pure Networking job we had a new guy start. He had a Master's degree and a CCNP with 0 experience. He sat right next to me in the NOC in Tier 1. He spent his days trouble shooting circuit issues and answering phone calls. Now he's a Sr. Engineer in the IP department at the same company.

It takes time. But the CCNA is always a good start.

Raymond Mason

networker050184 wrote: »

Easier than without it, but it's not some magic key to a job or anything. You're right, CCNA alone is not enough to get you a job. There are so many other factors that go into it.

Would having experience with real equipment help? I am currently working on expanding my lab. I have only one Catalyst 2950 series switch so far. I am planing on getting two more. Hopefully that gives me an edge. Not quiet sure what else to do to impress the employers.

Thank you guys for your opinions i really appericate it.

phantasm

Raymond Mason wrote: »

Would having experience with real equipment help? I am currently working on expanding my lab. I have only one Catalyst 2950 series switch so far. I am planing on getting two more. Hopefully that gives me an edge. Not quiet sure what else to do to impress the employers.

Thank you guys for your opinions i really appericate it.

Lab experience helps a little but not much. The reason is because it's not production gear. Making a mistake in a lab has no consequence. Making a mistake on a production network can have major consequences. IE: You execute 'switchport trunk allowed vlan 2-10' and accidentally omit VLAN 11 which existed previously. In a lab, no big deal. In a carrier grade network you could've just blacked out a metro-e region. In an enterprise network, you might've taken dwon the C suite in the middle of a conference call. Both are big deals and you'll have a lot of explaining to do and possibly report writing. In some cases even remedial training (aka being lectured and white boarded to death by a sr. engineer).

Blackout

CCNA will get you the interview, not the job.

Raymond Mason

phantasm wrote: »

Lab experience helps a little but not much. The reason is because it's not production gear. Making a mistake in a lab has no consequence. Making a mistake on a production network can have major consequences.

So I would be better off getting experience in some small company before moving on to the bigger companies? I was thinking about this before. Maybe if I worked in some small office environment where thousands of people won't suffer form my rookie mistakes. My father mentioned something about some local military bases wanting CCNA qualified people; however I am not going to aim for something like that since I am dealing with government equipment. It would be cool if I eventually was a network engineer for a military base but that's a long term goal.

koz24

LeBroke wrote: »

1. You won't get any mid-level engineer positions a CCNP would qualify you for since you have no experience. On the other hand, a CCNP will overqualify you for low-level NOC/technician jobs because the employers will think you're either overqualified, or you'll want way more money than they are offering.

2. Hiring managers will think you dumped the exam.

I don't agree with your second point at all. Who cares what they think? It's up to them to test you on CCNP-level knowledge. A dumper will only know a few of the topics and won't be able to talk about them in technical detail. A legitimate CCNP will pass any technical interview.

My biggest fear of having a CCNP R&S for entry-level jobs would be something else. If I'm the employer, I would worry that the CCNP R&S would leave me the second something better came along. If someone is inclined to go beyond the CCNA R&S it might make more sense to go broad and get a few other tracks like Voice, Security, Data Center over 1 CCNP. I see a lot of job listings that want Nexus and Voice experience these days.

greg9891

In the Bahamas Companies will fight over you. CCNA in high demand.

LeBroke

koz24 wrote: »

I don't agree with your second point at all. Who cares what they think? It's up to them to test you on CCNP-level knowledge. A dumper will only know a few of the topics and won't be able to talk about them in technical detail. A legitimate CCNP will pass any technical interview.

My biggest fear of having a CCNP R&S for entry-level jobs would be something else. If I'm the employer, I would worry that the CCNP R&S would leave me the second something better came along. If someone is inclined to go beyond the CCNA R&S it might make more sense to go broad and get a few other tracks like Voice, Security, Data Center over 1 CCNP. I see a lot of job listings that want Nexus and Voice experience these days.

Agreed, though that's covered by my first point - "employers will think that you're overqualified."

As for my other point, haven't been in a hiring position yet, but I've seen a bunch of resumes.. and when you get a guy with 2 CCNPs and all the CCNAs, but his only experience is Walmart (as a retail associate manager or something, not a network engineer at corporate), something is probably fishy. My boss at the time agreed.

Raymond Mason

LeBroke wrote: »

Agreed, though that's covered by my first point - "employers will think that you're overqualified."

As for my other point, haven't been in a hiring position yet, but I've seen a bunch of resumes.. and when you get a guy with 2 CCNPs and all the CCNAs, but his only experience is Walmart (as a retail associate manager or something, not a network engineer at corporate), something is probably fishy. My boss at the time agreed.

Couldn't you just start talking about network related stuff? Get into a deep technological conversation?

To be honest when I start getting money I want to start making my own server farm; then have my own business based off of that. I always wanted to have a bunch of servers to rent off to other people. Would being a free lance contractor work?

JimSwe

My CCNA helped me get fired from my first helpdesk job, because my manager felt threatened. This in turn allowed me to start seriously looking for better jobs.

NetworkNewb

JimSwe wrote: »

My CCNA helped me get fired from my first helpdesk job, because my manager felt threatened. This in turn allowed me to start seriously looking for better jobs.

Yea, that sucks. If your certification doesn't directly help you at your current position/company. Then it's pretty questionable if you should tell your manager or not. (kinda depends on the manager) You're pretty much telling them you plan on leaving soon if you do though.