CCSP without experience

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Ah, gotcha... now I understand.

Last I checked, ISC^2 audits about 5% of their certified individuals, and they require another CISSP to endorse you before you can get the cert. Although someone could fraudulently get the certification without the experience, I think their auditing methods are enough to dissuade most people from defrauding the system.

 

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You could... but entry-level employers aren't looking for Cisco certified ANYTHING. Nor are they really looking for Linux techs, because Linux isn't used on the desktop in 99% of companies... most companies use Linux for a server here and there, and that's about it. And, as I stated before, companies aren't going to hire someone without experience to administer servers.

Again, the knowledge is great. But certifications beyond A+, Network+, and MCDST can do you more harm than good at this stage of your career.

 

I come from the civil engineering field with a BS, have done some programming, but plan on getting my CCSP in the future.

I've been a computer hobbyist for a few decades and have provided a lot of tech support in my jobs over the last decade...but under my engineering title. I have programming skills mostly using Coldfusion, PHP and Mysql.

So my question is, what is the fastest way to get to the top towards the CCSP, job title and certificate wise? I've decided to take a career leap and I don't want to take a financial hit for too long.

I'm planning to get my A+ and N+ soon, but I'm not sure what jobs I should go after for a network engineering career path.

I'm thinking that my prior computer experience won't help much under a different title - that's been my experience applying for jobs in my city, especially since I don't have a computer science related degree or job history.

Any suggestions?

Charles

 

Doesn't matter what your title is. What matters is what you actually did. Keep in mind, though, that occasionally doing tech support is quite a bit different from handling server or network problems day in and day out. Simply be truthful on your CV about what you have experience doing.

The fastest way? Get lucky. But there's not really a tried-and-true career plan to make that happen. The only way to guarantee you'll get there is to take it one step at a time... and it doesn't sound like you're willing or able to take the time it might require.

The CCSP deals with network security. But to be able to secure networks properly, you need to have experience administering networks. And network administration typically comes after some time doing systems and server administration... which typically comes after some solid time doing desktop support administration in a domain environment. So, you see, network security isn't something you just jump into or cross fields to enter. And, unfortunately, programming and networking don't really overlap much. You'll have a leg up on someone with no experience at all... but someone with no experience at all is likely to come with a smaller price tag.

I'm not saying this to discourage you... but I am saying this so that you go into this with realistic expectations. The CCSP is not likely to open network security doors for you without first getting that real-world experience in network administration.

When I 'officially' started in IT, I had 18 years of hobbyist experience and 6 years of being the go-to computer guy as I was working as an operations analyst for a telecommunications company. My first job was as a Field Service Tech, doing on-site PC (and occasionally, server) repair for clients. My hobbyist experience helped me to advance relatively quickly, so I didn't stay at the bottom forever. You can do the same!

I didn't have a Computer Science or Information Systems degree, either... I have a BS in Chemistry. It hasn't hurt me one bit.