ccna employment

pigeonkeeper

hi everyone,
I could use some input from others to see if Im on the right path. Here is the thing, Im 39 and was laid off of my job last year. Computers have alway intriged me. When I was laid off I decide to change careers from servicing electric motors to computer networking. I completed a computer network admin course for the last yr and passed. I already took my a+ and passed so Im ceritified in that, now Ive been studying for my ccna which Im taking the intro exam next week. Here is the thing, if I get my ccna certificate do you think employment will be hard to find. I don't really have experience in the computer computer field. I feel that If I do have my certification someone is bound to give me a shot...and Im not getting any younger...Im really motivated to get into this type of field. Has anyone at my age decided to try and enter this field similar to how doing it. Im willing to travel anywhere to get some experience. What to you guys think my chances are, your input is really appricated on this one, thanks
bye for now

EdTheLad

I suppose it depends where you live and how much depend for networking people there is.Without experience the ccna isnt worth much,with all the brain dumping that goes on the certs only mean something if backed up by experience.
Its better to have than not to have, but it wont guarantee you a job!

Slowhand

A cert like CCNA (or any cert, for that matter,) will make your resume more attractive to employers and you'll probably get a lot more hits once it's on there. However, it's up to you to land the job once you're sitting there in front of the employer. CCNA gives you the chance, the knowledge and experience you bring to the table gets you the job.

DXU76

I'm in Seattle. When I first got my MCSA (with A+ and Net+ combo) 3yrs ago. I had no experience at all. I had to wait a very long time about 1.5 yr before I got a Desktop/LAN support position and that was through an inside contact. I dont know if that was because the economy was bad or something else, so don't lose hope.

I'm working on my CCNA at the same time when I was studying for my MCSA. I kinda get the picture back then of how things work. But after being exposed a little of how the real world operate, I get a better sense of troubleshooting. My point is that certs do not provide you with all the knowledge you need to perform in the production environment. But experience certainly complements certs.

hectorjhrdz

try bieng an entreprenuer is an option


getting a job is hard but no discarded



don't lose any hope, trust yourself

darkzone

You will have a very good chance of landing a good job....

bmauro

While a CCNA is a vaulable cert that many employeers look for - without any past expireince you will find it hard to allow a company to let you work on their network. You can land a good helpdesk position and use the CCNA to help troubleshoot network problems, but dont think that once you get the CCNA that a company will hire you to admin their routers and switches.

cisco_jay

I agree that getting the CCNA cert will greatly improve your chances of breaking into a networking job, but it is definitely hard to get your foot in the door...I started doing desktop support for a couple years before I actually got some "real" experience working on switches/routers. Most small to mid sized companies have only a few (at most) network admins/techs to support their networks, so those positions are hard to come by and often given to candidates with some sort of inside reference. If you can, try to look in the way of ISPs and larger companies that require data center support. That's where you'll find bigger network shops that require a higher number of techs/entry-level positions.

I've noticed that in the past couple years employers give much more value to candidates with a *valid* CCNA. So, definitely go for it...once you get in the door you're golden.

cisconetwork

I am aware this answer is so late but it can be helpful for readers of this forum.
First of all, any of us did not start our career as "Senior Network Engineer". So somehow the story has been started. A certificate is not a magical tool but we all know that there is no magic in real world. There is added value and certifications are added values.
If we talk about CCNA certification, it is not a network specific certification anymore. A system admin (I mean a Microsoft (domain, exchange, SQL etc.) guy), or security specialist can hold CCNA and it is an added value for them. This also confuses minds because there are some posters in job boards which asking for CCNA certificate and have really huge amounts. I wrote about this at here and no need for duplicate.
The sensitive point is how to start. I think only answer is try and fail, try until find the right job to start. But you should not wait for to be well prepared. It will never happen.