CCNA Certification Help

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RandomBro

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Wannabe Geek

Topic # 232188 3-Apr-2018 20:51

Hi Everyone,

I'm currently working in a Level 1 Helpdesk for an ISP and looking to upskill.

After doing some research and talking to a few mates I decided CCNA is a good skill to learn that pays well and has many job opening.

I'm learning the skills for CCNA certification online (Cybrary) and plan on taking the exam soon and getting certified.

I would love to get any feedback/suggestions from existing professionals on how to go about it.

Also if anyone can point me in the right direction about any resources to learn the skills and how and where to get the certification from?

Please feel free to let me know if there are any pitfalls or issues that I should be aware of?

Any help will be highly appreciated,

Cheers,

Nash

chevrolux

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Reply # 1987893 3-Apr-2018 21:16

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For me, as someone who is hiring, your experience in the help desk is worth FAR more than ccna is.

CCNA is great to gain that very base network knowledge, but then it goes really Cisco centric (not surprising of course). The fact is that only the biggest IT firms still sell and support Cisco gear.

Really, it all depends what work YOU want to do going forward in your career.

RandomBro

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 1987901 3-Apr-2018 21:58

Hi chevrolux,

Thanks for your reply, I have mentioned the reasons I choose to get CCNA certified, Please let me know if you think I'm not on the right track.

For me, as someone who is hiring, your experience in the help desk is worth FAR more than ccna is.
My role is the helpdesk is pretty basic (Completely Non-Tech people are also doing the same Job) and that experience might not count anywhere other than the same Helpdesk.

CCNA is great to gain that very base network knowledge, but then it goes really Cisco centric (not surprising of course). The fact is that only the biggest IT firms still sell and support Cisco gear.
CCNA was my choice as I want to get a certification that will help me get my foot in the door to get an IT job, I want to work for a decent size organization where I can earn a decent salary.

Really, it all depends what work YOU want to do going forward in your career.
Honestly, I'm not very sure on any specific branch in IT and was looking for a break which would help me grow further.

Cheers,

Nash

hio77

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Reply # 1987920 3-Apr-2018 23:34

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RandomBro:

My role is the helpdesk is pretty basic (Completely Non-Tech people are also doing the same Job) and that experience might not count anywhere other than the same Helpdesk.

Honestly, I'm not very sure on any specific branch in IT and was looking for a break which would help me grow further.

I started out much like you, actually... you will find many of the folk around here.

Based on how you word things, i highly suspect you have started out with some inital knowledge rather than just jumping in to a random helpdesk role - i too had a slight shock here!

Considered finishing my CCNA, but never really had a downtime period to do so.

best advise i can give is, go ahead and let yourself shine. but not show up other staff; this can lead to some awkward situations.

If an opportunity to secondment out pops up, take it. show what you have and biggest thing of all.. go that extra mile where it counts.

If i looked back at when i stepped in as a tier 1.5? rep, i never thought i'd be doing what i'm doing today.

many larger cooperates often have training options internally to do things like a CCNA (or equivalent relevant option) Just takes a bit of looking around.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Lias

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Reply # 1988161 4-Apr-2018 12:49

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I didn't do mine to go into a career in networking, more as an "extra string in my bow" as a systems engineer, so might not be totally relevant to you.

I did my training through a Cisco Networking Academy as a part time student, I found the extra resources you get are pretty good (albeit most of them can be found pirated online). Being able to visually see things and simulate them with packet tracer helped with my personal learning style, and I enjoyed learning a lot of the deeper background stuff (e.g. in the majority of IT careers you don't need that depth of understanding of TCP/IP or ethernet, but it was damned interesting).

Information wants to be free. The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.

RandomBro

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 1988378 4-Apr-2018 20:57

Hi hio77,

Thanks for your suggestions.

I have completed a level 7 in IT as a formal Qualification and have worked in a few roles From Deployment Engineer for VOIP products to Tech Helpdesk and Reporting Analyst (MIS) and a few bits here and there

I don't have any secondment or training opportunities at the current organization.

I would prefer to get certified and knowledgeable before I ask for a move to the IT team at the current organization to reduce my chances of being shot down.

It would be awesome to know the best places to take the exam and anything that's to be kept in mind before I take the leap.

Thanks again for your positive words, I hope to get things sorted soon.

Cheers,

Nash

RandomBro

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 1988405 4-Apr-2018 21:10

Hi Lias,

Exactly my thought even if I don't end up being networks and switch to something else it's a good to have skill.

Please let me know Where is the best place to go to take the exam.

I'm not keen on taking the classes but just the exam as I find it easy to learn at my time which doesn't collide with work.

Thanks for your input

Cheers,

Nash

Lias

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Reply # 1988493 5-Apr-2018 07:47

RandomBro:

Please let me know Where is the best place to go to take the exam.

I'm not keen on taking the classes but just the exam as I find it easy to learn at my time which doesn't collide with work.

The exam itself is just done in a generic PearsonVue testing center. I did mine at Vision College in Christchurch which is where I was living at the time, but there are dozens of places around the country. Most/all of the big IT training places (e.g. Ace, Auldhouse etc) double as testing centres for Pearson Vue, Prometric etc. They have special rooms put aside for the exams, you are not allowed to take anything into the exam with you (wallet, phone, pens, etc), you usually get a small whiteboard and marker for making notes on, then you sit in front of a PC in a room and take the exame. The better places you get a room for each PC, but some testing centres I've been too it's multiple PC's in one room, obviously talking to other candidates is forbidden. The rooms and exams are monitored by CCTV to prevent cheating. It's been a couple of years since I did mine (heck on that note I must be just about due for a renewal), but from memory the exam was a mix of multiple choice and simulations. That being said I'm pretty sure the CCNA courseweare and exams have had a major revision since I sat mine, so no doubt everything has changed.

Information wants to be free. The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.