hi i am new

pooker

Hi my name is Colby and I am 19, I am a+ it technician, and network+. I plan on getting my ccna in the next few weeks but since I didnt know where to put this I thought I would put it here

Is there any ccie people here? And if there is, what kind of job do you have and are you paid amazing?

I have always heard a+ and net was the most popular comptia exams, is it worth me taking anymore comptia? Is mcse still popular and do you think it will be popular in the next few years I heard it was gonna be fazed out?

I see it seems like everyone fails ccna first time, how many times did you guys fail ccnp and what about ccie?

Will I find a worthwhile job with no experience out of college or am I gonna have to work my way up even though i have certs, I hear both ways on this but I want someone opinion who has been there?

sprkymrk

Welcome Colby.
Congrats on getting your A+ and Net+.

You asked a lot of questions, some specific to Cisco guru's (which I am not), but I thought I would open the discussion and bump your topic.

pooker wrote:

Is there any ccie people here?

Members dtlokee, MrD, and at least 2-3 others have their CCIE. Scott Morris (the well known quad CCIE), aka ubergeek, has also posted here a few times.

pooker wrote:

I have always heard a+ and net was the most popular comptia exams, is it worth me taking anymore comptia?

The Security+ would be a good one, it can open opportunities for working in the DoD, counts as an elective for MCSE, and is good information for any tech to know as security affects everyone these days. If you ever plan on going down the security track, it's the most basic and entry level cert that can help prepare you for the tougher certs later (like CISSP).

pooker wrote:

Is mcse still popular and do you think it will be popular in the next few years I heard it was gonna be fazed out?

Yes, it still is and will remain popular for some time. It will probably be at least 2 years before the new MS track (MCITP etc) will gain close to the same level of recognition.

pooker wrote:

I see it seems like everyone fails ccna first time, how many times did you guys fail ccnp and what about ccie?

Not sure about your first statement. Many people pass on their first attempt at CCNA. You just have to be prepared. I can't answer for the CCNP, but it seems the CCIE lab takes on average 3-4 attempts for a pass. However, check out the "I Passed" thread by MrD. He passed the lab on his first attempt with only 2 years experience and a total of about 3 years from the start of his CCNA journey.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32038

pooker wrote:

Will I find a worthwhile job with no experience out of college or am I gonna have to work my way up even though i have certs, I hear both ways on this but I want someone opinion who has been there?

There is a formula for figuring this out:

education+certification+experience+luck=your chance to get a job

The more you have of each, the better your chances.

Take care!

cisco_trooper

What sprkymrk said.

dtlokee

pooker wrote:

Is there any ccie people here? And if there is, what kind of job do you have and are you paid amazing?

I prefer US dollars, or maybe Euros with the way things are going

I am a Technical Instructor for now, but I am going to be transitioning into a IP Telephony role soon (hence the reason I'm switcing to a voice track for my next CCIE). You can earn a lot of money in this field with the right experience and a CCIE certification, but it takes time and if an employer pays you $150,000 a year they are going to expect to get their money's worth. It's not a career for someone who is complacent and wants to be a cog in the machinery of a company. You need to be driven and continue to expand your knowledge and skills to maintain your value to an employer.

coffeeking

sprkymrk wrote:

education+certification+experience+luck=your chance to get a job

How much is a degree important in this?

BS or MS?

JDMurray

dtlokee wrote:

I prefer US dollars, or maybe Euros with the way things are going

Gold. Pay me in gold.

coffeeking wrote:

How much is a degree important in this?

BS or MS?

At least a BA/BS is required for a lot of the better jobs, and an MA/MS for management, teaching, or promotions. I would really recommend holding off on the Masters until you are working for a business that will pay for part of all of the degree for you.

pooker

Hey thanks guys here I think is my plan,

Get an IT job while I am in college so by the time I am out I can have experience.

The reason why I asked about the ccna failing thing is because, I am , well will be in ccna 4 this monday and I thought I knew a good bit about cisco equipment, doiing labs, and setting up a bunch of stuff, I can subnet easily. But my teacher said that he failed ccna the first time, and three other people in his class failed, and one failed multiple times. But here is the kicker, they were both in ccnp classes! He said he did labs night and day, it just kind of bothered me because a ccna was like an introductory exam to cisco equipment and here my teacher is telling me that him and all of his friends were failing it.

I think I am gonna try for my security+ sparky, I am definately gonna go for my bs. I will have myassociates in december.

coffeeking

BS or MS?[/quote]
At least a BA/BS is required for a lot of the better jobs, and an MA/MS for management, teaching, or promotions. I would really recommend holding off on the Masters until you are working for a business that will pay for part of all of the degree for you.[/quote]

That seems to be an ideal situation where your employer would pay for the whole degree, I hope to find such an opportunity some day. For right now its the certs for next few years. I don't really plan to get on my masters for another 5-6 years, that is if it comes through then. Gotta save some money first!

46and2

Hello, been lurking for a few weeks. Saw this post and thought I'd register and reply.

First off, a bit about myself. I got my B.S. in MIS in 2002, and my M.S. in Telecommunications Management in 2004. I began my Cisco journey in July 2006. I was working as a Windows/Exchange admin and got my CCNA after 1 month of study. Got a job as a network engineer. Passed the CCNP in October. Passed the CCIE R/S lab on July 6th, 2007 on my first attempt. Here is my blurb on GroupStudy when I passed. Since then, I have taken a senior network engineer job at a Cisco gold partner, earned my CCVP and CCIP, and will soon get the CCDP. Just to be real, the path I took was NOT common. Most people take the lab 2-3 times, and have much experience before even attempting it.

Anyway, enough about myself. At 19 years old, I would concentrate on two things: getting a degree and getting some experience. I wouldn't worry about the CCNA because almost nobody will hire a fresh college graduate to manage their network, CCNA or not. If, however, you work through college doing PC repair, helpdesk, programming, basically any IT job you can, then combine that experience with a degree and a CCNA, you will probably be in good shape.

sir_creamy_

pooker wrote:

I have always heard a+ and net was the most popular comptia exams, is it worth me taking anymore comptia?

Unless you need it for a elective of some kind then don't bother. Investing in $200+ worth of security textbooks would be a better use of your money.

Best of luck with your CCNA studying

pooker

thanks guys I think i am gonna invest in some lab equipment and work on getting a good intern job for my field.

sprkymrk

46and2 wrote:

I began my Cisco journey in July 2006. I was working as a Windows/Exchange admin and got my CCNA after 1 month of study. Got a job as a network engineer. Passed the CCNP in October. Passed the CCIE R/S lab on July 6th, 2007 on my first attempt.

So 1 year from starting your CCNA journey to completing the CCIE lab?

I didn't read your link to Group Study, but I am impressed by that alone.

pooker

Some people are just really smart with this stuff. I didnt see that either one year is amazing!

46and2

sprkymrk wrote:

46and2 wrote:

I began my Cisco journey in July 2006. I was working as a Windows/Exchange admin and got my CCNA after 1 month of study. Got a job as a network engineer. Passed the CCNP in October. Passed the CCIE R/S lab on July 6th, 2007 on my first attempt.

So 1 year from starting your CCNA journey to completing the CCIE lab?

I didn't read your link to Group Study, but I am impressed by that alone.

In the M.S. program I did, we did Dijkstra's algorithm by hand, translating bit patterns to their "graphical" representation based on the encoding scheme, QAM constellation diagrams, queuing theory, and a bunch of other theoretical stuff. So much of what I had to learn were things like BGP, EIGRP, and the Cisco-specific things. I have a good memory and have always been a fast learner. When I was 3, I memorized all the books my mom read to me and would "read" along with her, even though I couldn't actually read. I spent 35+ hours a week studying for 5 months straight. Of course, my wife being pregnant at the time made it a bit more interesting, too!

Most people have found it hard to believe. I just say that everyone has something they are really good at. Networking just happens to be the thing I am good at.

Sorry to hijack the thread. Good luck with your progress, pooker!