Hello everyone

ibarra

I have a question for everyone. First off I want to give a little background about myself. I served 6 years in the military I was an Air Defender. I did little bit of networking and a little bit of other things for the military. I really enjoyed the networking side of the job, i enjoyed working with cisco switches, I found that I understood it very well and decided that I really wanted to pursue a career in Network Administration specializing in Cisco.

With that being said currently I am running into the issue of how I want to achieve my goal. I know that there a several routes that people can take to become Network Administrator. So my question is what way is the best way? Which method produces a better end state? Certification? an associates? a bachelor's? For those of you already working in the field what were your employers looking for when they were hiring? Currently I am attending DeVry University with a major in Network Administration and management. Is that a good school choice? What are some suggestion you have?

Im sorry this is more than one question. I hope that you guys can help me out and give me some direction. Please no rude comments I am very new to this and new good advice. Thank you!

Dakinggamer87

Welcome to the forums!!

There are indeed many paths to Network Administration or any specialty within the IT field. My recommendation is to start with a position in a NOC environment to gain exposure and experience so it's an easier transition into networking. Certs will be very helpful in expanding your knowledge and putting some solid credentials on your resume and expanding your skills. I would recommend the Cisco CCNA -> CCNP path over time as you grow and learn.

I would also consider looking into internships and volunteering at non-profit, churches, or libraries to add more experience onto your resume. The best way to succeed in this industry is a combination of certs, degrees, and experience. It will help you look solid with HR requirements and overall make you standout in the best possible way as a candidate. Experience is often the most important quality and is often considered to be the top requirement. I agree it's impact is probably the biggest but having a combination of all the above can truly make you shine and succeed!!

As far as DeVry I have a neutral opinion about them. I have heard mixed reviews but I cannot judge it since I never attended this particular school. I would definitely recommend a Bachelor's degree as it will open many doors for you and new opportunities. WGU is a school I would highly recommend on a side note.

If you have any other questions feel free to message me anytime.

Good luck!!

ibarra

Thank you Dakinggamer87 that was very helpful. I should also mention that I am currently located in Southern California, San Bernardino Area. Are there any people in that area. What school did you attend near San bernardino County? I am currently attending DeVry University in Pomona, CA. I have been skeptical about DeVry from the beginning but this was the only school that offered my program of choice. Are there any in Los Angeles County that I may have overlooked? Maybe some cheaper schools LOL. I need a school that I can attend on campus or a hybrid campus so that I can use my POST 9/11 GI bill benefits that I earned from being in the military.

Dakinggamer87

I attend Heald College for my Associate's degree in the Bay Area around San Francisco and did my Bachelor's at WGU due to my long hours and work schedule.

I am pretty sure you can use you GI Bill benefits at WGU I believe they are military-supported. They are $6k/year and you can accelerate your progress based on your skills and what you know. Plus, they offer certs as part of the tuition towards your degree. It's quite affordable in my opinion and it has helped me immensely qualify for more jobs and I think it could help you do the same. It is online-based so it might not fit your exact criteria but some of it's strongest aspects are the flexibility to do it anywhere and the cost.

Mow

I attended Devry online. I regret it. I graduated 3 years ago and now have collections agents calling my house about a "Stafford Loan" that no one at Devry has any record of, yet they still sent their dogs after me. I haven't paid it, and doubt I will, even though it is crushing my credit score right now. I may be contacting a lawyer soon to chase this issue down and get it resolved.
As far as the coursework, it was ok, not too challenging, although I was in the field for 3 or 4 years before I started there. I didn't have to put forth much effort at all, which leads me to believe that I am a super-genius, or that they are somewhat of a degree mill.
Be careful with them.