My friend was mentioning since i had an interest in IT that i should get my CCNA? what kind of job would i do with one?

i was looking at the Cisco website and it says i have to get a CCENT first before moving up to the CCNA?

is it difficult?


Still reading this fat ass A+ book..

 

Depends if you like working with network infrastructure (i.e. routers, switches) and internet protocols.

I did it in my early years and would say, it is not for me. But, if you enjoy this sort of stuff, then, yeah.

Is it tough? Well, channel your inner- and it should be easy. Quite easy. I didn't find it very difficult at all.

Now, the CCIE...? That's another story. Quite alot harder to achieve.

 

https://acurazine.com/forums/technology-16/random-technical-talk-839508/

 

im not asking for tech help, more about certifications and what not so i could be answering questions in that thread...

 

CCNA and most anything Cisco related used to be hard to get and good for work. Not sure if its changed. Configuring routers is boring as shit though.

 

Interest and passion are two different things. Try to study it, if it fascinates and you can't wait to try it out - you may make it

It's brutal but honest. Give it a shot.

 

Look at job postings for things you'd want to do. Look at requirements. If you see a trend of them asking for CC**, go for it. If you see a trend towards something else, go for that instead.

 

Well, regardless of what CC** level he wants, he needs the CCNA first anyhow.


But, again...comes down to if Mizouse would like to pursue a career in network infrastructure first.

 

friend paid for a week long boot camp designed to get you to pass and get CCNA certified. i believe the cost was around $3-4k. he passed.

Get a CCENT first (just 1 test). I would say it's maybe slightly more in depth than the N+. Basic knowledge of what a network is and what its components are.

What I would do, is get an entry level tech job, maybe break-fix or help desk. Have your employer then pay for certifications, like A+ as the very basic certification. Heck you may even hate it and change your mind. I'm only A+ and N+ certified but I paid nothing to get them. Also, look up brain dumps for test questions. At the time the A+ test was nearly word for word from the brain dump.

Who wants to spend hundreds if not thousands on training all for naught?

Networking can be confusing and intimidating for the uninitiated. Please Do Not Throw Sausage Pizza Away.

Working with a city and their existing NOC as a contractor , i can say for the most part they just sit at desks fielding calls for turning on ports, turning port security on and off, and checking network connectivity through a terminal. I know i had more fun driving to fire stations and water treatment plants fixing things and meeting people. When was the last time you drove onto a municipal airport's grounds, or going underground to take a look at what they got in their EOC?

 

thats what i was thinking, get a help desk type job and see if i like it.

starting pay for that should be good/decent thou right? higher than 7 cents/ hour?

 

If your at A++ right now you might want to get into c++ programming. You like configuring routers for various medium size and large businesses then stick with it. if not then don't do it. Is it difficult? Yeah kind of, depends whether your interests are overall in IT, you shouldn't make career choices for the love of the money. Just my take. I just found a love for programming.

 

If you're studying for an A+ i assume you've just got basic skills. First job out of college (with a totally unrelated major, so i wont go into that) I was making approx $18/hr + gas money (i was tier 3 break-fix for the city). Grossed about $3.3-3.6k every 2 weeks (i was putting hella mileage though on a cheap civic). Also had 401k, health, dental, and vision benefits.

I personally love working in IT...just making things work is what I like to do (hence automotive DIY), and playing with things (obviously job dependent). Setting up SCCM, WSUS, MDT, DeployStudio, etc all from scratch is fun. The job I have now i do zero driving and manage a team of 3 student workers and it's very laid back! Just came back from the Interface conference here in OC today.

 

Thanks, i do already have knowledge of computers. Just figure an A+ would prove that i do?

 

it certainly wouldnt hurt and would be a great way to get your proverbial foot in the door. good luck!

 

Stay out of IT. Between cheap labor being shipped in and jobs being shipped out, it's a losing proposition.

 

Finally an honest answer - which is true for anyone entering the field. The IT market is always growing and expanding but salaries do not. You'd need to work a few years to finally start bringing in good $$$. And the most important thing, you are easily replaced. This is why every veteran IT knows he must create a niche in the company, something of his own, something he knows inside and out, something he developed or perfected. True story.

PS Vote Republican. Small businesses are looking for future exploration and development; big businesses need a jackass to maintain their existing infrastructure while sitting in the basement in the dark, holding on to the only decent thing you have left, your stapler. Of course you can make a killer living in huge corps, but it's all about the time you'd wish to put in and wait for it.

 

Mmmm...depends.

The traditional IT department is changing. Where in the late 90s, that department was the superstar and had unlimited spending, it has now changed to a place where in some cases, it is seen as a hurdle for progress in most organizations.

People are just more PC/computer savvy now. Most have computers at home...tablets, smartphones...So, the traditional tech support job, not a good thing.

Still, network infrastructure is IMO, outside of that thankless desktop support area. So, I think if the OP wants to pursue a career in that, it is not so bad. Data centers will always need a CCXX's skillsets.



If the OP wants to pursue a life in dev-work or consulting (i.e. business analysis, project management), I also think he will have a potentially fruitful career...those are always in demand. So, the IT world is not dying. Just it has changed...

 

Unfortunately I know this is not true. Where I work our LAN/WAN is supported by AT&T. We have a so called "lights out" data center. No switch tech from AT&T has ever stepped foot into our DC. They provide a doc and the cable monkeys make all the connections. New switches/routers arrive with enough configuration so that someone can remotely connect to them. When we have AT&T on the phone to make some kind of software change to the switch we are more then likely to get someone out of the country. This is especially true for night/weekend support.

We have a similar problem with server support. Some low paid "hands and eyes" person racked/stacked our servers. My team has never been onsite. The only reason I am still employed is for what TeknoKing stated about having a niche. My employer is working hard to have my niche function taken away from me. I will be toast after that. It's funny logic, my one high paid job will be divided among 4-5 low paid employees. This is why I started my resume thread in Ramblings. I was bought over to a new shop as part of a contract changing hands because I had some specialized knowledge that I am very well paid for. They are slowly taking stuff away from me until my function is a basic windows admin. Once that is complete I am on the unemployment line.

 

Damn, dude...that's unfortunate. Sorry.


I think it depends. And while I know that the US and Canadian markets may be different, some of the organizations I've worked for to date have their own data centers. I have not heard they are going to outsource.

 

Schools, hospitals, etc. always looking for in house IT because of privacy and data concerns. Hence why I work for one lol. HIPAA and FERPA concerns.

private industry is another story. Broadcom which is close by out sources/contracts their IT operations minus a few specialized positions like MSI package maker.