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Started By
Message
I'm Looking For an Entry Level Network Gig
Posted on 9/25/18 at 7:58 pm
Posted on 9/25/18 at 7:58 pm
I'm in kinda an odd place. I've got 13 years of progressive business experience for financial services. Fort Worth area. I got my CIS degree last May and have been casually looking for a Networking gig and waiting for a position to come open at my current company. I've gotten a little OTJ training with Cisco routers and switches but still pretty green at it all.
Currently studying through Pluralsight web tutorials for CCNA Route/Switch and some CCNA Security.
Seems like there aren't many jobs coming open at my current company, and the candidates getting the jobs are help desk guys moving up.
My current pay is higher than help desk so it's not financially doable for me to go backwards. Wife will be a nurse practitioner in a year so I'll consider it then. Off the table for now.
Since doors keep closing at my current company, I'm kinda left with considering another company. Every job posting has something like 5 years experience required/preferred among other requirements I don't meet. Not getting calls. My resume probably needs some work.
So two questions I have is 1) Should I send my resume to a resume review site? If so anyone have a recommendation?
And 2) Would a recruiter be a better route to go rather than trying to apply to everything I can find on Indeed or other job sites?
Sorry if this is in the wrong section.
Currently studying through Pluralsight web tutorials for CCNA Route/Switch and some CCNA Security.
Seems like there aren't many jobs coming open at my current company, and the candidates getting the jobs are help desk guys moving up.
My current pay is higher than help desk so it's not financially doable for me to go backwards. Wife will be a nurse practitioner in a year so I'll consider it then. Off the table for now.
Since doors keep closing at my current company, I'm kinda left with considering another company. Every job posting has something like 5 years experience required/preferred among other requirements I don't meet. Not getting calls. My resume probably needs some work.
So two questions I have is 1) Should I send my resume to a resume review site? If so anyone have a recommendation?
And 2) Would a recruiter be a better route to go rather than trying to apply to everything I can find on Indeed or other job sites?
Sorry if this is in the wrong section.
6
Posted on 9/25/18 at 8:24 pm to WhiskeyThrottle
There should be plenty of jobs in your area though that seems like a backwards move for you. One thing I have learned in my search is that experience is the most important thing for entry level. Where you're supposed to get that experience is something I haven't figured out yet.
Posted on 9/25/18 at 8:32 pm to WhiskeyThrottle
(no message)
This post was edited on 9/25/18 at 8:34 pm
Posted on 9/25/18 at 8:54 pm to WhiskeyThrottle
Nvm
This post was edited on 9/25/18 at 8:55 pm
Posted on 9/25/18 at 9:51 pm to Brosef Stalin
That is so true. Back when .NET devolopment was just a year or so old, there were job postings asking for 5-10 years of .NET experiemce. The only people who qualified were the engineers at Microsoft who built that architecture.
Posted on 9/26/18 at 5:34 am to Brosef Stalin
100% my problem. Need experience to get experience.
This post was edited on 9/26/18 at 8:00 am
Posted on 9/26/18 at 8:21 am to WhiskeyThrottle
(no message)
This post was edited on 12/21/21 at 11:33 am
Posted on 9/26/18 at 8:30 am to WhiskeyThrottle
I took a 15k pay cut and went to help desk. It hurt but we have been able to weather it. My wife is a nurse and I was in sales. We went from clearing 100k comfortably to now around 94kish per year. If you can’t grind and live off 94k per year in the South East US for 1-2 years while you build your career you’ve just got a life style problem. Not an income problem.
Been here a year. Starting to look around now and working on my CCNA.
Been here a year. Starting to look around now and working on my CCNA.
This post was edited on 9/26/18 at 8:37 am
Posted on 9/26/18 at 8:33 am to XanderCrews
quote:
I know you will probably not like this, but you are not qualified to do the job and if you were on a team they would not like you. I would try to start at help desk. If you are a fast learner and take on responsibility quickly you will move up.
This 100%
Posted on 9/26/18 at 9:21 am to WhiskeyThrottle
so you don't have your ccna correct?
i would make that sort of a goal before i started this whole job search thing personally.
i would make that sort of a goal before i started this whole job search thing personally.
Posted on 9/26/18 at 10:13 am to Muff
quote:
i would make that sort of a goal before i started this whole job search thing personally.
yup
0% chance of going from nothing to networking without it. Once CCNA is in hand, can probably land an entry level gig - most likely as a reboot monkey at a data center - as long as you can back up that CCNA in the interview. You can almost certainly expect to take a paycut on that first gig unless you are chronically underpaid now.
Posted on 9/26/18 at 10:42 am to jcole4lsu
Yeah that's the bit of a predicament I'm in. Probably overpaid if anything and it would be about a 15-25k pay cut to go to help desk.
If that's my reality (which I appreciate the hard truth), then it is what it is. The paycut will be easier to pallet once my wife starts her NP career in 10 months. I can be patient until then. For now I'll just keep studying, job shadowing, and maybe I'll get lucky.
I don't have my CCNA yet. Been studying for a couple of months and probably have a few more months to go before I'm comfortable with the content.
My job is letting me job shadow our network architect about 4 hours each week. I've asked him a few times directly if I need to just bite the bullet and go to the help desk first and long story short is he says not necessary. He doesn't sugarcoat stuff so I don't have any reason to doubt him. But the opportunity isn't opening up either which makes me lean more towards help desk as the first stop. I guess time will tell.
Last question, is there any value in purchasing a Cisco lab (2 routers and 3 switches) to jack around with?
If that's my reality (which I appreciate the hard truth), then it is what it is. The paycut will be easier to pallet once my wife starts her NP career in 10 months. I can be patient until then. For now I'll just keep studying, job shadowing, and maybe I'll get lucky.
I don't have my CCNA yet. Been studying for a couple of months and probably have a few more months to go before I'm comfortable with the content.
My job is letting me job shadow our network architect about 4 hours each week. I've asked him a few times directly if I need to just bite the bullet and go to the help desk first and long story short is he says not necessary. He doesn't sugarcoat stuff so I don't have any reason to doubt him. But the opportunity isn't opening up either which makes me lean more towards help desk as the first stop. I guess time will tell.
Last question, is there any value in purchasing a Cisco lab (2 routers and 3 switches) to jack around with?
Posted on 9/26/18 at 10:51 am to WhiskeyThrottle
I bought a big cisco lab of shite. You will eventually need it for higher certs. I used the lap equipment for a couple weeks of studying. Now I just use packet tracer because it's the same thing without the hassle.
The equipment is good if you have literally no physical hands on experience with the equipment. Otherwise packet tracer should be fine.
The equipment is good if you have literally no physical hands on experience with the equipment. Otherwise packet tracer should be fine.
Posted on 9/26/18 at 10:54 am to WhiskeyThrottle
quote:
My job is letting me job shadow our network architect about 4 hours each week.
This will be, by far, the most valuable thing you get to do.
quote:
Last question, is there any value in purchasing a Cisco lab (2 routers and 3 switches) to jack around with
For the CCNA? No. Packet Tracer should be enough to get your through ICND1 and ICND2. For anything other than the RS exams and all CCNP level exams then yeah a lab would be a massive help.
Your in DFW, so jobs are plentiful. Most however are actual entry level or senior level. There is plenty of us mid-career folks. Go on indeed, use CCNA as your search term, and look at the job listings.
See how many of the job requirements you meet. Thats how you get the interview.
See how many of the job duties you can realistically perform. Thats how you get the job.
Posted on 9/26/18 at 1:09 pm to jcole4lsu
Thanks. Yeah I'm seeing the same thing. Lot of entry level and senior positions.
The job shadowing so far has just been logical training. Making sure I understand how data communicates across hosts, switches and routers. Understanding DNS and DHCP servers as well. We worked through a handful of switch configuration commands the other day. The logical stuff all makes sense. I'm hoping we'll be able to do more of the hands on stuff even if its just me watching or being walked through changes. The guy I'm sitting with has been awesome and patient and thorough. So I'm really grateful for him letting me sit with him.
I've downloaded wireshark and I can watch traffic move across my home "network". But there is a TON of data. Holy crap it's hard to make heads or tales of it all but I'm understanding more and more as I move along.
I was hoping I could leverage my understanding of operations as a substitute for the help desk experience needed. I understand there is a huge flaw in that logic, but it's not easy to concede that my business experience doesn't get me any further than some recent college grad that has the same IT knowledge I have. It could still get me there, but maybe an outside chance.
Like i said, I'll keep studying and moving in that direction and see what comes up over the next year. Appreciate all of the input!
The job shadowing so far has just been logical training. Making sure I understand how data communicates across hosts, switches and routers. Understanding DNS and DHCP servers as well. We worked through a handful of switch configuration commands the other day. The logical stuff all makes sense. I'm hoping we'll be able to do more of the hands on stuff even if its just me watching or being walked through changes. The guy I'm sitting with has been awesome and patient and thorough. So I'm really grateful for him letting me sit with him.
I've downloaded wireshark and I can watch traffic move across my home "network". But there is a TON of data. Holy crap it's hard to make heads or tales of it all but I'm understanding more and more as I move along.
I was hoping I could leverage my understanding of operations as a substitute for the help desk experience needed. I understand there is a huge flaw in that logic, but it's not easy to concede that my business experience doesn't get me any further than some recent college grad that has the same IT knowledge I have. It could still get me there, but maybe an outside chance.
Like i said, I'll keep studying and moving in that direction and see what comes up over the next year. Appreciate all of the input!
Posted on 9/26/18 at 1:13 pm to XanderCrews
quote:
It would very hard to hire a "guy" with a CCNA and no experience.
I didn't think you could even take the test without a few years of experience. People here keep telling me to take it but that's like you're completely skipping over entry level. Most every career path in this field I've seen starts at help desk which is fine with me.
Posted on 9/26/18 at 1:25 pm to Brosef Stalin
quote:
I didn't think you could even take the test without a few years of experience.
Nah, people do it all the time. There are very good training resources out there. Lammle and Odom both have great books, and Kevin Wallace has a great video series, all of which are available on Safari Books Online. Packet Tracer is more than enough to get you through the CCNA in lieu of real life experience - you just have to apply yourself to it.
quote:
Most every career path in this field I've seen starts at help desk which is fine with me.
Networking can start at the traditional help desk, or it can start in a data center or NOC. You'll need at least the Network+, maybe even the full CCNA to get on with either of those though - it'll be market dependent.
If you are really hesitant about your ability to pass the CCNA, go ahead and take the Network+. The newest revision, N10-007 has been nerfed - so its much easier to pass. You could bang it out in a month.
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