Why negative feedback to ccna and no experience?

Danielh22185

All very good information.

I am in the same boat. However I do have somewhat of a start, I am a Team Lead for a help desk (doesn't say too much in the networking realm). Am I truely doing what I want to be doing? No.

Forsaken_GA, thank you for your input as well as others who didn't fluff the facts. I know I need to be brought down to reality sometimes too. Like what was mentioned before we cannot expect a high level / high skill job right out of the gate. I for one can vouch that yes I studied by butt off for CCNA. I didn't even consider using brain **** because I wanted to learn the material. I wanted to be knowledgeable. I also wanted a networking job right out of the gate. I also know that there are TONS more to learn ahead of me before I can become a successful network engineer.

I think the best thing for anyone who is starting out is to take something that could develop you into more. Keep aiming at what you want and do everything you can to put yourself into that position. I myself don't see a ton of Network Engineer development with my current position but I will take all my spare time (that my wife will allow) to continue to transform that so that I am ready for that interview when it does come along.

Keep up with your material and get your hands on experience. I know its a hard and frustrating road getting a start in networking. Trust me I am right there with you. You just have to keep doing as much as you can to bring home what you have truly aspired to become. Many people here have worked their butts off and had to take jobs like help desk before they could get where they want to be. In the end if you truly want it you will put yourself into a position to get there.

Forsaken_GA

bdub wrote: »

Yes, experience trumps certs in general, but from my experience there are people out there with certs and little to no experience who would be far better choices than some of the experienced people I have met who have no potential to do anything more than what they already know.

This is the tricky part for those of us involved in the hiring process, because you're right. I've also met folks with experience and an impressive resume, but once you interview them, you can tell they've just been cruising along.

This is why I am somewhat harsh with interview candidates. I need to find out who you really are, and I have a short amount of time to do it in. Very few people are honest enough with themselves to say 'You know what, maybe I'm not cut out for this after all'. If you hire someone who's in the wrong field, you're harming them, as well as your company. They need to be told no, often and loudly, until they finally get it through their skull that they need to figure out what they should be doing instead.

By the same token that I don't want to work with the enthusiastic but clueless newb, I also don't want to work with the creative loafer who manages to stay employed because they're pretty good at fake it til you make it. It doesn't help that this type is what the market is flooded with at the moment.

If I ran across some bright eyed kid who could hold his own in a discussion on the fundamentals of networking, I'd have no problem recommending a hire. A bright eyed kid who's all "I'm going to be a network engineer! I just finished the Cisco Network Academy, and passed the CCNA, and it's all been really cool!' is just going to make me roll my eyes. Every once in awhile one of those newbs is smart enough to look a little further, and realize that there's a crap load they don't know, and it scares them. Then they decide to keep doing it anyway, and actually go about making it happen. *That* is the person you hire, no matter what experience level they have. Having a healthy respect and a little bit of fear when it comes to the profession is, I think, a good thing.

And folks should pay attention to jmritenour's post, he gets it, and is a whole lot more diplomatic in the way he says it. I just regret that I can't rep him for his above post right now.

MrBishop

Time to pull out the pacifier! Seriously, there is some really good advice here and it gives new hires a fresh insight into what some hiring managers are looking for in a candidate. I also think its easy to sit behind a computer screen and speak truthfully and that is what anonymity is all about. I personally wouldn't allow anyone to disrespect in the workplace, boss or NOT! I can be just as much of a prick as some of the people in this tread, when necessary. I would rather learn something from someone then fight with them and maybe miss the best advice of your career.

georgemc

zenhound wrote: »

Every time Forsaken_GA posts I end up learning something. To me that's incredibly valuable. I don't really need someone to hug me or tell me how special I am or whatever.

+1, even though I've been around the block a few times myself.

jibbajabba

What people gets jobs is not just "a" certificate but they are getting a job because they have more than that.

Take me for instance, I came from a Windows shop (no pun intended), knew nothing about Cisco (apart from how you spell it) and worked in an ISP as Infrastructure monkey - designing / deploying and the lot. Because of that I HAD TO deploy Cisco devices as well and was sick of waiting for someone to put the base config on or I hated not knowing what I am copying and pasting there. So due to self study I worked myself to a point where I can deploy a Cisco switch and throw some config on, do some basic stuff etc.

Now I had an interview where they looked for someone VMWare related but considered some Cisco knowledge a plus ... So we were talking and he was surprised how much I knew about OSPF, Spanning Tree, 802.1Q config, ACLs and the lot. Then asked why we used 3750s in certain environments (not even using routing) and I told him that I know we could have used layer 2 switches, but we had a cabinet full of those layer 3 puppies, so no real reason, only because "we can" .. Also chatted about iSCSI specifics (Jumbo Frames, Flow Controll etc.)

So bottom line, in his opinion I knew more than just the basics, so I am the guy who has "some" experience but no certification (All I know about CIDR is that I prefer the apple one and I don't fancy pear cider AT ALL ).

I think what I am trying to say is, not necessarily start with Cisco, but use it as part of the package and grow within your company .. Prove yourself ...

kgb

jibbajabba wrote: »

.. Prove yourself ...

Bottom line.

See a job you want? Do what it takes to get that job.

In life, not every opportunity starts off as a clearly defined door. A lot of times, you have to make the door yourself. Many people complain about being locked into a room with no doors...Quit crying, take that hammer, make some doors.