Leveraging Experience

dblink07

Hi all,

First off just to tell a little about myself. I currently reside in Atlanta, Ga. I completed my AAS degree in CIS (Networking) back in 2012 from Gwinnett Tech. I am currently working full-time and taking 2 classes per a semester to finishing my Bachelor of Applied Science in IT from Kennesaw State University formerly (SPSU). The only experience that I have is with my current Employer(Fortune 500 co) as a Service Desk Analyst. My passion is truly networking. I am currently working on my CCENT. My question is upon getting my CCENT/CCNA will that suffice for an entry level NOC position? Also, should I bother to get the Comptia trifecta(A+,N+,S+) Those of you who have completed the certs, was it worth it in the end?
BTW my classes are mostly online. Thanks in advance!

techfiend

CCNA is usually enough for entry level NOC positions, if you can find them. Since you already have experience I wouldn't bother with A+. If you can pass CCENT, the N+ isn't of much use. S+ is worth having if you plan to get into security.

kohr-ah

If you want to go into a NOC role then skip the trifecta Comptia certs. Do the CCENT then the CCNA.

Security plus holds value to me in worth getting but the others are more valuable if you are looking to start a help desk role more than a NOC role.

Once you get your CCNA keep studying. Lab. Learn. Do material you don't do at work. And you will go nowhere but up

dblink07

Thanks techfiend, and kohr-ah! I see a lot of value in the CCNA, so rest assure I will be obtaining that certification within the next 4 to 6 months. Have either of you bought actual lab gear, or have you used Packet Tracer, and GNS3 for your training?

Thanks

techfiend

I have a lab but didn't use it much, mostly packet tracer.

kohr-ah

There is benefits to both.

Packet tracer can go with you anywhere but offers less commands than a real set of gear does.

Packet tracer can't show you how to physically hook up items and port channel it. You can't learn how to factory reset a switch via rommon. Etc.

So there are downsides. If cost is an issue then yes go with packet tracer for the whole thing as it will still give you eigrp, ospf, switching, etc experience.

I did have a rack and once I passed NA I virtualized the routers and hooked them into real switches still to pass the NP