CCNA, Cisco Networking Academy, & Experience

itsallkosher

Hi everyone. I'm new to these forums and have done a bit of reading up on various threads and they've been fairly helpful.

I'm 24 and hold a MA in Music. I teach as an adjunct at a few local colleges and have been making a living in music as a pianist for several years. It's great. I love it. But, I've always had a dream in the back of my mind of working in networking. A community college in the area has the Cisco Networking Academy in the form of four classes (2 semesters) preparing students for the CCNA. I've been seriously considering taking the few courses and then testing for my CCNA. Where I'm sure some other guys here have worked towards a career in Computers, Networking, etc. and maybe played guitar as a hobby, I'm the opposite. I taught myself HTML, JS, and PHP in high school and didn't practice enough piano in college because I was too busy playing with the network in the College of Music. Long story short, I've always been a geek at heart...but not in profession. Sorry for the extensive narrative backstory.

I could study for the CCNA on my own with online tutorials, books, etc. or just take this Cisco Course at the college. Credits are cheap so I'm not worried about finances. I feel like I will get much more out of taking the class with a real instructor, having actual Cisco routers to tinker with, etc. as opposed to using simulators and reading different books. Should I decided to try and pursue a job in the field after becoming CCNA certified, would a prospective employer appreciate the fact that I have taken the Cisco Program?

My "experience" in computers includes no jobs working in the field. Knowledge is critical in performing jobs, but more than knowledge is needed to snag those jobs in the first place. (I'm not naive, Music is a parallel career on this point). How does an entry level CCNA with little paper-experience get a job?

Is there any money in an entry level position? Do most entry level positions have opportunity to grow in position & salary?

I intend to continue in my field of music, but would love to dip my toes into the pool of Networking. Any other info or advice would be greatly appreciated. Maybe one day I will be full time in this field along side some of you pros!
Thanks!

networker050184

itsallkosher wrote: »

Should I decided to try and pursue a job in the field after becoming CCNA certified, would a prospective employer appreciate the fact that I have taken the Cisco Program?

Probably won't make much of a difference, but certainley won't hurt you.

itsallkosher wrote: »

How does an entry level CCNA with little paper-experience get a job?

You just have to keep trying until someone takes a chance on you.

itsallkosher wrote: »

Is there any money in an entry level position? Do most entry level positions have opportunity to grow in position & salary?

Depends on what you consider a decent amount of money. You won't be making six figure or anywhere close to it starting out, but there are jobs that pay significantly lower. Oppourtunity for growth depends on the company.

Qord

If you've got the time, the money, and the interest than go for the courses! I never would have gotten my CCNA without going that route, I'm not disciplined enough anymore.

Many of your other questions have a great deal of dependence on where you live and the current job market around you. Most of them would be pretty tough to answer without more details.

filkenjitsu

What City and State do you live in?

NetworkVeteran

itsallkosher wrote: »

Should I decided to try and pursue a job in the field after becoming CCNA certified, would a prospective employer appreciate the fact that I have taken the Cisco Program?

I'd appreciate the fact that you have a CCNA and the associated knowledge. Whether learning that required one month of self-study or one year of part-time college classes wouldn't matter a lick to me. You could talk either up.

How does an entry level CCNA with little paper-experience get a job? Is there any money in an entry level position?

Generally, they take the lower-paying work with less desirable terms that more experience people quickly pass on.

Do most entry level positions have opportunity to grow in position & salary?

Like networker said, growth opportunities vary by employer and role.