System Admin to NOC

JamesFigueroa · February 2012

Hey guys,

I have been a System Admin(aka jack of all trades) for about 6 months now. I want to peruse a career in Cisco and there is an opportunity that came up with a very large cisco vendor. The recruiter says its 3 mths cont to hire in a 24/7 work environment and it will be a slight pay cut. He said most likely I will get the graveyard shift if I get the gig. I was just wondering from those who had NOC gigs before what more or less the job is like and how much cisco knowledge did you get out of it(basically if its a glorified help desk)? Is it a step backwards and is it worth it to getting a cisco career? Hope to hear your 2 cents on this! Thanks in advance

Everyone · February 2012

While your current position maybe a "JOAT", System Admin does not equal JOAT everywhere, so it really isn't "aka" one.

IMHO System Admin to NOC is a step backwards. Why do you want to pursue a career in Cisco (really you should say Networking, there are other brands out there besides Cisco) if you've already made it far enough in your career to be a System Admin? Seems a little late in the game to do that, but it can be done. However it may require some sacrifices.

jmritenour · February 2012

I agree, going NOC would be a giant step backwards. Not something I'd advise, especially in this economy.

vanquish23 · February 2012

I work at a NOC. We mostly deal with EIRGP/RIP protocals, static routes, etc. Mostly just routers, becuase switches are not needed to do our job. You will not be able to get enough hands on experience to get a CCNA at a NOC, but it does help. You will have to study at home and free time at work. Depending on how big the NOC is, you will be busy.

JamesFigueroa · February 2012

Thanks for the advice

Forsaken_GA · February 2012

Everyone wrote: »

While your current position maybe a "JOAT", System Admin does not equal JOAT everywhere, so it really isn't "aka" one.

IMHO System Admin to NOC is a step backwards. Why do you want to pursue a career in Cisco (really you should say Networking, there are other brands out there besides Cisco) if you've already made it far enough in your career to be a System Admin? Seems a little late in the game to do that, but it can be done. However it may require some sacrifices.

Well, it depends, if his goal is to be a network guy, then it's beneficial to take the step back now while the paycut is only slight, then it is to put in 10 years as an SA and then decide you really hate the job. And not all SA's are created equal. I've known companies that label their helpdesk people as System Administrators just because they can access AD and reset passwords. If he's still doing crap like reimaging desktops/laptops and hard drive swaps, in addition to being a password reset ninja and maybe occasionally working with some server based services, then I'd get away from that crap as soon as possible unless he really liked it.

JamesFigueroa · February 2012

Thanks for the advice so far. A little background on me just for context...I've been in IT for about 3 years now...spend one yr doing residential, one and a half year doing network tech(basically the support) and the last 6mths system admin. I took the Cisco net academy course at my college and absolutely loved it. It totally interests me and I wanted to make a career out of it but I just don't know where to get my foot in. I was under the impression that the NOC is the best way to get into a networking career. If that is not it, what would you guys suggest the best route is?

Turgon · February 2012

JamesFigueroa wrote: »

Hey guys,

I have been a System Admin(aka jack of all trades) for about 6 months now. I want to peruse a career in Cisco and there is an opportunity that came up with a very large cisco vendor. The recruiter says its 3 mths cont to hire in a 24/7 work environment and it will be a slight pay cut. He said most likely I will get the graveyard shift if I get the gig. I was just wondering from those who had NOC gigs before what more or less the job is like and how much cisco knowledge did you get out of it(basically if its a glorified help desk)? Is it a step backwards and is it worth it to getting a cisco career? Hope to hear your 2 cents on this! Thanks in advance

If you want a career in networking you have to start somewhere. Careers in networking have begun in the NOC. The NOC experience varies from company to company. In many cases its primary function is to fullfill commercial SLAs by having someone there 24/7 to log incidents. Expect to be monitoring alarms. A good deal of changes are executed on graveyard shift as the customer networks are generally less busy although you may not be actively involved in that. A good NOC is a first line of defence, and while it will be breached it should be strong. Much depends there on the management of the NOC. If it is good, expect some access, at least to verify changes on devices and interrogate status if incidents are reported. Actual command line access to deal with situations depends from company to company and change control these days is more formalised.

The action can vary from hectic some nights to down right dull. In those situations you will have people collecting a paycheck and playing games or on facebook all evening while a few others study. If you do NOC, be sure to work hard on being helpful and well thought of by the senior network engineers, some of who may only hear of you by email..

JamesFigueroa · February 2012

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

Well, it depends, if his goal is to be a network guy, then it's beneficial to take the step back now while the paycut is only slight, then it is to put in 10 years as an SA and then decide you really hate the job. And not all SA's are created equal. I've known companies that label their helpdesk people as System Administrators just because they can access AD and reset passwords. If he's still doing crap like reimaging desktops/laptops and hard drive swaps, in addition to being a password reset ninja and maybe occasionally working with some server based services, then I'd get away from that crap as soon as possible unless he really liked it.

You basically just described my position....I want to do networking for sure but the potential hours of the gig are much different than what I work now. Wanted to get a gauge on peoples experiance in NOC and if a move like this is worth it...

Turgon · February 2012

JamesFigueroa wrote: »

Thanks for the advice so far. A little background on me just for context...I've been in IT for about 3 years now...spend one yr doing residential, one and a half year doing network tech(basically the support) and the last 6mths system admin. I took the Cisco net academy course at my college and absolutely loved it. It totally interests me and I wanted to make a career out of it but I just don't know where to get my foot in. I was under the impression that the NOC is the best way to get into a networking career. If that is not it, what would you guys suggest the best route is?

I would either work for a NOC or a Cisco Reseller of some description. You will need to be a ***** for the first year but you can progress from there. Either gives you exposure. A NOC, and NOC's vary, will teach you about running networks, operations. A reseller will teach you commercial and practical realities of selling on and delivering new network solutions to clients. The hours of working for a reseller can be hard as you are often making good on the lies sold by the sales team with scarce resources to work with, which includes the actual knowledge of your team.

Forsaken_GA · February 2012

JamesFigueroa wrote: »

You basically just described my position....I want to do networking for sure but the potential hours of the gig are much different than what I work now. Wanted to get a gauge on peoples experiance in NOC and if a move like this is worth it...

I've done NOC work, and honestly, these days, most NOC's are alot like helpdesks, but at least you're usually not talking to end users. And yeah, new guys get the shaft. That's the way it's going to be in any 24x7 operation until you get enough experience to make better hours a condition of employment (and then you get to trade working graveyard for being on call... it's better, but some nights it sure doesn't feel like it). Most of us have put in our time working 2nd or 3rd, as well as working weekends and holidays. It's part of the game, and in some organizations, a rite of passge. The upside is that working off hours normally gives you plenty of free time, and if you're smart, you'll use that time to educate yourself on your employers dime, which gives you the opportunity to shorten the amount of time you need to do it.

djfunz · February 2012

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

The upside is that working off hours normally gives you plenty of free time, and if you're smart, you'll use that time to educate yourself on your employers dime, which gives you the opportunity to shorten the amount of time you need to do it.

I'd love to acquire a NOC position as well when I relocate to the Bay Area. If I end up in a graveyard shift, studying is exactly what I would do during my downtime. I'm hoping the CCENT will suffice to acquire such a position.

FloOz · February 2012

personally i would not take that step backwards

shodown · February 2012

Yep I used my study time on 3rd shift to get my CCNP while working Tier 2. Great study time. I use to log into routers to see how everything worked and how the routing tables worked, then try to duplicate what I saw in GNS3. The NOC is even better if you have a higher level guy who has to work the shift to really get a idea of what goes on.

System Admin to NOC

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