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No Experience + Certificates = ???
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| I have a Bachelor in Comp Networking, soon to get my MCSA (Net+ and A+ electives) and later CCNA by November.
1. But I'm wondering, after I got all these certificates and with no experience, what kind of job would I land on or shoot for?
2. I'm really terrified if I got a job then I couldn't do it. I have done all the hands-on exercises on the book. All the stuff that I learn from the certs, would that be enough for a Network Admin position?
3. What kind of salary can I expect?
Thanks | |
| curiousgeorge 2004-07-24, 11:04 pm |
| Don't expect to land a network admin job with no experience.
Certs don't mean anything without experience.
Look for desktop support, helpdesk, or technician jobs.
Most beginning tech jobs pay $25,000 - $30,000 in my area (Tennessee). You might be able to land something a little higher, but don't walk into an interview expecting to name your own salary.
You can send your resume for network admin jobs, but don't expect any replies. I'm not being mean, but hiring managers usually don't interview people with no experience for an administrator position. | |
| DXU76 2004-07-25, 12:21 am |
| Yeah, I know you're not being mean.
So how many years do people usually do the desktop support, helpdesk, or technician jobs before they can move up? | |
| JavaSith 2004-07-25, 2:04 am |
| moving up from desktop support/helpdesk
is dependent on alot of factors like
1. performance & competency & work-ethic
2. office politics (as in "who you know")
3. position openings
4. affordability (as in "how long can your company keep you where you are without losing you?")
5. being in the right place/right time
6. competition (as in "are there other entry-level/junior infosec co-workers jockeying to move ahead of you?")
7. other reasons not on this list
in all cases, any one of the above factors or combination of factors will change your situation. You'll move up in your career depending on how well you "play" with those factors. if you play items 1,2, and 3 well, you'll move up w/n a year if you have absolutely no competition from your peers. just remember that certs compliment experience in adding more credibility, and NOT the other way around.
good luck | |
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| He he he, brown nosing...sure does help in every situation.
I'm just hoping that the certs would help me get to the door. | |
| Taqwus 2004-07-25, 11:07 am |
| I would watch out for getting too many certs when they look at your resume and see you have no real experience and see all these certifications they will wonder.
If you are looking to get your foot in the door, www.Barrister.com is always looking for tech to send out to do minor repairs throught the US | |
| Fobulous 2004-07-29, 11:21 am |
| This is my .02.
I have about 6 years of experience in the Telecom industry before got let go in 2002. I attended the MS classes 2003 and got my MCSE 2000 along with A+,Network+,and Security+. i just landed a job here as a Network Eningeer I (or Associate Network Engineer as they call it). the company is a web hosting company.
i took a paycut to get this job..but this is what i want to do. and i'm very happy to be in this position.
so if you don't have any working experience..then i think it will be kinda hard to land anything at all... | |
| cmelch 2004-07-29, 5:13 pm |
| It really doesnt matter what you learned in your classes. When you get in the real world, you probably will have to learn something totally different. I was trained in Windows 2000, Cisco, and Unix. I land my first help desk job and everything is from Windows NT to Windows 2003, Novell and Apple. We have about 75 in house applications that we have to support. I didn't worry too much if I didnt know what to do or not. I just kept the mindset that any problem that i encountered I can resolve. I think that if someplace does hire you, they will understand that it will be a learning process. It is funny though, because when back in January, I could not get a recruiter to return any phone calls. Just this morning, I got three phone calls from recruiters who saw my resume online and who are offering more money because now I have 'experience'. Go figure. | |
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| How long have you work for this help desk job? How's the pay? If you don't mind me asking. 
thanks | |
| cmelch 2004-07-29, 7:02 pm |
| I started this job in late January and I was making $17 an hour until next Monday, then I go up to $19 an hour. | |
| wayne62682 2004-07-29, 7:59 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by cmelch
I started this job in late January and I was making $17 an hour until next Monday, then I go up to $19 an hour.
$17 an hour for a HELP DESK job??  Jeez.. over here help desk/support jobs barely pay around $10 an hour. | |
| cmelch 2004-07-29, 11:20 pm |
| I work in New York City | |
| curiousgeorge 2004-07-30, 12:40 pm |
| dxu-
I would say you would need a bare minimum of 2 years experience before someone would consider you for a network admin position.
You will learn 10 times more once you're on the job. Especially if you work for a company that uses multiple platforms (Windows, Novell, Mac, Linux).
Hope that helps.
Welcome to the crappy world of IT. | |
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| 2 yrs....that's sounds reasonable.
Since you mention multiple platforms, that brings me to another question. My certifications are only for MS products. Would I be eligible or considered by employers with those multiple platforms? | |
| curiousgeorge 2004-07-31, 1:55 am |
| Yes.
You'll never be expected to know EVERYTHING going into a job.
If you're asked a direct question on something you haven't worked with (Macs, Novell, etc), just say "Most of my training has been with Cisco routers and Windows. I'm very eager to pick up new skills with Novell."
I have six years experience, but I've never worked with Macs until my current job. I simply told them I haven't worked on Macs before, but I was eager to add that to my experience. They liked my response. | |
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| Thanks.
I can really say that I learn a lot from this board. | |
| ZacDogg 2004-08-03, 4:13 pm |
| A huge factor is how hard you're willing to work and study. I got my first IT job 2 1/2 years ago. It was a Help Desk position that paid $14/hour. For the last 2 1/2 years I've worked hard and studied my a$$ off, and still do. I progressively got better jobs and am now a Network Engineer making over 3 times more than I did then.
I've always taken the stance that you need to study longer and worker harder then everyone else. Otherwise you're just going to be like everyone else. Unemployed and complaining about it.
Seriously, when you don't have any experience you need to do something to make yourself stand out. I did it by being able to show a very strong desire to learn.
Zac | |
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| I AM studying my a$$ off. At least 3.5 hours a day every weekdays while having a full-time job.
I'm really thinking of getting my CCNA before going out there looking for a job. I'm hoping to land at least on LAN Support 1 job. Maybe that's a step higher than Help Desk?? Oh well, no experience means no experience, unless I have an insider to help me get my foot to the door. | |
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| I'm considering to get CCNA also, but I wonder if that is necessary for now.
Since you all have been saying that I most probably land on a Help Desk/Support job, would CCNA be an overkill?
Would it be wiser to finish up with the MCSA, get experience for a year or two THEN get CCNA and hopefully move up the ladder?
Thanks | |
| curiousgeorge 2004-08-09, 1:55 pm |
| It depends on your focus.
If you want to be involved with setting up routers, switches, and wiring, then a CCNA will be good.
If you want to focus on network administration, it's better to stay with the MCSA route.
It's hard to believe that Zac is making almost $100,000 with only 2 1/2 years of experience. Even in the glory years of IT back in 2000/2001, people didn't get paid that much, so don't get the idea that his situation is normal.
Good luck | |
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| But isn't Network Administration also involves setting up routers, switches, and wiring? | |
| curiousgeorge 2004-08-10, 10:34 am |
| Only in small companies.
Mid-size and large companies have specialists.
i.e.
one position only handles router problems
one position only does wiring
one position only handles email
one position only handles AD, DNS, and DHCP
one position only handles security
one position only handles backups and maintenance
and so on...
The only time I had to handle ALL of those tasks was when I worked for a small training company with 14 employees, 8 servers, and 100 computers.
If you work for a company with over 1,000 employees in multiple locations, you would never be expected to handle everything. They would hire you to handle a specific area.
Hope that helps. |
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