Career choice advice in network engineering

Sharad9

So I'm 29 yrs old and trying to get into network security. I have a bachelor's in something completely unrelated to IT. However, I have been working with a hardware company for about 4 yrs. I basically go into schools or businesses and replace or repair ma chines (motherboards, power supplies, etc).
I have recently been studying to take the ccna by reading books and watching YouTube videos. Am I too old to get into this field to make a career out of it? Have I missed the boat?

Mike R

Nope I'm 31 don't have a BS and made the career change a year ago. Your never to old for IT as long as your willing to learn. Just keep at it because just like any job you'll struggle at times. Hard work does pay off.

Welly_59

Moved from retail management to IT at the age of 35. Started on helpdesk with a massive paycut. One year later I've achieved CCNA and have moved into a network support role. Currently studying for CCNP with the aim of doubling my salary within 12 months taking me way beyond where I was previously

skswitch

Adding to this as well. I'm same age as you and didn't get started in IT field till least 25+. After paying my helpdesk dues and moving up I was able to make a move into the network field. Still got a lot of work to do to hit my goals but least I'm on the right path!

My advise.... Never too late to start anything. You are probably thinking, "I wish I started 5 years ago." but right now you have the chance of avoiding saying that again five years from now.

Welly_59

And another thing to think of......You could have moved into this at 25 and then spent the next 5 years with no clear goals or targets and not having progressed.

You can easily out the effort in and progress as far as you want

OctalDump

I don't think 20 (or 30 or 40 or 50 etc) something is too old to get started. The opportunity cost might be higher if you have an established career in a different field and are looking to start (almost from scratch) in another area. For you, it's an almost natural transition.

CCNA is an obvious place to start. If you find that you are spending a long time to get CCNA, it might be worth starting with Network+, but if you feel like you are making good progress, then stay with the CCNA.

Do you have any other certifications?

ande0255

The bachelors degree in a non-IT related field won't usually make a difference, some job titles just require a bachelor degree in general, though those job titles are starting to be more for manager or supervisor level and tech jobs have (or equivalent experience) or something similar.

So by having any type of bachelor degree, you are already doing good I would personally suggest the two part CCNA, CCENT (ICND1) and CCNA (ICND2) so you can get your feet wet before jumping in the pool!

Good luck in your transition!

Danielh22185

You are not too old at all! You are still very considerably young for any field. I didn't really "get" my start in the world of networking until I was 27. I am 32 now. You can make a BIG impact on your career so long as you stay dedicated to yourself to learning and growing. This is one thing I absolutely love about the industry of IT. There is a plethora of knowledge out there for the taking. How much you progress is completely up to you.