what after ccna? Should you go wide or go deep?!

[h=3]What to do after CCNA? Should i go wide or go deep? And which choice - for Networking Jobs Today?
[/h]I live in USA and i just finished my CCNA and like everyone else i am looking for job out there,i really want to know what to do after ccna to have better opportunity to get decent job in networking field? some people say get your CCNP and then apply for CCNA jobs,is this a good idea?

and some say go for ccna/sec and ccna/vioce...

Which one is the right choice?

I have to mention that i don't have any experience and i don't have BS degree,English is my second language,i have 2year college degree that is not related to computer science but i love to get into networking field,do you guys have any suggestion or advice to get a networking job as soon as possible ?

shoud i apply for intern jobs? does intern jobs pay so that i can live?!

I know i MUST have experience to get job but HOW can i GET EXPERIENCE when NO one is hiring a fresher CCNA?!

I don't want to give up

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dave330i

CCNA Voice is probably your fastest path to employment in terms of certs.

mapletune

i second that advice about foundation specialization (aka. go wide on the basics)

If you go too deep too fast and still have no real experience, it'll be hard to match a job to your qualifications to your experience.

kurosaki00

we need to go deeper....

rchase

Been in your position, and I'm with mapletune and dave. CCNA Voice is what got me out of being a Support Technician for a software company to being a Cisco Network Engineer for a Cisco Select certified partner.

Search for the Cisco certified partners in your area, they are the ones that will hire you, they know the value of Cisco certs, and have a NEED for the certified. Plus VoIP is blowin up right now.

NetworkVeteran

sattar wrote: »

What to do after CCNA? Should i go wide or go deep? And which choice - for Networking Jobs Today?

some people say get your CCNP and then apply for CCNA jobs,is this a good idea?

and some say go for ccna/sec and ccna/vioce...

I'm going to second... or is it fourth?... go for CCNA Security or CCNA Voice. If you have zero experience, pursuing the CCNP is usually worse than either of the above.

I know i MUST have experience to get job but HOW can i GET EXPERIENCE when NO one is hiring a fresher CCNA?!

I don't know what you mean. I just hired someone with an M.S. in Networking + a CCNA. A CCNA is a good entry-level certification. Adding specializations is even better.

VAHokie56

kurosaki00 wrote: »

we need to go deeper....

That's what she said

to OP...may want to consider looking at entry level desk side or help desk positions that might not be direct network related everyday, from there work your way in to networking

Mike-Mike

if you want to get your CCNA Security, you could turn that 2 year degree into a Bachelors at WGU

sattar

Thanks guys for replying,
I think i go for ccna/voice first and after that ccnp to find a job...
any of you have experience or advice i like to here from you

YFZblu

IMO, hiring managers will go for the CCNA with experience over a paper CCNP every time. My advice is to go wide, and try to find some paid experience ASAP.

sattar

I know but getting that experience is the hardest part...

goldenlight

The important thing is not to get discouraged.

I agree with everyone here start studying for your CCNP After you get your first job.

theanimal

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

I don't know what you mean. I just hired someone with an M.S. in Networking + a CCNA. A CCNA is a good entry-level certification. Adding specializations is even better.

But would you have hired him had he had no college degree or only an A.S. but was able to completely display his knowledge and skills at the CCNA level?

I don't have the most insight in the world, but I feel like a M.S. would outshine the CCNA.

it_consultant

From my own experience, you have to go pretty wide in order to be competitive. You are up against people who can do at least 2 things proficiently, and that is just to get in the door. CCNA voice can be a "second thing" from CCNA but I refrain from giving that advice. I have worked in the industry long enough to know that if you want your chops in voice (and get paid for it) then learn Avaya and NEC. Learn those god awful old NEC things that use OS/WARP as their voicemail server operating system.

Otherwise, the traditional route of learning Cisco and servers (Windows or Linux) is a pretty good one. When I first got my CCNA my instructor said "you should really come back and get your MCSE", the market craved people who could do both. That was excellent advice and it is still relevant today . In fact, apparently you can actually get an MCSE again

swild

I have to second the WGU recommendation. Of all the hundreds (literally!) of jobs I have applied to in the last couple of months, people are more interested in the BS than the CCNA, even though it takes the CCNA to be noticed. I really think that the BS is the thing that gets me the interviews.

spicy ahi

+1 to it_consultant. I'd second the diversifying your skillset angle. I'll do him one better and say to look into linux certs as many companies are looking to open source software to shave costs. I myself have been looking into linux because I'm starting to see them in my environment and I need to understand it in order to audit/secure it. Also, I started off as a network guy but moved into IA because I was one of the first at a previous job to get my Security+ (at a time when the DoD started to push it as a required cert) and was the only "qualified" person to perform those duties. So I'd say look into other skillsets to enable you to find that first job. You can always go back when you're working and ponder the go wide/go deep into Cisco debate when you're making money.

atorven

Just a general question from someone working on CCNA, won't going for the CCNP:Route be better in teaching you about the advanced routing topics/or give you some sort of basic understanding of these topics which aren't covered in CCNA:R+S whist at the same time battling "Skill fade"?

Roguetadhg

Basic and CCNP:Route aren't things I'd put in the same sentence. Having a CCNP:Route is like saying "I've got my CCIE:Written". Which is not a certification. No numbers given. I don't see a problem for getting your CCNP. Just don't expect a CCNP job without experience and/or a lot of education to back it up. There's nothing wrong with just having a CCNA listed, going into the interview and blasting away at the technical questions. Again... Expect you're entry-level. Lower pay & experience Vs no pay, no experience.

There isn't anything wrong with going deeper into topics. Stopping at what the CCNA teaches you by using the exam guides isn't really what you may be doing. I'd say go wide, if you don't have experience. Go Deep, if you have the money. If you find something you really enjoy doing. Go for it. Keep in mind that getting a better chance at a job these days will require:
a) Experience
b) Education
c) Certifications
Yes. You can find a job without all three. I'm willing to be the persons with All three could easily command higher pay, better work, and more consistent work. There are exceptions. Im sure there's someone with all three that can not find an entry position.

If you have no experience, low education: Don't list a CCNP certification. You're entry-level. Don't think otherwise. Got BS/MS: Higher-Entry Level. Yep.

Experience is king. Do what you can to get the experience. Use entry-level certifications to get your foot in the door and your bills paid. The more land you're willing to travel for a job, the faster you'll find a job.

Everyone's situation is different: Motivation, Life, Desire, Enjoyment.

Summary: Go wide. I Encourage you to go deeper. Don't Expect great great pay without Experience.

atorven

I should have phrased my post better, what I meant is that would it be better to work on having CCNP:Route level knowledge(reading the relevant books and taking the exam/taking the exam and not listing it on your CV) or going for CCNA:Voice knowledge, I see a lot of entry networking jobs listing requirements that are outside the scope of CCNA but it seems like the general consensus is to go wide instead of deep, at least at the start

I know full well that having these advanced certifications without the experience to back them up would not be good for your CV, personally I wouldn't list anything that I have that is outside the required scope. I always thought that it was better to downplay what you know until the specifically ask about it then you can really show what you know, hope that makes sense.

sattar

WOW You guys are great, I agree with going wide right now because i don't have real experience and if i get my ccnp its not worth it (for now) once i get the job while working in the field i go deeper,as most of you said it is the best path,i go for ccna/voice after that ccna/sec
What else is good to have in my resume with these certs from other vendors like juniper,foundry,mikrotik,microsoft,linux,comptia,... which of these or some other certs do you guys recommend ?
THANKS for replying and sharing your experiences,I like to hear from all you guys

spicy ahi

atorven wrote: »

I should have phrased my post better, what I meant is that would it be better to work on having CCNP:Route level knowledge(reading the relevant books and taking the exam/taking the exam and not listing it on your CV) or going for CCNA:Voice knowledge, I see a lot of entry networking jobs listing requirements that are outside the scope of CCNA but it seems like the general consensus is to go wide instead of deep, at least at the start

I know full well that having these advanced certifications without the experience to back them up would not be good for your CV, personally I wouldn't list anything that I have that is outside the required scope. I always thought that it was better to downplay what you know until the specifically ask about it then you can really show what you know, hope that makes sense.

I don't think your assessment is wrong necessarily, it's just that in the frame of the OP's question (which is essentially what is the best way to go to get a job) most of us believe diversifying your skillset is more beneficial to getting that job. Of course, if you're already working and are in a position where you are actually working with networking equipment, then certainly CCNP would be a natural progression even if it's not a job requirement.

Of course, even if you weren't employed or employed in a networking position there is nothing wrong with pursuing CCNP. It's just that when you do complete it and hunt for a job, like previously mentioned most hiring folks would be hesitant to hire you even if you were knowledgeable and interviewed well. If you're in a competitive market, there will probably be candidates as knowledgeable as you are but with the commensurate knowledge to back them up. So it may take you longer to get hired on at a job utilizing CCNP-level knowledge. All the while, you're slowly losing the knowledge and proficiency in the subject matter. I just passed my CCNA Security back in February but I haven't done much in the way of working with Cisco equipment so I can tell you right now my CCNA knowledge is definitely lacking, even in such a short period of time.

@Sattar - As I and it_consultant previously mentioned, having a systems administrative cert (MCITP/MCSE, linux+/RCSA, etc.) is a great pairing if you want to expand your chances. Security certs are also a good choice if you want to go that route (I went there) It all depends on what you want to do, really.

Legacy User

From my experience go wide. You need to understand how everything works with each other even if its on a basic level. I'm doing a voip deployment and spent so much time with the voice material that the firewall material was only an afterthought. But now that the firewall is up its effecting so many other protocols along with the voip. That its taking a lot of troubleshooting. As long as you understand what your looking at in a show run you will be in a better place.