Moving from a support job to network admin
November 21, 2019 8:23 PM Subscribe
My career has been pretty much Desktop/Tech support as a title, but I've done Jr Network Admin work, despite lacking the certificates - I have a chance to take some time to get certificates and classes - but I have no idea what's valuable! What's good to get? What's the best bang for my buck?
Response by poster: I am not enjoying how you assume (despite me saying I already do some Network Admin tasks) that I need to learn how to do them and network with my existing team. That is not what I asked for.
I already do those tasks. "I've done Jr Network Admin work." - I am looking for certs/classes because every job I have reached out to has asked what certs I have. Which indicates people do care?
posted by FritoKAL at 12:06 PM on November 22, 2019
I already do those tasks. "I've done Jr Network Admin work." - I am looking for certs/classes because every job I have reached out to has asked what certs I have. Which indicates people do care?
posted by FritoKAL at 12:06 PM on November 22, 2019
In scanning resumes, two things would catch my eye: diversity or depth. People who show curiosity and ability to learn by acquiring some combination of vendor basic admin certs (CCent to ccna, depending on vendor) plus a software virtual networking or cloud cert , or a specialty like security, or appliance specific stuff like a Pbx. I like the CCONP and wireshark certs for learning and value, but they don’t weigh much in a resume filter, and employers may not pay for them. VMware networking is in the middle.
On the depth side, I know what a CCIE or jncie means. Pretty much everything else I can’t measure and don’t care about. If someone shows they have X months or classes to complete certification, that’s more useful than a list of vendor classes.
posted by unknown knowns at 4:46 PM on November 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
On the depth side, I know what a CCIE or jncie means. Pretty much everything else I can’t measure and don’t care about. If someone shows they have X months or classes to complete certification, that’s more useful than a list of vendor classes.
posted by unknown knowns at 4:46 PM on November 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
CCNA would be the only one I'd even think about. While thinking it's bogus unless that's the only vendor the employer uses. I'd be troubled by an employer going for the certification angle vs the skills angle.
But that would just be so I'd expect you to know the basics and not get lost. The reality is multiple vendors and crazy.
I am not HR. I was once a support job and then network admin for large university for 17 years. Coming in blind, I'd take any network cert as just a bit of knowing the terms and concepts. The rest is a crazy ball of mixed vendors and being able to read a manual and make things work outweighs knowing one specific thing.
posted by zengargoyle at 7:03 PM on November 22, 2019
But that would just be so I'd expect you to know the basics and not get lost. The reality is multiple vendors and crazy.
I am not HR. I was once a support job and then network admin for large university for 17 years. Coming in blind, I'd take any network cert as just a bit of knowing the terms and concepts. The rest is a crazy ball of mixed vendors and being able to read a manual and make things work outweighs knowing one specific thing.
posted by zengargoyle at 7:03 PM on November 22, 2019
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At the same time, start training on whatever vendor certs exist for the flavor of network hardware in your environment.
The first shows the staff at your shop you're a smart and motivated one, and will teach you specifics about the network requirements and configuration. The second teaches you how to fix/address.
Don't get a network+. No one cares.
Two more tips: ask network to lunch to build relationships, and ask for read only accounts on firewalls/routers as you get to those sections of the training.
posted by bfranklin at 3:50 AM on November 22, 2019 [1 favorite]