CCNP

I might be getting ahead of myself talking about ccnp as ive not passed my ccna yet (taking it tomorrow) but i feel quietly confident and i have found a recent enthusiasm to push my career forward as much as i can so i want to look forward to ccnp. i have just been looking for ccnp books and there seems to be alot of differant books for ccnp so i was hoping somone could give me an idea of what books i will need. for my ccna i bought the cisco press books and the sybex todd lammle book which i found gave a good balance as i could read the sybex for a brief overview and the labs then read the cisco press for a more in depth look so i would be after a similar approach to ccnp.

also this might seem a really silly question but how much of a 'step up' is ccnp from ccna as i#ve not yet looked at any material.

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Comments

Slowhand

And, if you're looking for additional study-material, there's always this little list of books provided by Cisco. Given, they're geared towards CCIE preparation, but they'll be within your grasp and definitely help you in your studies.

redwarrior

Basically, the sad fact is that no matter what industry you choose, you almost always have to start at the bottom. I think the only real exception to this in IT is programmers, but that's mainly because there are established degree programs that relate directly to industry needs. Right now there just really isn't an established degree program that matches a network engineer role. Most engineers I know started out as cable techs or on the helpdesk/desktop support. Any experience on your resume where you were able to troubleshoot network issues, even if it is from a client computer perspective, is better than none and is better than only having certifications.

Don't get me wrong, certifications are great and are necessary to get ahead. However, too many certifications without experience can often give an employer the impression that you are a "paper tiger" as in someone that either used braindump material and took a ton of tests or someone who can study well and take exams, but doesn't have troubleshooting experience. I know from hiring managers that they look for experience to match the certifications. For example, if they're looking for someone to fill a network role, they may settle for someone with fewer certs if those certs match what that person was doing...in other words, the certifications certified skills that they were also putting into practice at work.

I know it may be a splash of cold water to realize that you can't start out as a network engineer, but most of us did start out in these entry-level positions and if you keep a clear path in your head of where you want to get to, they can be a good starting place.

mikearama

had303 wrote:

I am desperately trying for a decent job but what I'm being offered at fresher level is stupid & rubbish Call Center's voice process based jobs & similar kinds of jobs with no network exposure.

So I'm fed up of these offers because even after having an Engineering Degree + MCP + CCNA can't get me a decent networking job. So I thought why not go for CCNP & then try for job.

As mentioned, no one's going to take someone without experience and make them a network admin. Knowing that, and with similar credentials to yours, I looked for any IT role at a big company when I started in IT in 2000. Despite a network-focused education, I ended up on the bench at IBM as a technician... building systems to fill orders. NOT my intention, but great experience, nonetheless.

Then, a support role in the wintel group opened up with an automotive company... still not in the network department, but interesting Windows work. Got my MCSE at that gig too.

Finally, a networking role came across my lap from a buddy in the biz... I tuned the resume to emphasize my network skills, and voila, junior admin. That was in '05. It took me five years to get where I wanted to be. 2 years later, I landed the role as senior admin at Toyota Canada.

Looking back, it'll be a breeze for ya bro. I know that's not comforting today... just know that you're not alone. I suggest landing anything, as long as it's with a big company... so either the experience looks good on the resume, or there's a chance to move within the company (and make it known quickly that your aim lies in the network direction).

Mike

had303

Thanks slowhand & redwarrior for your precious comments.

@ redwarrior

Am also looking for a job first but the situation in INDIA is such that for getting a job also you need references else no one is willing to take freshers so am thinking of going ahead with CCNP.

But anyways, will keep ur suggestions in mind.

Thanks a lot mate.

had303

@ Mike

Thanks for explaining your wonderful professional journey bro, this might act as a motivator for me to do anything initially for a big company. Thanks a lot. Where can I get such grt mentors, truly great site with great members.

Forsaken_GA

had303 wrote:

I am desperately trying for a decent job but what I'm being offered at fresher level is stupid & rubbish Call Center's voice process based jobs & similar kinds of jobs with no network exposure.

I think you'll find that a good majority of IT people started out one of 2 ways - Either working a Helldesk, or being a grease monkey (end user service technician). I'll bet some were unlucky enough to have their job description include both. Most folks won't even look at you without one of those, unless you know the right people. If nothing else, they demonstrate that you have basic troubleshooting skills.

My current job description is that of System Administrator. I work for a web-hosting company, so my face is mostly buried in Linux commandline while I'm at work. I took (and got) the job because I have a strong network background, and the company is looking to expand it's network department within the next year. Since I'm the only one in the company (except the senior admin, of course) with any network experience that goes beyond 'type switchport access vlan #' to put a server in the correct vlan when it moves, and since management believes in hiring from within, as soon as they decide to hire for a junior admin, the job is pretty much mine. I spend a good bit of time (even on my off days) with the senior admin learning the ins and outs of our network to help facilitate that.

Basically, with most companies, the network is their lifeblood. These days, if it goes down, you're pretty much screwed. So alot of companies want some form of demonstrated competency, whether it's through an impressive resume with years of experience, or just getting to know you and learning you're not an idiot, before they'll let you get your paws on the pipes.

had303

@ Forsaken_GA

Thanks for replying mate. I've scheduled an interview as Trainee Network Engineer with one of the Networking Company over here on Saturday. Hope everything goes fine, I'll clear the interview & get that job to get rid of the fresher tag.

networker050184

had303 wrote:

@ Forsaken_GA

Thanks for replying mate. I've scheduled an interview as Trainee Network Engineer with one of the Networking Company over here on Saturday. Hope everything goes fine, I'll clear the interview & get that job to get rid of the fresher tag.

Good luck!

Saturday interview? Never heard of one of those before....

Let us know how it goes.

had303

networker050184 wrote:

had303 wrote:

@ Forsaken_GA

Thanks for replying mate. I've scheduled an interview as Trainee Network Engineer with one of the Networking Company over here on Saturday. Hope everything goes fine, I'll clear the interview & get that job to get rid of the fresher tag.

Good luck!

Saturday interview? Never heard of one of those before....

Let us know how it goes.

Thanks a lot mate for your good wishes.

Will definately let you know about the results.

had303

Finally got a job as TeleCommunication Engineer in one of the networking companies over here.
Its based on Avaya Technology. Well the job profile is still not a pure networking one, but as some friends have said above, better have something than nothing.

Hope this job removes the fresher tag thats associated with me.

networker050184

Congrats!

Since it is Avaya try to get into the Avaya SIP side of things. The Avaya SES is what a lot of loyal Avaya users bring in when they want to migrate to VoIP. That way you can move more into the network side of things rather than working mostly TDM.