Will a CCNA get me a job or what?
boxerboy1168
Posts: 387Member ■■■□□□□□□□
in CCNA & CCENT
I am about to get the Security+ but I am thinking about going strait to the CCNA next. Will that land me a job in tech or what?
Currently enrolling into WGU's IT - Security Program. Working on LPIC (1,2,3) and CCNA (and S) as long term goals and preparing for the Security+ and A+ as short term goals.
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No it won't.
Only you and circumstance will land you a job. Good combo of experience/skill/personality/education/training will improve your odds though. IT certs help validate skills.
-If you don't use it, you'll lose it.
I had my CCNA for almost a year before I was internally promoted to a networking position, after being with the organization for 3 years. I have had to review quite a bit and there is still stuff I come across where I go "I've seen this before, but can't remember." This is definitely happening right now with my Linux certification.
The easiest way, and I may be biased as it's what I've done, to get a job in tech is to start from the bottom and work your way up.
1. So you must find an organization with a large department with upward opportunity.
2. Start at the ground level and treat everyday like it's an interview, always go above and beyond. (Ground level= workstation deployment, Layer 1 cabling, imaging, etc.) Really things an A+/N+ expose you to.
3. Continue to improve your education, drop hints to superiors you're achieving things.
4. Network socially with people in the organization, never give people a reason to think you're lazy or not interested in IT. Be a rockstar!
5. After networking socially let it be know you're willing to volunteer or help other departments anyway you can.
6. Ask about promotion opportunities once all the above is accomplished, could be 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, it's hard to say.
its not easy
Don't rely on your fancy certs and neatly trimmed Resume to get you a job. Sure, they will probably get you an interview, but if you're technical knowledge is lacking and your personality is just sucky, you'll never be hired. Think of certs as a way into the door, but make sure you really know what you're talking about and have GREAT interpersonal skills.
Arthur Ashe
I was unsatisfied with my construction project management job and jaded by the construction industry in general. I spoke with my friend who is a platform engineer for a major banking corporation about this and he said I should give IT a try. He then handed my Odom's ICND 1 book - I studied that for about 2 months, passed the exam, immediately registered for the ICND 2, and passed that 2 months later, making me a CCNA.
About a month after I got my CCNA I got recruited by an IT staffing company for a tier 2 NOC position at UPMC, the biggest healthcare system in the state of PA. This is where the networking comes into play, because it was my same friend who handed me the ICND 1 book that recommended me for the position to the IT staffing company. I went into the interview and explained how I was making a career switch, so I had no experience but I did study and pass the CCNA on my own in a 4 month span. They literally hired me the next day, which is not typical for an 80,000 employee company.
I never even applied for a job or submitted a resume to anyone and I still got hired in an IT job with no IT experience. If anyone tells you Cisco certs are worthless without experience or a waste of time, they simply do not know what they are talking about. If you work hard enough and you want it bad enough you will get an IT job with a CCNA.
My father started as a cable puller, had a company give him a chance, worked hard, and is now the Sr. manager of networking for a major stock broker. He has no certs at all as far as i know.
All in all, there's many ways to skin a cat. Get the certs, take what you can get, and get after it.