Entry Level Network Admin?

Hello all,

The would absolutely love a career in Network Administration/Engineering or something else similar. I will be wrapping up a MS in Network Security in November 2012 and I just completed my CCNA this month. My only issue is that my actual job experience in this field is low to none and virtually every Network related position I have seen wants at least 2 years of managing routers and switches etc. I do however have some experience doing desktop support, but not enough to warrant any serious offers yet.

My question is to those who have found themselves in my situation. I have gotten some interviews for Help Desk positions with positive results, however i hate the idea of doing mindless phone troubleshooting. I feel that I wont gain anything significant from a simple help desk role. If you were in my position would you take the role in helpdesk and stick it out until more experience can be built up then attempt something more intensive like network or systems admin type roles? Or should i hold out for something a bit more advanced considering what I know and the credentials I have?

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Comments

YuckTheFankees

Honestly, I wouldn't hold out for a network admin position..an offer may never come. Usually companies ask for some experience for a reason; books teach you theory but actual experience is a whole different ball game. But then again, once you finish your MS, you might look more attractive to employers. I would go ahead and find the best I.T. job you can find (possibly look for NOC positions) and take it. Once you gain at least 6 months of experience, start looking again and see if you get a different result.

networker050184

I agree with YuckTheFankees, don't wait for something that may never come if you have a solid offer on the table.

You may be able to use your MS to help you get in higher than helpdesk, but its not a given. Look for some internships etc that can help you meet people and get your foot in the door somewhere. Knowing someone is really the best way to get in. Just like any other career field.

Good luck!

carmelenigma

The helpdesk role that I am likely to get is in a huge company with offices all over the globe and the guy there said there was a career path to one of the NOCs, that was the only reason why i considered it. I just think its a waste of my ability to put me on phone support now. My last position was a level higher than this particular position. (Though it was contract)

networker050184

Obviously look for the best job you can, but any job is better than no job. The more your resume has on it the more hits you will get.

YuckTheFankees

A lot of us on here may think we deserve better jobs but sometimes you have to take what you can get.

MeanDrunkR2D2

Beggars can't be choosers, that for certain. Even with a MS, there is no guarantee that you'll skip the entry level positions and jump right into your dream role. However, I'd entertain a lower position that has the opportunity to move upwards to where you would want to be if I were in your shoes. With more experience, you'll find more doors opening.

NetworkVeteran

carmelenigma wrote: »

I will be wrapping up a MS in Network Security in November 2012 and I just completed my CCNA this month.

With a CCNA and a master's degree in Network Security, you should be able to bypass the help desk no problem.. as long as that's an actual B.S. degree from a ranked school. However, for now you don't have an MS degree, or even a CCNA. An internship if possible, or working a help desk if not, would be a reasonable experience-builder while you finish college.

I have gotten some interviews for Help Desk positions with positive results, however i hate the idea of doing mindless phone troubleshooting. I feel that I wont gain anything significant from a simple help desk role.

Mate, either you're being arrogant or you're underestimating a helpdesk role. I have over a decade of networking experience. Stick me in a random help desk, and I can assure you, it won't be mindless work. There will be business tools and processes to learn, operating systems and servers I don't have experience with, etc. Plus you will get lots of face time with customers and learning how to interact with them. If you are a phenomena and able to do twice as much as your co-workers, you have the opportunity to improve the way your unit operates. If you choose to be "mindless" at such a role when opportunities abound to learn, then you've wasted an opportunity.

I just think its a waste of my ability to put me on phone support now.

You are at the entry-level. There are folks at the expert-level providing phone support.

carmelenigma

Thanks for your responses guys, I feel a little better about taking a helpdesk role now.

w00t

My first job was help desk and I got my hands dirty with all kinds of different systems and I troubleshot a lot of issues. After a year I now have a jr. network admin position at a medical company and it is a lot better. It takes times and hard work, but it pays off in the long run.

prtech

It's easier to find a job when you're already working.

carmelenigma

ugh dont i know it. But much harder to coordinate interviews lol.

glenn_33

I've been doing help desk now for about 11 months...I hate starting at the bottom

Tackle

YuckTheFankees wrote: »

A lot of us on here may think we deserve better jobs but sometimes you have to take what you can get.

Applies to more than just jobs

. That being said, you need to start somewhere in order to move up, even if it is less than ideal.

ChooseLife

My way to get into system administration was by taking a junior sysadmin job at an SMB. The job was 90% internal user support and 10% basic administration tasks. Within a couple of years my share of user support went down to zero, and all my time was dedicated to managing systems and network (with appropriate title and pay adjustment).

They key factor to this advancement, IMO, was the small size of the team - 2-3 people - which provided an opportunity to easily and informally pick up tasks within the department, help my boss here and there, and increase complexity of work I dealt with over time. Large companies that have separate teams with clearly defined roles and responsibilities make this kind of transition much harder.

For this reason, I think SMBs are very good for making a gradual shift from desktop support to system administration....

ChooseLife

YuckTheFankees wrote: »

A lot of us on here may think we deserve better jobs

How very true. I wonder if anyone conducted a psychological study on this... Must also be a cultural thing, I bet results would be very different for North America vs, say, Japan....

pumbaa_g

There is a old saying in my part of the woods which roughly translates in English to "No Job is small only people are small" I would not underestimate any role as it could be an opportunity for growth or advancement.

healthyboy

its good to start at the very bottom and work your way up,

because that way you will have a better overall understanding, there are too many people who doesn't like to do the grunt work and they straight head into network/system engineering roles, and in the end they do not do well in their future roles due to lack of communication skills + overall understanding and hard work.

healthyboy

i love it when some people like to skip the grunt work and get straight into the fun stuff"}

not a good way of having work ethics and showing responsiblities.