nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

where to start with certification

dukethacore

hey all,

I am fed up with only a Bachelor Degree and zero IT certificate. I find its hard to get new jobs. I am stuck with a basic level 1 job for 3 years++. I really need some help, how do I get cartified if I got no real world use of the technology - let say, CCNA, I am not working with router or switch. Linux, I am not really administering a linux system. Can anyone show me the right path? Do I need to set up a home lab for CCNA? How long it going to take to prepare for CCNA ?

Find more posts tagged with

SAVE $250 on Your Boot Camp — Use Code "EXAM26"

Exclusively for TechExams members for Infosec Boot Camps starting before April 30, 2026

View Boot Camps

Comments

matt333

well I passed the CCENT in about a month and im takin the second part in march.. if you've never used Cisco stuff before I'd say go the two test route, im glad i did. there is a lot of material in the CCNA and only dropping $125 instead of $250 took some of the pressure off. as far as home labs i just used packet tracer which works good for all the CCNA material. preparing for the test(s) really depend on how hard you study, if you put the time in youll pass it easily

ImTheKing

What sort of work are you interested in moving to? Cisco? Linux SA? Windows SA? Something else entirely?

If you're considering Cisco or network administration, CCNA is a good starting point if you already have some good baseline networking knowledge. As far as setting up a home network, I've heard of many people here doing that.

If you're considering Linux or Windows, there are a few certifications you could pursue. Do you have any experience with these OSs at a server level? If you're not too experienced, then a good option would be to buy a virtual server and just go to town (or install it on a physical machine if you have a spare one lying around). Practice some concepts, familiarize yourself with them. Employers usually want OS specific certifications for Linux/Unix (ie Redhat or Solaris) and they tend to be pricier.

What's your bachelors in, if you don't mind me asking?

dukethacore

Bachelor in computer & information science.

I like to apply job in the network/sys support roles. So probably the mixture of ccna & linux sys cert would help me alot.
I am just using the client windows vista and SSH access into redhat linux. The experience I have is not really great, as I dont solve problems. Do you know which certification provide problem solving as part of their objective? I think I have to start with Comptia A+, network+, security+, etc, are those certificate good enough ?

ImTheKing

dukethacore wrote: »

I like to apply job in the network/sys support roles. So probably the mixture of ccna & linux sys cert would help me alot.
I am just using the client windows vista and SSH access into redhat linux. The experience I have is not really great, as I dont solve problems. Do you know which certification provide problem solving as part of their objective? I think I have to start with Comptia A+, network+, security+, etc, are those certificate good enough ?

I would say at this point in your career, the ROI for an A+ cert just isn't there if you're looking to advance to NA/SA work. A+ costs close to $400 for the exams alone. Compared to CCNA, Network+ wouldn't have a great ROI either. I doubt there's a whole lot of jobs that would care if you had Network+ if you also held a CCNA. Security+ I can't really comment on. My employer required it per DoD reqs, but I'm not sure there's many non-govt/govt contractor jobs that would desire it.

Mind you, there's nothing wrong with doing the certs for the sake of knowledge. It just isn't a great investment. You could easily spend $1000 or more on A+, Network+, and Security+ alone, and those are all considered to be entry level certificates.

Have a look at the CCNA forum. I'm sure there's some threads there where people talk about setting up a lab. Go out and buy a Xen virtual server for $10/month or set up a machine with CentOS. If you've used SSH, I'm sure you have at least some knowledge of SA work. Find a good guide on Amazon and practice the concepts, learn the file system, etc. A VPS is perfect for this because most VPS providers will provide you with the means to reload the operating system instantly.

Does your current employer have any opportunities for advancement? Otherwise, a well written resume/CL is key for transitioning into a higher level. Post it in this forum sometime and I'm sure you'll get some valuable advice.

dukethacore

Yeah you're probably right. I went for few interviews, where they did mention about ccna and mcse. I wish i had ccna, it would be easy to get jobs. My lack of technical knowledge is limitting my career growth. There is nothing much happening in my current company. I need a change. The reason I want to do all these certification because it going to help me technical, as I can show in the interview, the skills i posses. I think the best is get a ccna now, as this cert is good to have.

ptilsen

What exactly do you do now?

Start with Net+, then move on to either Cisco, Linux, or MS based on what you want to do. Play around with different operating systems, servers, etc at home and get a feel for what you think you want to work with. Being a network admin is very different from being a Linux admin.