I am interested in networking and Cisco

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Hi fellow members, hope everyone is well and success is what you seek.

I have completed my undergraduate degree. I want to take a path down networking and security. I would like to know what certificates are best for this. I understand a brief amount that CCNA is a qualification that i have been directed to. I am not totality sure. I know i want to go in networking and security, as this interest me and later on cyber security. I wanted to know if i gain some advice into the route i should to what i have stated. I would also like to know how other members have taken on this qualification and feel looking at the CCNA book that i am ever so slightly overwhelmed with the concepts and information.

Thank you in advance for replies and information.

 

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Congrats on completing your undergraduate degree!

With regards to certs, I think you need to alter your focus towards more entry level certs rather than the CCNA. I would recommend going for the MTAs/A+/Network+. Combined with your degree (which I presume is a computer science/computing/IT degree), you should hopefully be able to land an entry level role. Once you've gained enough experience, then proceed with the CCNA.

 

Thank you Mike

Its an IT related degree, i think entry level seems more appropriate then coming it with some real word experience. Along with taking on Cisco based qualifications (CCNA). I will look into the certificates you have mentioned.

 

It depends on your level of comfort with computers and basic networking principles as well. For example, are you happy with IP addressing (things like subnetting, different classes of IP's etc) and do you know anything about the Cisco CLI? I worked for BT for about 6 years doing a Cisco based networking job before I did the CCNA although that was because I was too lazy to do it and unemployment was a very good motivator. The upside was that I was incredibly familiar with the CLI, I knew how routing worked (all be it only RIPv2... *ahem*), I knew how switching worked (VLANs etc), I knew subnetting like the back of my hand and I'd been in a role where I did troubleshooting all day.

Now I'm not suggesting you work that long before getting any certs, god knows I was massively lazy, but some experience will help massively before doing the CCNA. You definitely need to know subnetting anyway and being comfortable digging around the inside of Windows would be a good idea too (I'm sure that second one won't be a problem for you).

Like Mike said I'd suggest going for the Network+ or similar to get a good foundation but I'm not sure at your age how beneficial a CCNA will be with recruiters when they know you don't have any real world experience to back it up. It certainly won't hurt however, but if I was recruiting a 1st/2nd line technician and one had zero experience but a CCNA and another had a couple of years experience I'd probably go for the guy with the experience.

Just my two cents and good luck with whatever path you choose!