Employability - Certifications without hands on experience?

HI Guys,

I started studying towards my CCNA in November last year, passed my INTRO exam at the end of January and will be doing the ICND exam next month. I have just started some more studying with the intention of doing the security plus exam and have my eye on some 12 week night classes for an MCSA at my local college. So, if all goes to plan I may well have a CCNA & MCSA Security in the next 18 months.

I have very little experience in the industry and all my IT knowledge is self taught i.e. I wanted to learn about windows domains so set one up at home, I wanted to learn about Linux so i set up a router and a mail server.

I am enjoying all the learning I am doing but realistically how employable is someone without industry experience?

Cheers

Jon

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Comments

malcybood

where do you live?

It largely depends on this and also what you've set your sights on and expectations are.....

Realistically there is work out there at entry level but with no experience in a production environment you would probably need to start on the Helpdesk. If you're proactive and you appear to be very enthusiastic, an employer should take note of this and give you the opportunity to advance in a faster timescale.

Don't set your expectations of walking into a sys admin job as your first role. You'll have to work your way up (not neccessarily from Helpdesk, possible DT Support) but that's just life unfortunately!

I worked voluntarily for 5 hours a week whilst at university, got taken on paid after 3 months, graduated, got a helpdesk job for 12 months, moved into DT Support, now in network support within about 3 and a half years.

Good luck though and hat off to ya for your enthusiasm/commitment

Malc

emsrescue

Hi Malc,

Thanks for your input.

I am just outside Sheffield.

I started the CCNA on a bit of a whim. I work in training and have done some IT/networking training for telecoms engineers in the past and enjoyed the subject matter.

I am still in 2 minds about wether to work towards a MCSA or CCNP! Maybe I will do both

Maybe I can convince our IT dept at work to let do some extra work with them.

Cheers

Jon

Inc

emsrescue wrote:

I work in training and have done some IT/networking training for telecoms engineers in the past and enjoyed the subject matter.

Jon

Consider training path. Microsoft MCT for an example.

Kaminsky

A good way in would be helpdesk to help bring it all together. You can't expect to shoot straight for admin roles. Helpdesk, to my mind, is always the best way into the industry as long as you try not to stay there too long and keep certifying as you go.

Look at jobserve.com and in the search, type "Sheffield helpdesk". There are 14 jobs on there just today.

iDShaDoW

emsrescue wrote:

I am still in 2 minds about wether to work towards a MCSA or CCNP! Maybe I will do both

That's actually my plan too. I'm still working on the CCNA, but then will do the 70-270, 70-290, 70-291 to get my MCSA to show that I have familiarity with the Microsoft environment and then move further up the Cisco path since I'm more interested in the networking field.

malcybood

emsrescue wrote:

Hi Malc,

Thanks for your input.

I am just outside Sheffield.

I started the CCNA on a bit of a whim. I work in training and have done some IT/networking training for telecoms engineers in the past and enjoyed the subject matter.

I am still in 2 minds about wether to work towards a MCSA or CCNP! Maybe I will do both

Maybe I can convince our IT dept at work to let do some extra work with them.

Cheers

Jon

If you're ever chatting with an IT Manager or Director, you can get "noticed" in every day chit chat. I'm not saying knock on their door and say I'm doing a CCNA and know lots about networking (not that I think you would do that anyway) but you can slip subtle hints into passing conversation and also demonstrate your knowledge interest in a subject matter.

You've done a bit of IT training so if that's the case you're should easily be able to make the switch into IT/Network support.

Our best Helpdesk person at the moment, she can do a bit of everything which helps us out as regional engineers not getting crappy calls assigned to us, she used to be a PA in a different division of the company for some ponsey "Director". She handed her notice into them and my boss heard about it, he knew she was effieient and "IT literate" and basically took her on as a call logger.

2 years later & now she's probably the most technical/versatile member of the central helpdesk team and attends board system meetings etc with the Helpdesk Manager.

I guess my comments above take us back round to the term that comes up on these forums alot, which is social networking is the key to success. Demonstrate your knowledge, be honest, be polite, but DON'T be a suckup to the people that matter (IT managers/directors) and you'll get respect, acknowledgement and possible opportunities.

I hope this gives you some encouragement

Malc

emsrescue

A good way in would be helpdesk to help bring it all together. You can't expect to shoot straight for admin roles. Helpdesk, to my mind, is always the best way into the industry as long as you try not to stay there too long and keep certifying as you go.

Look at jobserve.com and in the search, type "Sheffield helpdesk". There are 14 jobs on there just today.

Thanks for the jobserve tip, I hadnt come accross that site before.

I think one issue that I have is that I would love to work in the IT industry but have already started on another carear path that is boring me to tears. Having looked at some of the helpdesk jobs on jobserve, if I wanted to go down that path I would have to take a bit of a pay cut for a couple of years.

You have to love the decisions we get to make in life

Consider training path. Microsoft MCT for an example.

Have thought about that but would want to get some industry experience first.

Cheers

Jon

emsrescue

malcybood wrote:

If you're ever chatting with an IT Manager or Director, you can get "noticed" in every day chit chat. I'm not saying knock on their door and say I'm doing a CCNA and know lots about networking (not that I think you would do that anyway) but you can slip subtle hints into passing conversation and also demonstrate your knowledge interest in a subject matter.

You've done a bit of IT training so if that's the case you're should easily be able to make the switch into IT/Network support.

Our best Helpdesk person at the moment, she can do a bit of everything which helps us out as regional engineers not getting crappy calls assigned to us, she used to be a PA in a different division of the company for some ponsey "Director". She handed her notice into them and my boss heard about it, he knew she was effieient and "IT literate" and basically took her on as a call logger.

2 years later & now she's probably the most technical/versatile member of the central helpdesk team and attends board system meetings etc with the Helpdesk Manager.

I guess my comments above take us back round to the term that comes up on these forums alot, which is social networking is the key to success. Demonstrate your knowledge, be honest, be polite, but DON'T be a suckup to the people that matter (IT managers/directors) and you'll get respect, acknowledgement and possible opportunities.

I hope this gives you some encouragement

Malc

Malc,

Thanks for the encouragement. It turns out we have a cisco gold lab at work, although its in Manchester I may have to find some meetings to attend over there and see if I can build some contacts.

Cheers

Jon

Inc

Kaminsky wrote:

Helpdesk, to my mind, is always the best way into the industry as long as you try not to stay there too long and keep certifying as you go.

/signed

famosbrown

Do not be discouraged. If you search the forums for threads like this, you will see that their are many without the experience, but the certifications and education who got the job they wanted and not have to start from Help Desk. You seem to be doing what I was doing...getting the certifications, but not actually using them in production. My certifications and education got me in the interview room with employers who posted jobs that required 5 years of experience, MCSE, Cisco experience, etc., but I got the jobs. I proved that although I didn't have the experience, I could do the job and can learn quickly. Everyone have to start and get a chance sometime in their life. A person can be stuck on Help Desk for years while gaining their Cisco or MS certs, but if an employer don't give them a chance to use what they are learning, then they are not getting production experience in that specific role of I.T. Everyone was giving a chance, and everyone learned on the job, so just keep that in mind, impress during the interview, and work your tail off once you get the job. If you see a Network/Systems Administrator job posted and you feel you can do the job, then apply for it. they can only ignore/trash your resume, or bring you in for an interview. Don't just settle for less, unless you only think you can do the lesser job. I personally think a CCNA certification is a waste in most Help Desk environments...a MCDST or the new A+ (Customer Service) exam ovjectives would be best. It's good to get your foot in the door somewhere doing I.T., but like some said above, don't get too comfortable...especially when pursuing higher level certs. Someone will give you a chance...either if it is from a Help Desk position, or from your current job while attaining I.T. certs. Good luck!!