In need of some certification path advice

south

I have been working about the low end of the IT totem pole for too long now and I've decided through self-study to get certified. My goal is to work in a NOC or something along those lines. I want my major focus to be networking thrown in with security. I am having a hard time deciding what to do after getting my CCNA. I decided to do my JUNO associate certification right after because it just seems logical to do so. I guess other than that I'm really torn. If I want to focus on networking should I get my MCITP or focus on more cisco certifications (CCNA:Sec, CCNP)? If you work in a(n) NOC are you expected to have Windows server knowledge? I am really a fledgling when it comes to this. I want to find somewhere to work where I can grow within the company but I need to get my foot in the door. I would greatly appreciate any advice. Thanks so much. These forums have been great!

ibcritn

I think you are on a good start to get your foot in the door with a CCNA. Then the way you progress will depend highly on the organization and your career goals, which will likely change as you gain more experience.

From NOC to NOC you can have a huge variance in what's required of the Techs/Analysts/Engineers. For this reason it is hard for me to recommend a certification beyond the scope of CCNA. My advice would be use CCNA to get the foot in the door then figure out from there after speaking with some of the senior technical folks.

*If you plan on working for a smaller company the likelihood of needing server and networking knowledge is far greater then if you plan to work for a larger company. Typically largely companies will have separation of duties enforced throughout the organization and in a small business they will want you to wear many hats.

south

Thanks for the reply. That gives me a lot to think about. I suppose I should focus more on the near future and not so much the bigger picture. When you think about where you want to end up it's easy to get ahead of yourself.