Getting into the Networking Field

aromano2 · July 2011

I'm just curious out of all the people that go and take these Cisco exams if they are already in the networking field or not. I've been looking at a lot of job openings and a lot of them, as in 95% of them, say x # of years experience in a LAN/WAN administrator role.. For me that sucks because I've been in IT for over 7 years, but never in a high level network support role. Have any of you gotten a networking job in a situation like this with a Cisco cert? I have CCENT, hoping to get CCNA late this week.

odysseyelite · July 2011

After the CCNA, teh next step would be a job as a NOC tech. You won't be able to take the CCNA and expect to walk into a network admin role right away. Just like starting at helpdesk, to get to desktop support, to server admin.

Where you work now, are you able to work with the network team there and get some hands on?

JamesFigueroa · July 2011

The CCNA will help you get your foot into the door with an interview for a networking support role. I would suggest to look at maybe an entry level NOC type of position to get your feet wet once your CCNA. Dont be afraid to jump jobs in IT for the right opportunity or to do what you love to do. I am not in a specific "networking feild" per se but best believe with my role here I can spin my experience to make my future employer comfortable that I can handle the job. Just keep plugging away man...

pham0329 · July 2011

I was already working with Cisco equipment's when I got my CCNA. The reason I said "Cisco equipment's" and not "I was already in the networking field" is that while I administered our network, I was brought on as an Exchange/Network admin...not as a network engineer.

I'm hoping that by getting the CCNA, and eventually CCNP, added with my current experience, I'll be able to move into a purely networking role later down the road.

The CCNA alone will rarely get you a job. It sucks, but that's just how it is. Take it from an employer's perspective, would you trust someone with a CCNA but 0 experience to run your network?

Monkerz · July 2011

When I started as a network engineer, I had absolutely no experience.

I was an on-site "help desk" technician for 3 years. I blew through A+ and Net+ exams, then jumped on the Cisco bandwagon. I started off with CCENT. Studied for 3ish months and attempted the test. Boy what I in for a surprise, they were nothing like CompTIA exams. I gained CCENT and when an opening for a Network Engineer position came available I applied. They were asking for a CCNA at the minimum and 4 - 5 years exp in a Network Engineer role. I told them that I would have my CCNA within a month of starting the new job. That actually worked. They did tell me that they include a minimum education and required years experience to weed out those who pad their resumes.

Now that I am in the job, I feel that CCNP level knowledge is required and that is what I am working on now.

I find myself very very lucky to be where I am at now. If they hadn't have taking a chance on me, I feel that I would have never made it into a Network Role.

JamesFigueroa · July 2011

pham0329 wrote: »

Take it from an employer's perspective, would you trust someone with a CCNA but 0 experience to run your network?

Perhaps not "running" your network but im sure that employer will love the discounts he gets by bringing in a CCNA. CCNA is helpful but like the guys said here, you need to know your stuff pretty well at a CCNA level as most "Network Engineer" jobs require CCNP level of understanding. An entry level NOC position honestly would be your best shot fresh off the CCNA boat to get your feet wet.

odysseyelite · July 2011

Monkerz wrote: »

If they hadn't have taking a chance on me, I feel that I would have never made it into a Network Role.

Chance and luck play a big role. I've done some networking. Basic setups, I always had smaller workplaces with a few level 2 switches and windows servers. Now I am going for my CCNA. I've been lucky enough the network admin here needs help and he knows I'm eager to learn anything new. We chat during lunch on what topic I read the night before. He has gotten me involved in a Aruba project and next upgrading all the companies routers.

I came into this job with hopes of getting into the network area or atleast some projects. If you are able to, just go to the network admin. Tell them you are studying or learning the material and ask if they have any projects they need help with.

All managers seems to have more work than they can handle. They may put you on some things at first like cabling, mailing etc usually to see how well you work. Before long, they may ask you to do higher level projects.

njkt · July 2011

Also, with little to no experience don't be mad if you get stuck doing something like replacing cable or workstations for awhile (depending on the company you may also be a system admin and have to deal with servers/workstations)

Sometimes there is just the luck of the draw and you get exactly what you want, sometimes you get placed second hand to the guy that knows less but is friends with the boss. (my $0.02) good luck.

JamesFigueroa · July 2011

Yea, like odysseyelite said, sometimes its only a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Just keep an opened mind and be willing to move to another opportunity if it advances your career or at least gives you the shot to.

aromano2 · July 2011

I completely understand what everyone is saying here. The problem is, I got a really good entry level job out of college, that has almost 0 to do with networking. Its more of a consulting/proactive maintenance type of job. Right now I'm looking at staying within the company and trying to land an entry level Network Engineer job they have posted. But yea it sucks searching because like I said a lot of employers want to weed out applicants by putting ridiculous requirements, so I guess that was the reason for my question.

genglerj · July 2011

For me it was all about being in the right place at the right time. I volunteered to be the network administrator for our company when we first put in a network. Over the years, the one key thing that has got me through over anything else was the ability to troubleshoot problems.

In general, if networks are configured correctly, they just run. It's when you start tweaking configurations, when you run into issues if not done correctly.

CCNA will give you a very basic entry point into the CISCO networking world. I was fortunate enough to start in IBM Token Ring and migrate a network through Synoptics/Wellfleet through adding routers, then coverting to Bay Networks ATM/Ethernet to Nortel Networks equipment and then over to Cisco. I gained extensive troubleshooting experience and knowledge.

As long as I have been doing this, I still have no certifications, but am going through the Cisco certification program, for a couple of reasons. One, as a review of the technology and two, to prepare myself for any opportunity should I lose my current job.

Just because you have your CCNA doesn't mean you can be a network admin/engineer, but a person has to start somewhere, and in today's world, it's a better start than most. I was just fortunate to get in from the get go and progress through all the technologies that came my way.

Getting into the Networking Field

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