Career path

[motoxmacman]

hi
i have been doing my CCNA with a local Cisco Acadamy, i'm just about finishing the 2nd part. i'm really enjoying it and am getting some good grades each week in the tests.
i have a mini lab set up (2 1600's and a 1700, just to get me going) i'll be buying a switch and possibly a 2600 soon.
Anyway, to the point.. i'm an apple certified guy (actc and acsa) and have very rarely touched p.c's except when messing with dns or ad config for the od intergration setup, so i'm very limited.
i was speaking to my cisco tutor and he recommends i try and get an mcse at least if i want to further my cisco career, i understand his logic but, i don't really want to. he also says perhaps not to go the ccnp route and try to specialise in security or ip phones (which attracts me).
i know i'm jumping the gun a bit as i haven't even got my ccna yet, but what kind of route would you guys suggest? is there such a career as just a cisco specialist? apart from working with cisco themselves? or should i really push a for the mcse route.
i like apples but understand the corporate limitations of them, i've been doing them for 10 years and really like working with them, but since doing this cisco thing its really got me thinking as i'm enjoying it a lot.
any ideas?
chris

 

[CiscoGuy33]

motoxmacman,

You did not say your age or background but I would guess you are young and have a limited background - with limited experience in the corp world you will start off doing PC support and light networking. Such as troubleshooting PCs, racking equipment, running cable, and monitoring the network - lots of "show" commands

I would suggest that you get a PC or 2 and start to learn about them, Microsoft and UNIX/Linux if you have any hope of working in a corporate world where 85% of the computers are IBM clones running Windows.

Unless you find a very small niche with a Hollywood studio supporting their Macs in the production area you are going to be dealing with PCs. Might as well start learning now while you do the Cisco study.

You also said you like SECURITY - to secure a network you need to understand it very well as well as the machines on that network! At a Cisco Networkers convention several years ago - most of the Cisco Security CCIEs who were doing the security sessions were saying bottomline you needed to be a CCNA, it would help to be a CCNP because YOU HAVE GOT TO UNDERSTAND the network before you can secure it! And of course CCSP - that is the track they suggested but then they all were PC people so you have got to add PCs/Microsoft to your background.

As far as phones - same thing - most of your corporate infastructure will be PCs - both the workstations and the servers - got to learn that area! MCP, MCSA and MCSE would not be a bad idea since that is what you will need to know to work in the "real" world

Keep upgrading your home lab and as you continue your Cisco and PC study!

Hope this helps


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[burtsbees]

Juust to point out---he stated his experience in the last sentence...
"i like apples but understand the corporate limitations of them, i've been doing them for 10 years..."

Burt

 

[motoxmacman]

mmm, i pretty much thought as much! thanks ciscoGuy33.

looks like i will have to bite the bullet and get stuck into windoze.

just for the record i'm 33, and have worked in apple centres, field service in the west end of london and am currently a senoir technical coordinator of 300 macs intergrated to an ad/exchange network using xserves and xraids, with a little unix.
last summer i refitted the whole network, patch panels, sockets and switches for this building. so i do have a little experience, but will just have to learn a bit more on the p.c. front.
not sure why i haven't done it before really....

thanks
chris

 

[CiscoGuy33]

motoxmacman,

You would know where the Macs are!

If you can find that niche industry such as movie/TV production or the music industry where lots of Macs are used you might be able to marry the Mac experience with the CCNA.

But as I said - sorry the rest of the world is a PC world that uses Bill's products

Good luck to you and just ask anything you have trouble with!


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[burtsbees]

Hey CiscoGuy33---I read the link on Cisco.com about CCAI...how did you go about getting it? I am seriously considering that as a career, or at least a good stepping stone for 5 years or so to become a CCIE (security/R&S). I'm 36, so time's a runnin' out! Thanks.

Burt

 

[CiscoGuy33]

Burt,

I finally sent you an email at your Yahoo account yesterday from one of your other posts

To be Cisco Certified Academy Instructor (CCAI) you have to complete the "train the trainer" classes, teach at least 1 Cisco Academy class and be at least a CCNA.

The hard part is finding an Academy that needs instructors, some will pay for the "train the trainer" classes, some classes are free and in some places you have to pay for the training.

Check the email and email me if you have questions!


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[CiscoGuy33]

Burt,

As for how I did it - I was very lucky! I work as an administrator in the Computer Science Dept of a Community College. I maintain about 450 computers and about 35 classrooms, labs and offices.

In 1998-99 the department signed on to be a Cisco Network Academy and I was picked along with another instructor to start the academy here, we spent about $100,000 on racks, routers, switches, cables and computers and setup a very nice classroom and lab.

The 2 of us did the "train the trainer" classes when you actually had to go to class, we did about 20 8 hour days for the 4 semesters of CCNA training. I have heard that in some places the training is not as strict as when I first got involved - not sure of that!

I have taught about 75 - 15 week classes in the Cisco Network Academy over the past 8 years, I have seen at least 4 major curreculum changes and this (8-1-07) will be the 3rd CCNA Exam change.

It is a lot of fun and keeps you on your toes to keep up with the questions from students - most of my students have been 25-45 and already "in" the industry so I have had to really stay sharp

Hope this helps!


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +