CCNA certification questions

[jackroo]

Ok I originally posted about IT careers earlier and I had a more specific question.

I've been doing research about CCNA certification. I've gotten some really mixed results. Some say it's on its way out, some say jobs are scarce, while others say it will pay me $50k+ starting out. The school which offers this program obviously says it's a good investment of my time and money (they said the program is about $2,000) I've also read this program is incredibly challenging and the exam itself is darn near impossible unless you have some type of IT networking experience. I don't have IT or networking experience but I would love to get into the field.

So the questions I have for someone who might be in this field right now or someone who has at least attempted CCNA certification:

Would this be worth my time and investment?

Is the career outlook good for this field and why have I read that this CCNA is on its way out?

Thank you for any and all responses!!

 

[9to5cynic]

Ok I originally posted about IT careers earlier and I had a more specific question.

I've been doing research about CCNA certification. I've gotten some really mixed results. Some say it's on its way out, some say jobs are scarce, while others say it will pay me $50k+ starting out. The school which offers this program obviously says it's a good investment of my time and money (they said the program is about $2,000) I've also read this program is incredibly challenging and the exam itself is darn near impossible unless you have some type of IT networking experience. I don't have IT or networking experience but I would love to get into the field.

So the questions I have for someone who might be in this field right now or someone who has at least attempted CCNA certification:

Would this be worth my time and investment?

Is the career outlook good for this field and why have I read that this CCNA is on its way out?

Thank you for any and all responses!!

Okay, first, I *highly* doubt that anything cisco is on it's way out. That being said, CCNA is the a pretty entry level Cisco cert. It's the building block to the higher ones (like CCNP). The cert expires (which is why a lot of professionals advance up to the higher certs - it makes more sense to study this new material and advance than to re-study the mundane and minor details of the CCNA), so you have that to consider.

The test are pretty tough, especially if you actually take them and learn the material. If you just cram an online answer key (which is entirely possible) you'll probably do alright on the test (read: pass), but you won't gain the fundamentals for the hands on portion. Oh yeah, you have to do that too.

Now, I'm not sure where you're taking this, but at my university the CCNA courses were broken up into four classes (each one being a prerequisite) so that's a two year course. CCNP was the next two years.

In my experience, actually working on the cisco gear is pretty cool. It's a nice bit of problem solving, but also very repetitive.

As someone who recently finished their schooling in this area, I have this advice. Find something you like, not something you think will pay well. Money is important, but trivial compared to enjoying what you do. And you don't want to get burned out on it.

And as always, your mileage may vary.

 

[jackroo]

As someone who recently finished their schooling in this area, I have this advice. Find something you like, not something you think will pay well. Money is important, but trivial compared to enjoying what you do. And you don't want to get burned out on it.

Thank you very much for this honest response. I definitely want to keep looking into it. I did read about having to renew the cert every 3 years and I'm ok with that.

I would like to do computer-related work not just for the pay but because I like working around the field and have even made some Android apps for fun and not for money. Any further advice on it?

 

[andruoid]

As someone who took one of 'those' crash course Network Admin "diplomas" throughout 2011 I'd recommend the following; don't spend thousands on a course.

Get the CCNA books by Wendell Odom and pick up some actual Cisco gear on Craigslist, 2 switches for sure and if possible a router. Then practice, give yourself a realistic time frame to learn IOS and the theory inside and out. Then challenge the CCNA exam(s).

You'll save a ton of money and have the CCNA cert just the same.

 

[9to5cynic]

Thank you very much for this honest response. I definitely want to keep looking into it. I did read about having to renew the cert every 3 years and I'm ok with that.

I would like to do computer-related work not just for the pay but because I like working around the field and have even made some Android apps for fun and not for money. Any further advice on it?

If you like making apps, have you thought about programming courses? You could take some of those, which would allow you to work in an office to do programming work for them, while advancing your hobby on the side. Win win.

 

[jackroo]

I've looked at programming courses and pretty much a lot of different categories as far as tech and computers go. So many options. I'm just trying to narrow down what is right (and affordable) for me. I appreciate your suggestion!

 

[9to5cynic]

No problem. I just recently finished my degree in this area so just thought I'd pass on some thoughts.

 

[jackroo]

Congratulations on your degree! May I ask if the pay is good? Don't want to poke into financial too much but I do want to pay off student loans from my other university.

 

[9to5cynic]

Thanks, I'm actually still looking for work, but depending on the area the pay can be pretty darn good. (But the areas with better pay have higher cost of living, so it kinda evens out).

The great thing about IT is that it's a pretty grand topic, and encompasses a lot of areas.

For example, say you start as working in networking and grow tired of it... Your experience with networking is beneficial in many other aspects of IT...

 

[lunatic59]

We recently went through an IT search for someone and the resume's (cv's) were plentiful ... the abilities not so much. We went through three people before we found someone that would satisfy much of our needs. Many of the applicants were highly specialized and not really interested in other IT areas. For example, we had programmers who could care less about networking, Web developers who couldn't troubleshoot a misbehaving application, an MSCE applicant who had no clue about deploying a Linux Server in an AD environment. It would be great to find someone who was a little versatile rather than just being a one-trick pony.

 

[9to5cynic]

We recently went through an IT search for someone and the resume's (cv's) were plentiful ... the abilities not so much. We went through three people before we found someone that would satisfy much of our needs. Many of the applicants were highly specialized and not really interested in other IT areas. For example, we had programmers who could care less about networking, Web developers who couldn't troubleshoot a misbehaving application, an MSCE applicant who had no clue about deploying a Linux Server in an AD environment. It would be great to find someone who was a little versatile rather than just being a one-trick pony.

Versatile is my middle name :rofl:

 

[lunatic59]

Versatile is my middle name :rofl:

I'll be that got you beat up a lot in Jr. High.

At work we've got a network engineer, an applications specialist, a database administrator, a web developer, a domain manager and a help desk. They are all me.

 

[andruoid]

Hopefully they pay you right. The tech jobs around my area pay painfully low wages and expect the world from you.

Being a welder/fabricator now I have experienced more respect and pay for my knowledge.

To add:
Saying that, if wages changed I'd be back in IT.