Necessary experience

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Good time of day peeps,

Newbie alert ) networking assistant wonnabe here. So far i've completed entry level networking course with OU, and was looking at starting CCNA, but the posts on this forum made me wonder if it's going to be a waste of time and money. From what i understand it's a certification for those working in the industry for last umpteen years, and is no good for a novice.
Currently my job offers little prospects and I’d like to gain certification and move on to working with networks.
I understand that hands-on experience is a must, before anything else. So my question to experts here would be – where is a good place to start experience wise, or where did you start before you gained certification.

Thanks
Lil umka

 

Yep, the A+ and Network+ are great to start out with.

I started in IT (10 years ago) as a field service tech, doing service calls for small business customers, repairing PCs and printers. I had no certifications starting out - I had a BS in Chemistry, and 18 years of "messing around with computers".

 

I got my first IT job when I was about two weeks away from taking the A+ exam. I am sure it was the thing that clinched the deal, showing I was motivated to learn and teach myself in a subject I was interested in. I agree with what the others have said, the A+ and Network+ are an excellent way to start. You can specialise in Cisco certs after that, the CompTia certs should help get you into a job to start getting some experience.

 

Thanks a lot for your replies

In your personal opinions, what is the situation in IT regarding jobs and general development. I understand that IT is a very broad term, i'm only curious about the insight of your particular areas.

lil umka