Have my CCNA, but can't find a job

mr.comfortably

Hey All,

I have received my CCNA, and I have about 3-4 years of Desktop - Layer 2 experience, however for the life of me I can't find any positions. Everything wants a SECRET or TS clearance, or 3-5 years experience already configuring the Network / Firewalls.
How am I suppose to find a position while working a full-time Desktop job to support 2 children and a stay at home wife? I can't take any internships, no one offers internships outside of the business hours around me, and I cant quit my job to do an internship.
I should of went straight through school, got my CCNA, and did an internship before I started my life. I feel stuck. Any suggestions?

joshuamurphy75

Take this with a grain of salt, because I haven't quite reached where I want yet, but I'd recommend either relocating, or looking at what kind of tech jobs are in your area, and trying to focus on mastering those skills. Local market demand varies a lot. It might mean getting a few new certs, or making a GitHub portfolio. If you don't want to do the extra study time, you might be able to supplement your income through networking jobs on sites like upwork. I doubt you'd need an internship if you already have 3-5 years experience.

N7Valiant

I doubt a move is feasible once you have a family, though admittedly it's not quite as hard if your wife doesn't have to quit a job to move with you. Might be a transition for the kids though.

Not everybody should want a Secret/TS clearance unless the military/DoD is the sole employer in your area. There are lots of military bases on Oahu, but private sector jobs still outnumber them by a considerable margin.

Are you applying to these positions anyway? If they want 3-5 years experience and you have 3-4, I'd just go for it anyway. If they aren't explicitly stating that they won't sponsor you for a clearance, then some employers might cover the cost if you're a close enough fit.

Internships are generally for college students with little work experience to get some, it's not really advertised for people out of school with full-time jobs, and most businesses run the same hours anyway (8-5pm, Mon-Fri). Maybe try move up or around your current company to get the experience you need?

EANx

Sorry, not everyone wants a TS/Secret/SCI, even in the DC area but you might be having tunnel vision when it comes to jobs. What type of jobs are you applying for? Rather than jumping straight into a networking role, you might need to get your foot in the door by getting over there in the same job you're doing. I've known several people who moved laterally then made sure the group they really wanted to work for got their absolute best impression and were able to move into the new group in 6-12 months. Might be a better strategy than beating your head against a wall.

mikey88

Keep applying even without the experience. There is strength in numbers. With CCNA, you have the knowledge. All it takes is getting an interview and someone taking a chance on you and training you.

mbarrett

mr.comfortably wrote: »

Everything wants a SECRET or TS clearance, or 3-5 years experience already configuring the Network / Firewalls.

You might be able to substantiate or describe the background employers are looking for with the experience you already have. If you have the knowledge, it will come through if you eventually make it to an interview.
Regarding security clearance, sometimes a company is willing to sponsor you for the initial paperwork, and you are able to go to work with an interin clearance - not a big deal.

networker050184

Are you getting any calls? If not work on your resume. It's the first thing people see and it needs to be good to stand out.

If you're getting past that step, work on your interview skills. Sell yourself like you were a product. I always try to show my enthusiasm for technology and the role. When I'm interviewing people that's what I look for. I want people that are going to love what they do and get into it. Not someone looking to punch a few tickets and soak up a paycheck.

Good luck!

LordQarlyn

Sadly, certs are not like the golden tickets that automatically get you into the chocolate factory. You still have to get noticed by human recruiters or the ATS that most companies use. Then, once you get an interview, you have to sell yourself that you want the job and will bring a lot to the table. And, even after all that, you could still lose out because the company already decided who they were going to fill the job with but had to advertise it for legal reasons.
Just keep trying, and have others objectively look over your resume and critique your interviewing skills.

Technoracer

As New Mexico is heavily populated with the government industry, your best bet might be to move to another state.

pujan96

I was lucky enough to land a job as a Junior network admin with just a CCENT

Now have my CCNA and am looking into CCNA security and ASAs before moving onto the CCNP R&S

Unfortunately I dont do as much networking as I would like, probably 65% to 35% desktop/networking. But Ive gotten my foot in the door, learned alot, gotten experience on Cisco live equipment along with Palo Alto firewalls and have a good mentoring team.

I dont mean to brag by any means, I dont have a degree and had 18 months IT support experience and a CCENT before landing this role. I probably got this 1 interview out of applying for 200 or so jobs, and luckily got the position.

Just keep trying, the only thing I cant comment on is the amount of work in your area, Im in the UK

Hope that helps with motivation to keep applying.


PS there was a few requirements I didnt meet in the job advert, dont be afraid to apply out of your safe zone

PC509

pujan96 wrote: »

PS there was a few requirements I didnt meet in the job advert, dont be afraid to apply out of your safe zone

Do this. If you're not qualified, but aren't extremely out of it, apply anyway. Maybe you're the most qualified out of the bunch, or you're the closest geographically, or something else that makes you more attractive. Maybe they would be willing to train. I've gotten hired for positions I didn't qualify for, but I learned on the job what to do. A willingness to learn and improve and stay proactive in learning is a huge plus for employers.

Not qualified? Go for it, anyway. At the least, if you do get an interview, you keep your interviewing skills honed. And you can get feedback on what to focus on in the future.

mr.comfortably

I landed a Network Analyst job yesterday! I am going to be working on a large enterprise network for my local government.
Thanks for all the support and suggestions.

scaredoftests

Excellent! Good luck!

pharius

Great news! Good luck in your new job!

Ismaeljrp

Fantastic! Good luck on your new job.