Tips On Getting That First CCNA Job
by Francis Teo on August 15, 2009
in ccna job
Becoming a good CCNA network engineer and getting that first elusive CCNA job is definitely not an easy task, especially in this competitive job market. Here are 2 tips to help you succeed in your CCNA career journey.
1. Get the CCNA
Despite Cisco’s introduction of the CCENT certification (which you will get after passing the ICND1 exam), the CCNA is still widely regarded as the must have basic network certification by the industry as a whole. Thus, it is essential that you start working towards the CCNA certification as soon as possible. It has been shown in many surveys (including the TCPmag Salary Survey) that certified networking professionals are paid more. In this difficult market, being certified means that you have a better stab at that networking job. I previously made 2 introductory posts on the CCNA which you should review for more details on the CCNA journey. You might also want to take a look at CCNA video training which is an excellent way to get started.
2. Getting That First Networking CCNA Job
Once you have your CCNA, you can start looking for a suitable networking position. However, even if you haven’t gotten the certification yet, some employers might still be willing to employ you based on other factors. For example, if you are a CCENT certified and have relevant experience in other related fields such as servers, operating systems or general IT support, you might be considered favorably. Other networking certifications such as the CompTia Network+ certification (which is vendor independent) might also carry some weight.
One thing you might want to note is that the people who write the job specifications on career websites, job boards or newspapers might not be the same people who are hiring. Because of this, don’t always take the job requirements as set in stone and give it a shot anyway. It is common that the person that is eventually hired might not fulfill all the requirements as employers usually put too wide a range of certifications required in the ad.
An impressive and professionally written resume also helps with getting that CCNA job. You can do this yourself by reading some books or get a professional resume writer like those at ResumeWriters.Com (Tip: Use coupon code “newjob” at checkout for a 10% discount) for help. Using a professional to get your resume done can improve your chances of getting an interview significantly.
Let me know if you enjoyed this post! I can be contacted on twitter (@savvynetcert) or using the feedback form above.
Cheers,
Francis
