Networking Job Market in Denver?

Anyone in the Denver area that can give me a little insight into the Networking market there? I'm in Idaho right now and this area just doesn't have enough networking jobs available. I have been looking for months now and we are lucky if we get 1-2 openings a month posted and almost every opening is for senior level people. I have a few more months before I can financially afford to move, but I have exhausted my resources and my timeline. It is time to start looking in a bigger market.

I have a degree, CCNA, and will have CCNA Security in a couple more weeks. I have experience in help desk, desktop support, and junior system admin and junior network admin tasks. My end goal is to become a Network Engineer.

Any advice you can give would be appreciated.

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inscom.brigade

I lived near thier for 17 years, i was just up the hill abit. I left, moved to DC. I moved last October, and i hear that positions are not avalaible.

Jackace

I'm in Boise right now and there just aren't any positions available for entry level people. I have friends in Salt Lake City and they say things are about the same down there. I was hoping Denver would have more opportunity. I'm at a loss trying to find any place to get a start in Networking.

NetworkVeteran

I know a couple people who have networking jobs in that area, and indeed a quick job search pops up 80+ positions in search of CCIEs. The characterization of one of my colleagues who lives and works there is that it's not dead but other tech sectors are hotter in that area.

NetworkVeteran

Jackace wrote: »

I'm in Boise right now and there just aren't any positions available for entry level people.

In Boise, ID the same search turned up 0 in search of CCIE and 5 in search of CCNA.

Denver won't be Valhalla, but it should be a step up.

Jackace

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

In Boise, ID the same search turned up 0 in search of CCIE and 5 in search of CCNA.

Denver won't be Valhalla, but it should be a step up.

I have done the job searching in Denver and I see a lot of job postings, but like here in Boise all the jobs require a lot of previous work experience even the ones that only require a CCNA.

Roguetadhg

You can fill out job postings that require experience.

What's the most they'll do? They'll say no - or won't respond.

Jackace

Roguetadhg wrote: »

You can fill out job postings that require experience.

What's the most they'll do? They'll say no - or won't respond.

I do apply here in Boise, but since March I have only had a handful of places even respond, and most only responded to tell me thanks for applying but I don't have enough experience. My friends down in SLC say things are about the same down there, no one is really hiring entry level people. I was hoping to get a local feel for the market there in Denver and see if anyone is hiring entry level people in that area.

Roguetadhg

You might be able to get work from them if you can volunteer with them.

It's a way to get your foot in the door, and get experience. It may not pay, but if you don't really need it (I don't know if you do) you can get what you need this way.

Jackace

Roguetadhg wrote: »

You might be able to get work from them if you can volunteer with them.

It's a way to get your foot in the door, and get experience. It may not pay, but if you don't really need it (I don't know if you do) you can get what you need this way.

I offered my services for free at a couple places, including my current employer, and I even posted an ad on craigslist. I got shot down in every place and didn't get one bite from the craigslist ad.

Edit - When I say shot down I mean they would let me volunteer, but they didn't want me doing anything server or network related. They wanted me to rebuild/re-purpose old PCs. I have been doing that for 20 years now I wanted experience with the infrastructure so I politely declined.

YuckTheFankees

I live in the Denver area and the jobs are there if you have the experience. Since you do not have the experience for a network engineer job, I would start looking for a NOC position and then move up to a Network Engineer position within the company. I currently work as NOC technician in the Denver area and there are is definitely a chance for me to move up into a Network Engineer role..but as of right now, I wouldn't want to be a Netwrok Engineer.

With the experience you have listed, you would be best fit for a system admin position. You could always hire on as a Sys Admin and try to move over into the Network department.

The CCNA and CCNA security are good certs to have but by no means do they make you eligible for a Network Engineer position. Having been in the NOC for 1 year and with the CCNA knowledge, I can honestly say I need more "real-world" troubleshooting experience. I can talk networks with the engineers but once something major happens to the networks, I get a little frazzled. But to be fair, if they were to hire you on as a Network Engineer with your current background, they would understand you didn't have the troubleshooting background, so they would give you a longer learning curve.

Jackace

Are the places hiring all the NOC level people promoting those people? Here in Idaho they are not. Even my own company is hiring outside people with 2-3 years experience rather than promoting the guy who has been in the NOC for almost 5 years now. I have only been here 2 years now, but I see there is no path out of the NOC with this company, at least not in the next decade. It is no different with other employers in the area either.

YuckTheFankees

My company promotes from within a lot of the time. There are a good amount of NOC individuals who ended up in a Network Engineer role. It real depends on the company, your background, the other employees background, how quickly you learn their network,etc... No one would be able to answer that question.

NetworkVeteran

Jackace wrote: »

I have done the job searching in Denver and I see a lot of job postings, but like here in Boise all the jobs require a lot of previous work experience even the ones that only require a CCNA.

Both of the people I mentioned who are doing fine in networking in Denver, as well myself, and everyone on this forum, began with no experience. It's quite possible to make it.

Even my own company is hiring outside people with 2-3 years experience rather than promoting the guy who has been in the NOC for almost 5 years now.

Many employers want the most qualified candidate for the job, internal or external.

Are the places hiring all the NOC level people promoting those people?

The question you should be asking yourself, "Will this role's experience make me the most qualified candidate for an entry-level networking engineering role in a couple years?" Then it doesn't really matter who your company hires since there are many other companies to choose from. A role that focuses on password resets and active directory is going to be less helpful than a role that focuses on provisioning access links and light OSPF/BGP troubleshooting, whatever they happen to call the title. I can say your networking experience sounds lighter than a candidate I interviewed this week who described themselves as a NOC engineer. Good luck to you!

lantech

I would listen to these guys. At least that's what I'm trying to do. It can be hard sometimes but we've got to try. They do know what they are talking about.

I applied for a NOC position with a major ISP. While the interviewer liked me and my personality she felt that I was a little light on experience. This would've been a brand new NOC for them with a skeleton crew supporting and managing the states network. While I would have loved to get the position I could understand what she was saying. I'm sure if someone is going to have to be working by themselves you don't want someone without experience.

But I'm also waiting for an interview for a NOC tech position with another ISP. They just seem to be really slow at getting to scheduling the interviews. Hopefully the wait will be worth it though.

You just have to try and keep your head up and try not to get discouraged.

Jackace

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

The question you should be asking yourself, "Will this role's experience make me the most qualified candidate for an entry-level networking engineering role in a couple years?" Then it doesn't really matter who your company hires since there are many other companies to choose from. A role that focuses on password resets and active directory is going to be less helpful than a role that focuses on provisioning access links and light OSPF/BGP troubleshooting, whatever they happen to call the title. I can say your networking experience sounds lighter than a candidate I interviewed this week who described themselves as a NOC engineer. Good luck to you!

I agree my networking experience is probably a little light. The problem is my current employer doesn't have anything between where I am now and Network Engineer. Many of the places I have interviewed at around this area are the same. You go from front line support doing monitoring and basic/light troubleshooting right into a full engineering role. The gap between the 2 is large and there isn't really anyway to bridge that gap. The few people I know who have managed to bridge the gap said they had someone take a chance on them and allowed them to learn on the job or they got their experience somewhere else and moved here for a job. I haven't found anyone willing to give me a chance yet, so I figure I need to leave the area and build my experience the more traditional way.