After 7 months of studying, i passed CCNA

[Lithium381]

Last May, i decided my life as a retail monkey sucked and am trying to get out. I was at Barnes and Noble, saw a book and bought it. CCNA Study Guide. Today i sat the test and finished the test with only 12 seconds left on the clock.....very stressful! Anyway I just got an e-mail from Cisco, it's official and should get my piece of paper in the mail in about a week. Now i just need to find a new job, having no experience Bad timing as i'm expecting my first child at the tail end of February. Well, at least im over this hurdle...

 

[theevilsharpie]

Congratulations on passing the exam.

With that said, I'm not really sure the CCNA exam will be helpful in finding a networking job if you have no experience and no other certifications.

 

[brblx]

well yeah, any 'technical' career field needs experience. it's hard to learn to diagnose and fix things in school.

but congrats on your, uh, thing. i'm guessing this like an MSCE-type thing (but for cisco, obviously)?

 

[DarkWarrior2]

Congratulations, dude!

I once knew a guy (a co-worker at a previous job) who took the CCNA twice and failed it both times.

The reason he failed is because he tried to cheat for the test with "TestKing" which is just a bunch of answers for the test.

If only he just studied the material, he could have passed it the first time.

I don't have a CCNA, mind you. I did study for a while and pass two MCP's in the same week. (Wasn't trying to prove anything - the vouchers were about to expire, lol)

 

[guyver01]

A paper CCNA (those with the cert, but without any real world experience) are about as useful as a screen door on a Submarine.

Good luck getting a job.. i'd shoot a little lower than a Network Engineer... try Network Admin, or Help Desk, to get your feet wet.

 

[Lithium381]

Yeah, i realize it's worth the paper it's printed on, and i'm certainly not of the mindset that "i have a ccna now, i get $100k+" i know i still have to start at the bottom, but hopefully it's helps..... we'll see.

 

[theevilsharpie]

Good luck getting a job.. i'd shoot a little lower than a Network Engineer... try Network Admin, or Help Desk, to get your feet wet.

This. For entry-level helpdesk positions, the most common types of certifications I see requested are the CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, and the Microsoft Certified Professional. Having a degree in a technical field also helps.

Take a look at some job ads to see what employers in your area are looking for.

 

[Poulsonator]

Congrats! It's a huge first step. I take my CCNA exam on Monday!

 

[JEDIYoda]

A paper CCNA (those with the cert, but without any real world experience) are about as useful as a screen door on a Submarine.

Good luck getting a job.. i'd shoot a little lower than a Network Engineer... try Network Admin, or Help Desk, to get your feet wet.

I have always liked guyver01`s form or brand of encouragement!!

 

[guyver01]

I have always liked guyver01`s form or brand of encouragement!!

i'm too old to candy coat shit for the emotionally unstable.

i'm sorry in advance if this offends anyone, but i'm beyond caring about your feelings.

 

[Kadarin]

Congrats on passing, and good luck with the job search. As others have said, don't aim too high at first. However, the cert will most likely help as employers will take it more seriously than an A+ or Network+.

 

[biggestmuff]

Congrats. My company sent us to a boot camp recently. I passed ICND1, but missed ICND2 by 4 points. So, I'm CCENT certified, but not CCNA yet.

 

[Mike Gayner]

No Experience + CCNA >>>>> No Experience - CCNA

Congrats on passing, I hope it opens up new opportunities for you.

 

[melchoir]

Congrats! I hope it helps you transition careers.

As a CCNA I'll say that it did have a pretty immediate impact on me switching jobs, but at the same time I did have several years of experience before I decided to get certified.

If I were in your position I'd consider taking an A+, and an MCP type cert that will definitely help you in picking up an entry level job. As most help desk/desktop support levels don't do anything that would require a CCNA.

At this point for you it's all about getting your foot in the door and getting even just a few years of professional experience.

 

[Bateluer]

Congrats, the CCNA is a powerful and respected cert.

 

[BudAshes]

Gj dude, its hard to study on your own with only your own gumption spurring you on.

 

[Hacp]

Good job on getting your CCNA. I heard it had a 50% failure rate.

 

[Uhtrinity]

Grats!!

 

[Hacp]

Congrats! I hope it helps you transition careers.

As a CCNA I'll say that it did have a pretty immediate impact on me switching jobs, but at the same time I did have several years of experience before I decided to get certified.

If I were in your position I'd consider taking an A+, and an MCP type cert that will definitely help you in picking up an entry level job. As most help desk/desktop support levels don't do anything that would require a CCNA.

At this point for you it's all about getting your foot in the door and getting even just a few years of professional experience.

How hard do you think it'll be to get a part time job as help desk with a CCNA? I have A+ already and might take the test if it improves my chances at a job drastically.

 

[rasczak]

my suggestion..try to find a helpdesk job or techie job at the local school/district. i was in your same position when i first started out in the IT field. no exp, just finished a voc. school for my MCSE. i was lucky enough to have been working as a student attendant at a school district, saw an opening for a computer lab assistant and got the job. from there i went to work for a subcontractor on a helpdesk for an armed forces network (pretty big one too. hated every second of it) gained a ton of experience there, moved on to where I am now. it's amazing how that one thing as simple as getting a cert can move you through a world.

 

[sactwnguy]

For some reason HR and hiring managers can have a inflated view of the CCNA. I once got rejected for a senior engineering job by a HR person for letting my ccna expire even though i had just passed the CCIE written. As for getting the CCNA congrats, just remember when you get that first help desk job if you are there more than 6 months you are doing it wrong. At my job we actually have a pool for how long someone will last when the helpdesk gets someone even a little competent.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Congrats! I used to barely pass the Cisco tests in college. The theory is just so heavy for me. I can imagine the cert test to be even harder then what we did in college. It's a big feat to get that cert.

As for a job I also suggest a help desk job. People think of help desk the same way they think of a burger flipper, but trust me it's not like that, and help desk requires quite a bit of knowledge and to be a fast learner and multitasker etc. It's the helpdesks in India that suck, the ones this side of the planet actually have to do lot of work and have technical knowledge. It's a great way to get your feet wet in IT, and it's fairly easy to move up from there once you prove yourself.

 

[Elbryn]

Congrats! I used to barely pass the Cisco tests in college. The theory is just so heavy for me. I can imagine the cert test to be even harder then what we did in college. It's a big feat to get that cert.

As for a job I also suggest a help desk job. People think of help desk the same way they think of a burger flipper, but trust me it's not like that, and help desk requires quite a bit of knowledge and to be a fast learner and multitasker etc. It's the helpdesks in India that suck, the ones this side of the planet actually have to do lot of work and have technical knowledge. It's a great way to get your feet wet in IT, and it's fairly easy to move up from there once you prove yourself.

just be wary about the length of time you spend in the helpdesk. stay there too long and you get labeled helpdesk.

 

[rasczak]

just be wary about the length of time you spend in the helpdesk. stay there too long and you get labeled helpdesk.

this. while you are working the HD job, actively look for other opportunities using your HD as experience. try to limit yourself to 1-2 year time frame of working that.

 

[skace]

Woa woa, people are under valuing the CCNA. Help desk? You don't get a CCNA to do help desk. If you got a CCNA and you want in the door, you want to work in the networking group, you may have to start with being a cable monkey, who pulls cable all day, but having a CCNA means you will move up quickly within the group. There are a lot of people out there who not only don't have their CCNA but wouldn't pass it if they tried.