New member - seeking tips and advice

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Hi All,

I stumbled on this forum earlier this year after I started doing my CCNA and found it be very useful.

I am currently working as a debug tech fixing the last of the HP Alpha Severs that are ever likely to be manufacutered in the world. However i am facing being made redundant in the near future when the manufacturing process stops.

I started doing my CCNA in sept 06 to try and broaden my horizons for future employment, so i am in semester 3 now and still going strong. I'm interested in becoming in network engineer but i do not have any relevant practical experience. I'm also interested in doing the CCNP once i have finished the CCNA but i do not see the point if i cant get any practical experience.

Any ideas on how i could get the essential practical experience as all the jobs i see are looking for fully qualified guys with proven abillity and experience?

Cheers

 

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Hi there and welcome

 

Welcome to CF. I'd advise you go for the N+ first before tackkling the CCNA as this would give you the basic grounding in networking essentials etc.

Lastly, don't pay a training centre just get the books and start studying at home at your pace. Well it's called self study, best wishes

 

I know what you are saying Ken, Just had a look at the Network+ course and it does look quite interesting. It might be a good option.

I am just a bit concerned about being able to get into an IT tech position as the market seems to be flooded with young guys who have degrees in network support or in another IT field who can't seem to get a job.

 

Thanks for the advice guys.........your opinions have been taken on board!!

 

If you don't have experience as a network engineer, then pursue a position where you DO have experience, and when you get that job, try to build the experience you want. For example, when I was a desktop tech, I shadowed the network administrator, who allowed me to help him administer servers, routers, and firewalls. In time, I became a network admin as well... but it took time.

As you've seen, although certifications and degrees are great, they won't get you all the way to where you want to go without experience. Build that experience, and along with your certifications, you'll get to where you want to go. It just times time.

I'd also recommend knocking out the Network+ before the CCNA.

Best of luck!

 

Greetings, Mr. Mo. I have to agree with the others in that taking the CCNA coursework was a tad premature. The Network+ material would have been a better choice for a newbie starting out. That said, if you are doing well in your CCNA studies, you should have absorbed at least a significant amount of the Network+ material by now. You said you had a look at the N+ coursework and found it interesting. I'm not saying to stop your CCNA studies, but you might want to add the N+ cert to the mix at some point soon.

As far as having no experience networking, what the others have said is true. No network admin in their right mind would let you at their switches and routers with a CCNA and no production (as in "job") experience, even though if you are in the Cisco NetAcademy, you are actually getting some "hands on" with Cisco equipment (and I'm making that assumption because you mentioned "Semester 3").

Like the rest of us, you'll probably have to start out with an entry-level job in some sort of support role until you get enough experience to start moving up. It's a time-consuming process, but there are no short cuts.