Hello from a new IT-girl-in-the-making :)

Hey everyone!
I joined because I have just discovered the joy of networking and want to change careers (slowly). I have always liked tweaking with computers but just never got stuck in for real. I have a computer genius brother and I guess that held me back, I never thought I would be good enough myself...
That's about to change! I find networking fascinating and the fact that everything is always evolving means no boredom. My guiding word in life is 'why?'

I hope to learn lots from you more experienced people and am looking to take the CCENT to start and then CCNA and if that goes well, then the sky's the limit!

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MrsWilliams

mizwan said:

Hey everyone!
I joined because I have just discovered the joy of networking and want to change careers (slowly). I have always liked tweaking with computers but just never got stuck in for real. I have a computer genius brother and I guess that held me back, I never thought I would be good enough myself...
That's about to change! I find networking fascinating and the fact that everything is always evolving means no boredom. My guiding word in life is 'why?' I hope to learn lots from you more experienced people and am looking to take the CCENT to start and then CCNA and if that goes well, then the sky's the limit!

Have you starting studying any particular CCENT/CCNA Book?

It was a joke maybe last week about CCNA training that didn't incorporate any labs. It's still funny just thinking about today.

You can google CCNA Labs. Matter of fact, you can type in CCNA Labs in ebay and get a lot of results:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=ccna+labs&_sacat=0

I said that to say, I recommend hards on training. Although things like packet tracer (which is now free) which wasn't free years ago will be ok. But, in order to incorporate training and make a smooth transition into a production environment I feel that hardware as in physical switches/routers are best. What's the difference between configuring a switch in your living room and configuring a switch in a production environment. .. NONE. It's the same or like model switch. So, I suggest physical hardware for studying. Not needed but it's my suggestion.

What city are you in?

In big cities and some small cities, you might be able to "volunteer" at a small computer shop. You might have to take a job with little or no pay to gain experience. Best Buy is always an option. Truth be told, with no experience and certifications, you'll more than likely have to start at the low end, possibly minimal wage and work your way up. So, I would say that two incomes are better than one in a household because you just might be taking a pay cut.

I've seen more and more universities offering Cyber Security and IT jobs that didn't offer them 10 years ago. I've seen more commercials about Cyber Security and television shows focused on Cyber/Hacking that were not around 15 years ago. So, IT is booming to say the least. It's about being competitive.

How slow are you trying to move into the networking side of IT?

mizwan

Hello there and thanks for the long post

I have signed up for a Udemy course which came recommended (Neal Anderson) and am also contemplating CBTNuggets. Any recommendations for books gratefully received, I like underlining in books and making handwritten notes. I definitely want to have a physical lab, I just posted another question in the Cisco discussion about this

I would love to volunteer but having a young family it is very unlikely I will have the time to do that in the next few years, finding time to study after work is challenging enough. I accept that I will have to look for a 1st line support job after my cert and likely take a paycut, but as long as we can still pay the bills that's ok. It's worth it! There is a possibility of moving to a different department through my work, to the IT department, I am looking into that at the moment.
I live in Stockholm, Sweden

EANx

Welcome to the world of IT, I hope you enjoy it. I've found that women tend to bring a different outlook to problems than the guys do. Both are valid and both are needed.

mizwan

Thank you EANx! That's true in life as well!

I am very excited to be here.

Jon_Cisco

Start simple and be persistent. The fastest way to change careers is to take any entry level job you can get. Experience is always going to be valuable but this is especially true for your first year or two.

Good Luck!

mizwan

Thanks Jon! That is essentially what I plan to do once I have a cert so i can at least get in that way... Though am still looking to see if I can find a job first! Currently looking at setting up a lab, it's a jungle for a newbie...

tedjames

You mentioned Udemy. Mike Meyers teaches some great IT courses: https://www.udemy.com/comptia-network-cert-n10-007-the-total-course/ I've taken some of his courses. I really like his teaching style.

mizwan

Hi Ted, I looked at the reviews and some seemed to love him whereas others felt he didn't go into enough detail or depth regarding certain issues for those that are really new to it. That aspect worried me a little so I went with Neal. However, the Udemy courses are so incredibly cheap that there is no harm in taking more than one and see if one might fill in where another is lacking!

tedjames

I took Mike Meyers' A+ course and really loved it. Haven't taken his Network+ course. Yeah, the prices are always great. And if you hold out long enough, they'll have another $10 sale. At those prices, it won't cost you much more than some time to check out a second point of view. Best of luck to you!

By the way, look for Professor Messer (sp?) online. His free and paid IT courses are usually pretty high quality. And then there's Cybrary.

MrNetTek

@mizwan

Welcome!

I agree with the idea...that you need hands on [job] experience. BUT....building a lab, working through lab-driven exercises, and getting certified, will set you on the right path. For my CCNA, I bought a lab from ebay, tore it down, upgraded the IOS and WIC cards, and rebuilt an upgraded lab---learning how to physically connect everything, how to configure the routers and switches from the CLI, and figuring out how to secure and support a network. The lab is where it all starts.

Good Luck!

-MrNetTek at your service-

mizwan

Thanks for the tip @tedjames! Will be sure to look him up

have just ordered the Todd Lammle CCENT/CCNA book (express delivery, bring it ON) and am also looking at Odom for a different approach.

@MrNetTek that sounds super cool and really impressive. I am not at a stage where I even know what to buy, less how to upgrade anything. It seems such a mountain to climb! But, crucially, a really exciting experience 😀
Are labs quiet enough to keep in the bedroom, what with fans going and all?

Spiegel

Definitely check out the Udemy course "CCNA 2019 200-125 Video Boot Camp With Chris Bryant". Used him for my CCENT and his stuff is great if you're trying to save money and can't afford the CBTNugget videos. Also check out Keith Gebhardt also on Udemy for building labs.

But yeah, welcome to the site and welcome to IT! It is a great time to learn IT. There are a lot of new innovations happening and different types of jobs being created that I'm sure you'll find your niche and excel. Good luck and have fun!

MrNetTek

@mizwan

The newer equipment is pretty quiet; the older equipment can be quite loud. BUT.....you can just turn it off when not in use, which is what I recommend. As for "when" you should build the lab....it doesn't matter how little you know. As soon as you can afford it, buy a lab (ask us, look up basic CCNA labs on ebay, look up simple network setups online). Initially, just focus on general connectivity and what the devices do. Then...basic configuration. Then...upgrades, maintenance, and disaster recovery. The idea is to be around the devices as long as possible, while learning about them.

What my lab looked like:

server---switch---router<-------turnover-cable------->router---switch---server

-MrNetTek at your service-