Where Should I Begin?

[Gerald]

I just recently graduated high school and I am going for Business Administration with a concentration in lnformation Technology. I have three certifications (A+, Net+, and Adobe certified associate). My dream job is to be a Network Admin. I just want to know what other certifications and training materials should I look into. I am interested in virtual technologies, as well as cloud computing. I would like to learn the fundamentals of programming, but I just do not know where to start. I would gladly appreciate the feedback.

[Infiltrator]

I'd say get a CCNA certification... Plus some server certifications if you want to get into network administration.

[Gerald]

I thought about CCNA, but Ciscos certifications only last a year. I just started college, so would it be beneficial to get it so early?

[Infiltrator]

I thought about CCNA, but Ciscos certifications only last a year. I just started college, so would it be beneficial to get it so early?

How long do you have until College finishes?

[Gerald]

4 whole years, as I stated before I just graduated High school.

[Infiltrator]

4 whole years, as I stated before I just graduated High school.

Yeah I would wait till you finish High School, and then I'd do the CCNA and look for a job.

[Gerald]

Yeah I would wait till you finish High School, and then I'd do the CCNA and look for a job.

Alright sounds like a good plan to me I'll just study other stuff till then. Thanks.

[Infiltrator]

Alright sounds like a good plan to me I'll just study other stuff till then. Thanks.

While you are still in High School, I would recommend you do some reading, studying and practice on networking. There are lots of books that you can buy online and Google to help you out, and the more you can learn now the better it will be for you later, when hunting for a job.

Employers are often looking for candidates who hasn't only got certifications but experience too. So I would start by getting to know what network routers and switches are, how they work as well as learning all the networking protocols, such as HTTP, FTP, RIP, IGRP, ARP, DNS and etc.

On the other hand, you will also need to learn and have a good understanding of how IP addresses and subnetting work, very important to know when building or managing a network.

Edited August 5, 2011 by Infiltrator

[The Sorrow]

Definately look for books and reading material. I dont know what kind of PC you have, but if you can run a few virtual machines using VMWare then thatll help immensely. Reading theory is good, but doing stuff, breaking stuff then fixing it is so much better.

[Gerald]

While you are still in High School, I would recommend you do some reading, studying and practice on networking. There are lots of books that you can buy online and Google to help you out, and the more you can learn now the better it will be for you later, when hunting for a job.

Employers are often looking for candidates who hasn't only got certifications but experience too. So I would start by getting to know what network routers and switches are, how they work as well as learning all the networking protocols, such as HTTP, FTP, RIP, IGRP, ARP, DNS and etc.

On the other hand, you will also need to learn and have a good understanding of how IP addresses and subnetting work, very important to know when building or managing a network.

I know about ip addresses fairly well, but I do struggle in understanding subnetting. Is there any advice in this area or somewhere I could go to learn about it in-depth? I understand why we have them and that it determines how many networks/hosts you can have, but I don't understand the numbers part to well.

[Gerald]

Definately look for books and reading material. I dont know what kind of PC you have, but if you can run a few virtual machines using VMWare then thatll help immensely. Reading theory is good, but doing stuff, breaking stuff then fixing it is so much better.

My pc is decent enough to run VMs I used them awhile ago for various things, but what OSs should I install on it and what is the purpose of installing the OS?

I just want to ensure that me installing an OS on a VM will help me complete my goal.

Edited August 6, 2011 by Gerald

[Infiltrator]

I know about ip addresses fairly well, but I do struggle in understanding subnetting. Is there any advice in this area or somewhere I could go to learn about it in-depth? I understand why we have them and that it determines how many networks/hosts you can have, but I don't understand the numbers part to well.

These links should help you understand subnetting a bit better.

http://www.ralphb.net/IPSubnet/subnet.html

http://www.tcpipguide.com/TCPIPGuide_2-0_sec2.pdf

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/ip-subnetting-made-easy/6089187

[The Sorrow]

Depends what work you want to do. i do a lot of windows and Linux hybrid environments. Namely because i like them both for different reasons. Im also a security guy and look at exploits based on the networks i build to make my builds more secure. Its really up to you and your goals for yourself.

[ZazenSec]

CCNA is good for three years. Not one. And if you want a solid game plan, get your CCNA, then when it comes to recertify go for your CCNP. That will recert your NA and give you the NP which will open your doors that much more. Right now the hotness is in security, cloud computing, and VMs.

[Calianna]

Completely agree with the CCNA & CCNP idea, those are really good in-depth qualifications which will go through the vast majority of Networking Foundation for you.

On the VMware side of things, dependant on your machine, you can setup and run a lot, especially if it's Linux based :) Since you know the CompTIA side of things too, not 100% relevant, but while your studying and waiting ot do your CCNA look at doing the Server+ and maybe Security+ there not expensive, and with a bit of hunting around only (or jsut buying a few books in from Amazon) you can get all the course material you need.

On the plus side ofc if your looking to move into Network Admin, they will look good on a resume.

Good Luck!

[The Sorrow]

Cisco is a great direction. Im working on my CCNA along with a couple others like Net+ and CEH.

Edited August 31, 2011 by The Sorrow

[Calianna]

Cisco is a great direction. Im working on my CCNA along with a couple others like Net+ and CEH.

You know the CEH, I thought well it was a bit naff tbh......can't really put my finger on it, but it just seems a little empty, in terms of what it could teach you for the price you pay for it.

[The Sorrow]

Don't have to worry about paying. I work for a company that funds certification. I just want to nail every cert i can just to be safe along with a bachelors in System Security.

[joeypesci]

Experience is still miles better than certificates. Certificates teach you how things should be and how they should be setup, but most company networks are a bit of a mess when you join, if they are large anyway. Try getting a work placement during college in a company in the Networking department. Or even volunteer for the networking department at college/uni.

I've learnt most of my IT on the job. Learnt more on the job than ever did at college.

[v0x]

Experience is still miles better than certificates. Certificates teach you how things should be and how they should be setup, but most company networks are a bit of a mess when you join, if they are large anyway. Try getting a work placement during college in a company in the Networking department. Or even volunteer for the networking department at college/uni.

I've learnt most of my IT on the job. Learnt more on the job than ever did at college.

While that's true, certifications aren't designed to teach you everything you need to know about everything, ever; they do, however, try to guarantee a minimum level of knowledge. Studying for certifications through the course material will teach you a lot about whatever it is you're trying to learn. Whether or not you take the test at the end is purely your choice, but HR departments definitely look for them, especially when you don't have years of experience through the industry.

I can also vouch for the Cisco certifications; CCNA/CCNP will teach you a lot about how networking. This is all certainly info that you can learn on your own, but it's nice to have a prepared course and curriculum.

[The Sorrow]

All a certification/Diploma/Degree/<Paper that is given through education> says is "I can learn" nothing more. Ive got a 45k slip saying i know basic computer networking and administration.... woo for me!

[Infiltrator]

While that's true, certifications aren't designed to teach you everything you need to know about everything, ever; they do, however, try to guarantee a minimum level of knowledge. Studying for certifications through the course material will teach you a lot about whatever it is you're trying to learn. Whether or not you take the test at the end is purely your choice, but HR departments definitely look for them, especially when you don't have years of experience through the industry.

I can also vouch for the Cisco certifications; CCNA/CCNP will teach you a lot about how networking. This is all certainly info that you can learn on your own, but it's nice to have a prepared course and curriculum.

Very well spoken!!!!

[Tru-Tek]

Alright sounds like a good plan to me I'll just study other stuff till then. Thanks.

Another option is to volunteer to help out with some company or even get a mentor to tag along with. That will get you the experience as well. Just want to remember in the IT field you need to crawl before you can walk. you will very rarely find someone that will jump right into a 6 figure job. You must start small. Certifications are nice but are not needed. Strong training is good. I have 14+ years in IT and I have no certifications.. In my field however, I build an entire network from the ground up. When you do network consulting you need to know the entire network infrastructure right down to the cable and even phone systems. Keep plugging away and don't get discouraged. I.T. is constantly changing and very rapidly. Just when you become strong in one OS then another one comes out! I myself don't care what anyone says experience and training trumps certification's any day. The market is flooded with "Paper Techs" and they can be dangerous when you drop them in a network situation that is not what they learned from the books... ;) Just my honest opinion.

[Folkar]

As others have already mentioned, CCNA would be a good goal for you to try to attain in either your Sophomore or Junior year of College. Having a college degree and a number of notable certifications do help in the job hunting process. What is just as important, is that in your resume you try to get some experience showing that you have applied the knowledge you have learned and are certified for. This is sometimes easier said than done, a few places you may want to look would be IT temp agencies over the summer that specialize in staffing for short term projects. Throughout the school year, you may try to also find an organization (try non-profits) that would love some volunteer assistance on projects in return for letting you put that work down on a resume and background check.

Ultimately both experience and certifications/degrees will bennefit you when you have graduated and looking for a good starting role. I typically tell people that degrees and certifications put your resume into the 'look at' pile, and the experience then puts you into the 'contact this person' pile.