Certifications and IT jobs/Salaries - Cisco Versus Microsoft

Author

Cisco Versus Microsoft

Cisco_Power

2005-04-11, 7:55 pm

Hi everyone. Im a newbie in the field. No work experience (yet). I just completed my CCNA by STUDYING for it (no dumping). My question is, what do i go for next? I have net+ and a+ already too.
My CCNA instructor denied me an internship at his firm becuase he's scared I might screw up on a router and take down the whole subnet or something, only becase Im a rookie. I would really like to go for the CCNP or CCSP, but Im thinking that for a beginner, no firm would let a rookie touch a router or a switch (CCNP) console or even go poking around its security system (CCSP). Im thinking a firm would logically more or less move a rookie into server administration (MCSE) and other tasks like that (making passwords and user accounts, etc.

So the bottom line is, from all of your experiences for when you were first starting out in I.T., would it be better to go for my MCSE or CCNP/CCSP? Thank you very much.

Kasor

2005-04-11, 10:52 pm

Depend on your career goals...

MCSE will be a good start, it is more much easier to understand.

Also, are u confidence on your Cisco skill!!! Talk to other instructors...,

smrkdown

2005-04-11, 11:08 pm

I think your instructor is retarded. They shouldn't be worried about you screwing up their configurations because they shouldn't give you sufficient access to do so. They should have safeguards in place and only give you the level of access you'd need. Then, as trust is developed and you become more skillful, they can give you more access as needed. I'm an engineer intern at an ISP, I have limited access to certain systems, routers, and NASes.

darthw

2005-04-12, 12:37 am

I agree with smrkdown. Certainly as a newbie you may likely find yourself in an entry-level position, however the more knowledge you have the better off you'll be.

I started off in desktop support for a couple years, so the A+, N+, CCNA, and, perhaps next the MCDST cert that is now available would be a good start. Then maybe MCSA, or CCNP depending upon the opportunities you find.

curiousgeorge

2005-04-12, 2:28 pm

Yep, your instructor is an idiot. Makes me wonder if HE has any real-world experience. No company is going to let their interns suddenly take over the network.

Like all jobs, you have to start at the bottom. If you want to stay on the router configuration side, try to get a job as a cable technician. They're the ones that install all the cabling, hook them up to wall jacks and patch panels, and let you troubleshoot the cabling side of things.

If you want to go the network admin side of things, get a job as desktop support.

After you get a couple years of experience in a production environment, you'll be able to move up into better roles.

Good luck my friend.

117wik

2005-04-12, 4:20 pm

i started off doing Microsoft etc too, and since then have come a long way to get to where i am now (dealing with firewals, cisco routers switches, IDSes etc etc).

Definitely go for Microsoft first, no matter what you do you need to have good understanding of operating system, you need to know how to build a PC and how mail servers / proxy etc work... Personally i also think there are more demands for microsoft support then purely network engineer (that's what happen to the country i am in anwyay).

Don;t bother going for any advance certification until you have some real hands on experience. Get a job either now or after you have done some Microsoft certifications (if linux interest do that instead of Microsoft), and after you have got your first job... start to think which area you would like to specialise in.

It;s quite funny that your instructor is teaching cisco and he doens;t even know how to lock his cisco infrastructure down using AAA.

Anyway good luck to you.. work hard and learn hard... you will definitely get somewhere one day.

kokichi

2005-04-17, 9:10 am

A question that so many people discuss about it.
According to my experience, you should first study MCSE.it not require much to persue.
You don't need much device for lab and it is easier to learn by yourself.
I am working for an ISP, my duty is Configuration the net work.I have got the CCNP and Cisco PIX Specialist , but sometime i got difficult when work with OS.
So i think you should know both of it.

Cisco_Power

2005-04-18, 4:17 pm

Thank you all for your comments. I have decided to pursue the MCSE. Then after some experience, I will pursue the CCNP and telephony (which is another hot field in cisco).
My instructor should have known about putting AAA on routers to prevent accidents from happening. oh well.

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