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My name is Kevin and i'm from the UK I'm taking my Comptia N+ Exams early March, this will be my first IT exam as i'm trying to get into the industry, i think i'm ready and i'm going to do well, my next stop is CNNA, i have decided to skip the A+ for now, not sure if its a wise move

 

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Hi Kevin. Welcome to CF!

Skipping A+ is never a move to be taken lightly, and certainly not if you're new to the industry.

Most people on here recommend A+ and Network +. That includes me.

Ideally, you should be looking to get a job whilst studying those, and not move onto CCNA or the MS certs (MCDST, MCSA etc) until you have experience of the kit and/or the software.

 

Hi there and welcome,

As Giddy has pointed out, do not skip the A+, if you mean your next stop is the CCNA after N+, don't, you need at least a years experience using cisco kit, it would be a waste of your time and effort.

 

You don't need a years experience Cisco do not say you need any experience.

 

Hi Welcome

As everyone has said you should consider the A+ aswell, although Rob is correct in saying that Cisco do not have any requirements for doing the CCNA it is generally regarded as a cert for people who have around a years experience administering and deploying Cisco hubs & switches.

So until you have been doing that I would say not to attempt it. If you have a search on CF you'll see posts from people who have got the CCNA but no experience in a real job and no one will hire them. This is because they do not have the real world experience to go with the CCNA cert.

Good luck with what you do.

 

So you would put an in-experienced person on network critical equipment?

 

This happened to me, last company thought it would be a good idea to put me on Cisco installations with no experience! i managed it but god was it difficult! sometimes it helps as it makes you learn!

 

Rob,

At the very least you would need to be getting experience of the kit, ideally in a workplace environment under supervision, whilst studying.

And it goes without saying, the more experience you have of the kit, then the better off you are when it comes to studying for the all-important exams.

John

 

hello and good luck

 

Hi & welcome to CF

Like the other guys have said, I'd go for the A+ next.

Good luck whatever you decide.

NB

 

Welcome to CF!

 

No, Cisco doesn't say either way... but anyone who has worked in IT knows that someone without experience isn't going to be responsible for RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, VLANs, IOS upgrades, etc.

Can someone without experience pass the CCNA exam? Sure! It's difficult, but it's certainly possible. But the CCNA won't be useful to someone with no experience because the CCNA is not relevant to what an entry-level tech will be doing, and the CCNA will not help someone without experience get a job doing router administration.

 

I am not disagreeing with everyone it was just Wizard made it seem like you had to have one years experience and that is not the case, so I thought they should know that they can do it if they want but as people has stated it may not be the best option but it is an option.

 

Welcome to the forum kevy1980, as with the general concensus on here the A+ exam wouldn't be a bad idea, If you fairly talented on a PC, much of it you'll know already and you probably breeze it!

 

Hmm skipping A+ then again if you have a solid knowledge in hardware and software you might be OK? But A+ does teach you the basics of networking!

Hello & Welcome to CF

 

i'm bit confused now,i will definetly consider doing the A+ at some point this year, its just that i have been hooked on N+ for the last couple of months and just wanted to keep the momentum by going straight to CNNA, , I'm thinking o taking the 2 way route to CNNA , maybe that way will give me time to go for A+, The time table is like this
N+
640-822 ICND1 & A+
640-816 ICND2

 

Remember the Cisco cert is for professional who have been working with cisco equipment it is not for a newbie to attempt also if you do get the cisco cert no network manager in their right mind is going to let a cisco certified person loose on their kit without any real life networking experience.

you should do the A+ and N+ get a job in support and work your way into networking then do the CCNA when you have a good amount of experience. Not many people walk straight into a networking role in the real world.

 

kkevy1980,
The CNNA has been referenced multiple times. I thought it was a typo but seeing it 3-times in the same thread makes me wonder :hhhmmm

Doing the N+ is good, learn a lot and do well. Wanting the CCNA shows enthusiasm. Question is what do you want to do, what’s the objective? This is not a shot, just an opinion. To elaborate on some of the earlier posts…

As a CCNA you should already have a good knowledge of Cisco products and configurations. It seems you’re lacking this. If you get a job at a small company, you might get quite a bit of exposure. But in a small company the Sys Admin role will have most of the IT responsibilities. This means anything from PC’s to servers; printers to networks; air conditioners to power capacity management (not to mention the OS and apps on each device). Sounds like a lot, but I’ve seen it happen before (and it may not be everything as each company’s IT needs are different). Here’s where the A+ knowledge comes in handy.

In a larger organization you might get an entry-level role. The best I can suggest is a front-line support or maybe a NOC role (NOC isn’t likely w/o experience). It is possible to move up. However, the CCNA would be of little to no use. The A+; N+ and probably the MCDST would be worth more in this type of role. After getting some experience in the role and looking after production network gear, it may be time to look at the ICND and CCNA.

Anyway, those are my thoughts, based on my experience. Looks like you’ve decided what you want to do so all I can say is I hope everything works out.

 

I think the A+ , N+ then MCDST path sounds good.

I was helping out at my dad's shop when a customer come in and so me reading the Network + book and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was looking to further my career in IT and wanted to get certified to get my further my career. He said that he worked in IT and recommended that I do a Server (MCP) then go on to do CCNA. As these are the skills that companies are most interested in.

A Few months later I got a job in IT (1st line some 2nd line) on the basis I had done a Diploma in networking and that I was studying for a Network + cert and I had 1yrs work exp in a helpdesk role.

 

hey guys just came back from taking my N+ exam, i have passed but i'm bit disappointed with myself i got 569, was expecting to do well it,I thought i had covered most of things,think i was very stupid i had sheduled to sit for my exam next week on Wednsday but i wanted to party hard this weekend LOL i had change of mind and went for today's sitting so after this result i think i have to seriously consider doing the A+