Advice to get work in Network Engineering

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HawK89

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Topic # 162191 1-Feb-2015 16:09

*Sorry if I made this thread in the wrong category, but the Jobs section seemed like the appropriate choice apart from off-topic*

Hey guys, I'm currently seeking advice on how to get into the networking engineering work scene. I have been searching and asking for open positions since 2010 and have yet to land myself a job. The response I get was that they were after someone with background experience already.

Right now I have no idea what to do. I had been searching for 2 years after graduation, then had health issues that I had to get surgery for that made me unfit for work for the whole of 2013, searching for a job again in 2014, and now here I am.

I have CompTIA A+ 220-601/602, Microsoft 70-620/290/291. Completed IT Computer Technician, Networking, Network Engineering Level 5 and Network Systems Engineering level 6 courses.
I always hear that experience is what people are after and not to waste too much money on qualifications. I've already spent around 15k on courses and I feel it being wasted as each year goes by. Even the certs are old now as they touch on Vista and WS2003.

I've been looking into Computer Power Plus as they offer graduate jobs at the end of the course, but thats another 10k to invest in for an IT career.

Any advice on where to go from here is appreciated!

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Reply # 1227265 1-Feb-2015 19:35

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You are unlikely to jump into a network engineers role without prior experience, unless someone is specifically looking for a junior team member for future growth.

What work experience do you have? You need to get some entry-level helpdesk / desktop support type role(s) under your belt imo.

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HawK89

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Reply # 1227276 1-Feb-2015 20:12

Hey, thanks for the reply. I have 0 work experience regarding IT. I've done non-IT work during my high school days. Would my current qualifications be enough for a helpdesk support role? do I need further qualifications? ta

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Reply # 1227327 1-Feb-2015 21:25

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Helpdesk yes, is a great place to get your foot in the door for experience. However with those qualifications, some helpdesks may be reluctant to take you on, in case "you get bored" - I got into IHUG helpdesk with only 6 months Windows experience and basic TCP/IP knowledge back in the day..... (along with almost 10 years Amiga experience inc TCP/IP on that - feel old now).

Just start applying at various ISP/network companies and see what happens...

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Lias

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Reply # 1229070 2-Feb-2015 22:53

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HawK89: Hey, thanks for the reply. I have 0 work experience regarding IT. I've done non-IT work during my high school days. Would my current qualifications be enough for a helpdesk support role? do I need further qualifications? ta

Never say never, but the odds of you getting something other than a very entry level helpdesk or field engineer type job without IT experience are.. very slim... And as other shave noted starting to add stacks of quals after your name puts off employers from hiring you from such junior rolls.

Try and get a foot in the door doing helpdesk or desktop rollouts with somewhere like Fujitsu, Gen-I, Unisys, Hp/EDS, Datacom, etc.

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HawK89

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Reply # 1230498 3-Feb-2015 13:23

Cheers guys for the replies! It seems that a tier 1 helpdesk role is where I need to start off. The only thing I'm confused on is that the advertisement seeks a minimum of 1 year work experience in a similar role. Is this something like asking non-pay work experience from local IT companies?

Coil

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Reply # 1230534 3-Feb-2015 13:45

You went to Avonmore by the looks of it.
You will definitely not get a "network Engineering" job straight off the bat.
Find a good company and enter in where everyone else has at some point. A foot in the door is good. Prove yourself. just because you studied doesnt mean your straight at the top.
Try a Telco, usually easy to land a helpdesk job and then progress up from there.

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gbwelly

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Reply # 1230657 3-Feb-2015 16:47

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Where I work we take IT students during the holidays and pay them a pittance. We do however often employ them afterwards if they are good. I would suggest that were you to get in contact with companies with around 2000 employees that aren't banks or corporate juggernauts with rules prohibiting such things, you might easily get 6 months volunteer experience which wouldn't interfere with any benefits you may be receiving. This will at the least let you apply for jobs whilst 'employed' and if you come across as good you might get snapped up. You would likely get such exciting tasks as lease returns or PC builds, with a smattering of switch stack configuration and windows helpdesk.

Oriphix

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Reply # 1231340 4-Feb-2015 19:38

As above I would start at a help desk somewhere similar to build some experience then look for a junior network engineer role and move up.

With 0 experience trying to get a role as a Network Engineer will be very hard to find

timmmay

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Reply # 1231344 4-Feb-2015 19:56

Experience is key. I'm hiring a DBA type person at the moment, qualifications are nice but both theoretical knowledge and more important practical experience are key. We'd hire someone who has experience doing some or most of what we want, but not none of it.

Helpdesk will get you started and into the next rung up the ladder. You'll just have to climb the ladder like everyone else, unless you know someone who will give you a chance and train you up. A graduate position, basically.

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HawK89

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Reply # 1231383 4-Feb-2015 21:29

Hey guys, thanks for the input. I was actually unaware that helpdesk was the starting point. When doing the networking courses, It felt like that was the entry point.

muppet

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Reply # 1231386 4-Feb-2015 21:34

Networking courses will help in getting an entry level job because they'll show you're keen and want to learn.

Good luck with the job hunt!

timmmay

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Reply # 1231480 5-Feb-2015 07:23

HawK89: Hey guys, thanks for the input. I was actually unaware that helpdesk was the starting point. When doing the networking courses, It felt like that was the entry point.

Helpdesk may not be the only entry point. I went straight from uni into a graduate job in the field I trained in, software development. A friend of mine in his 30s went from electronics to development and go a grad job in the same area.

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Sounddude

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Reply # 1231485 5-Feb-2015 07:47

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Depends what type of networking jobs you are going for, but I highly recommend getting your Cisco CCNA.

Fairly easy to self study. Cisco have just released a very good network simulator (Cisco VIRL) which will help you get your head around using the actual devices, if you are a hands on learner.

ZSasha

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Reply # 1272631 28-Mar-2015 23:29

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Agree, get at least CCNA (because CompTIA worth nothing) - it is perfectly possible even without any paid courses.

Just buy a a good book or two (search on ciscopress.com for CCNA prep materials and then check the titles you found on Amazon to get people reviews), download GNS3 and you'll get it!
You can also watch a lot of videos on the Internet, some of them are really excellent (CBT, INE) and there are plenty of free videos as well.

(I got my CCNP doing exactly this)

good luck!

HawK89

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Reply # 1272775 29-Mar-2015 11:51

@ZSasha Thanks for the input.

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