(Adjevi7815) 1

Here is a little info about my background I have a BS in Computer System Technology, passed my CCNA about a year and I have a help desk position at a college for about three years. The CCNA has assisted with getting interviews, but I have not landed a job yet since the interviewers always asked me for network engineer experience. I still want to move on to network engineer, so I am think on get trained on VoIP and get my CCNA voice. What is the jobs prospect for someone with CCNA voice without experience? If you do not recommend CCNA voice would recommend SharePoint training or project management training.

@Cisco

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Get yourself on linkedin.com- go out and meet people at tech gatherings. Meet people. That is in my opinion the best way to find a job these days.

" its who you know"

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Apply for the job anyway, do what you need to do to build yourself. A degree and a cert don’t get you a job, you do that. What is the worst that’ll happen? You don’t get the interview because of your experience? Who cares throw you resume to 20 different businesses, you’ll get a biter eventually.

Some companies don’t even know what they are looking for, they copy what other companies do and say that’s what they need.

Case in point, an ex-coworker of mine applied for a job as a network administrator, job requirements were CCIE, N+, S+, MSCE, and a Masters in CS, the job payed $15/hr. He laughed at them and walked away.

Just because the ad says they require it, doesn’t mean they do.

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If Network Engineer is your goal, I feel like a VoIP track and CCNA Voice is not going to lead you there. That’s a different career path.

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Exactly this. Some HR departments craft the requirements based on half-assed interpretations or knowledge of IT. I’ve even seen a job posting where it was essentially a help desk position (not a supervisor or anything) in which they wanted a masters in CS or EE or MIS, but they preferred a PhD.

Yeah.

And when you see a job with all kinds of strict requirements and those requirements don’t seem to justify the position, at least in your opinion, it doesn’t hurt to apply. However, in your cover letter, let them know how you are qualified in regards to the position and how you would like an opportunity to interview.

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The reason why I may want to learn voice is that some company require the network engineer to support both data and voice infrastructure.

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that’s a very odd combination. I’d expect it to be combined with systems administration, not network.

(CHaynes2013) 8

Seriously, you have nothing to lose by applying.

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What is the industry like in your area? Would you be interested in moving at all? I have a bunch of friends that are headed to Florida because of the growing IT sector.

I actually did this while in the Marines, but afterwards in the civilian (real) world, it was more useful for me to have one as my main skill (VOiP) and the other as the basis/foundation.

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I live in NYC by the way, and I willing to relocate.

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put that into each covering letter too

you HAVE a degree, CCNA and worked in IT three years FFS

you have way more in depth knowledge than you are giving yourself credit for

in UK I use http://www.jobserve.com as my main sorce of job vacancies, look for something similar in USA, and apply for jobs that are ABOVE what you have now, go for network engineer, the interview WILL ask for experience, tell them you have the qualifications, and are more than willing to work hard to get the required on the job knowledge, most interviews are all done and dusted on first impressions too, so make sure you look good when you DO get the interview

but you have to keep plugging away - it will happen

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My CV says “Located in NY, Available Globally”

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It’s about who you know man. I had no Cisco Video Network experience, only Help Desk, and got a contract job working for the federal government. Only way I got it was because I knew one of the guys who referred me to the recruiter. Luckily, that same guys interviewed me, but he believed in my potential.

Another tip, which I have been doing for a while now, connect with network engineers on Linkedin and message them. Get together for lunch.

I have a friend who is a network engineer, and doesn’t even have his CCNA!! But he does have 10 years of experience with networking and linux.

One of the things i’ve done here at work is to let my manager know that I want to go into the network engineering field, and if he can connect me with an engineer here at the company, perhaps to shadow him once a month or something.

Just some basic ideas.

Good luck!!

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CCNA is specific to Cisco, it’s not a general Network Engineer career gateway. It’s common, insanely common (hence why it doesn’t open doors anymore) but it remains a Cisco cert so Juniper people or Brocade people don’t even look for it.

I’ve been a senior or super-senior role in many technologies in which I’m not certified. Once you get past a certain level, certification stops being very important.

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I have been shadowing our network engineer for a while, but he does not have much to do. He switches some ports to different vlans every now and then, replace switches. The network rarely goes down, the last time it was about three months ago.

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This is true, but DO read the ads in your area. Things change, and sometime cycle back and forth, But I do know in my area for the last 3 years or so, the Cisco certs will get you more interviews than MS certs do.

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Network admins generally exist only in very large companies and/or as consultants. Consider doing some volunteering for a non-profit.

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Do recommend any non profit?

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You’d want to do something local. Churches, animal shelters, food kitchens, private schools, you name it. They are everywhere. Not all want help, many are not really charities but actually tax shelters and money laundering schemes, so don’t be discouraged if free help is often turned away because often the payroll is used to funnel money to people who are owed favours or are relatives or whatever, but legitimate non-profits will definitely be glad to have people to help.