Network Admins -- Is a CCNA enough to land an entry-level network support position?

[Acanthus]

With the giant pile of low-end certifications out there, I know that "more is better"

But I also understand that the CCNA is the hardest to achieve of the low-end certs. Is that certification alone enough to land a job with no relevant experience?

If not, what other certs would you recommend? A+ N+? Juniper? Microsoft Certs?

I'm talking just career starting entry-level work (anything but help desk).

 

[theevilsharpie]

Without any relevant experience backing it?

Probably not.

 

[skillyho]

I think you'll find a lot of this depends on the area you're in, or years of relevant experience vs technical capability.

Most of the interviews I've had are much more technical in nature, and you're "grilled" on what you do know and what you are capable of instead of certifications that can become worthless with things like brain dumps. Just food for thought...

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Great question, I'm in a similar spot. I'd love to go back to school & get a respectable degree but time/finances do not allow at this juncture. I was thinking of a CCNA also.

 

[spidey07]

Absolutely, yes. As long as you know what you're doing. Frequently it will be a level 3 type support position (swithports, wan utilization and QoS, wireless, basic connectivity and routing troubleshooting, layer2 and layer3 paths) and you can go on from there. Try to get some call manager and wireless experience, there's not enough folks with that out there.

 

[Acanthus]

Absolutely, yes. As long as you know what you're doing. Frequently it will be a level 3 type support position (swithports, wan utilization and QoS, wireless, basic connectivity and routing troubleshooting, layer2 and layer3 paths) and you can go on from there. Try to get some call manager and wireless experience, there's not enough folks with that out there.

I was planning on concentrating on security and wireless for my CCNP eventually.

 

[unokitty]

With the giant pile of low-end certifications out there, I know that "more is better"

But I also understand that the CCNA is the hardest to achieve of the low-end certs. Is that certification alone enough to land a job with no relevant experience?

If not, what other certs would you recommend? A+ N+? Juniper? Microsoft Certs?

I'm talking just career starting entry-level work (anything but help desk).

Certificates don't get jobs. People get jobs. So, the only reasonable answer is that "it depends."

A suggestion.
If you have a local Cisco Academy, go talk with them. Find out who hires their graduates. And then, go talk with them... Or, at least, go meet with them at a job fair or other event...

Only the companies that you would like to work for can answer your question.

Best of luck,
Uno

 

[zCypher]

Entry level? You don't need jack. I'm doing what you might consider entry level network support, don't yet have any certifications though I'd like to get my ccna and ccnp at some point. I started as a front line tech support agent, a few months later became the help desk for those agents and a few months after that got the opportunity to move into network support.

You do need the certifications if you want to move much farther than $35-45k.

My advice is get your foot in the door with a company you'd like to work for. ISPs can be a good place to start. You can study for any relevant certs once you're in. That's better than aimlessly getting certs for who knows what.

At least this way you can determine which certs would most benefit your career.

 

[alkemyst]

Entry level = CCNA. I got a Network Engineer job (not entry) with CCNA and admin experience. Admin and engineering <> to each other.

Since that time I picked up 2 more CCNA's and my R&S CCNP. It's been a little over a year.

 

[0roo0roo]

depends, i'm sure they look for some experience, its better to check to see if your local community college has a ccna program, at least they know you have some trouble shooting/hands on with equipment that way. otherwise..braindump is possible.

 

[Bateluer]

A CCNA is required for our Network Ops & Network Specialist teams, for what thats worth. The Net-Specialists are entry level.

Not sure how useful their CCNAs are though . . . they screw up about 1 in 3 tickets that we have to have them redo. Kinda aggravating. Like others said, people get jobs, not certifications.

 

[alkemyst]

CCNA is basic skills. Sadly the best people dealing with trouble tickets are most expert. There is no money in that usually.

 

[spidey07]

CCNA is basic skills. Sadly the best people dealing with trouble tickets are most expert. There is no money in that usually.

Tell Cisco TAC that. They used to be good. Now they're fucking Indians following a script. No clue.

Hey Indians! I can fucking google as well as you can. Show me you actually know a fuck about networking!

Oh please sir. Can I have de show tech do I can needful help you?

 

[alkemyst]

Tell Cisco TAC that. They used to be good. Now they're fucking Indians following a script. No clue.

Hey Indians! I can fucking google as well as you can. Show me you actually know a fuck about networking!

Oh please sir. Can I have de show tech do I can needful help you?

you can ask for english speakers. Normally I get Austrailans on the phone being on the east coast.