Career Advice: CCNA/Network Engineer with a M.S. In Business Information Systems

JasonX

Hello All,

I will be starting a 5 week bootcamp course for CCNA (paid out of my pocket) and take the exam the following day 11/21/2011.

Presently I have a BS in Information Systems and a MS in Business & Information Systems both from a credible local school in New Jersey (NJIT).

Right now I am employed doing mainly support work and some development in SQL and VB.net as well as serve as a build engineer. This has been my role for around 2 years.

By Getting my CCNA and searching for a Network Engineering position, do you believe this is the right approach and could expect a higher salary (then a brand new Network Engineer) considering my IT based Masters and have been in a support role for the past 2 years?

Thanks,

Jay

networker050184

With out any direct network experience you probably aren't going to find an engineering role unless you either know someone or get really lucky. You are going to have to start with first supporting networks and then eventually move into engineering after learning quite a bit. The CCNA will not prepare you for this.

Without much information I'd guess you'd probably have to take a pay cut from what you do now to try and make a move over the networking side.