Coming from the helpdesk or a role as a PC tech…
Most of us dream of hearing or looking at our job title as “Network Engineer”. And no greater than hearing that is the countless hours and mental devotion achieving the abilities and confidence needed to fulfill this networking role.
Not everyone is cut out for this type of position. No longer are you the 1st line of support, but you are the second and third level support who more often than not is the last line of defense, albeit the guru.
What does it take to get there? Here is the criteria from an HR perspective:
Networking Certifications
Certification #1: Network+ from CompTIA
CompTIA owns this certification and has since 1999. This cert is seen as a good entry level exam for technical support and network technicians. The exam focuses on Network fundamentals, operations, troubleshooting, and security from a broad perspective as a vendor neutral exam. You will have 90 minutes to successfully pass 90 questions with at least a 72% score.
The Network+ is a pricey exam, being around $358 USD at last we checked. See below for the domain exam objectives and how they are weighted on the exam.
1.0 Networking Fundamentals 24%
2.0 Network Implementations 19%
3.0 Network Operations 16%
4.0 Network Security 19%
5.0 Network Troubleshooting 22%
Total 100%
Certification #2: CCNA from Cisco
The CCNA is long considered a must-have for careers in enterprise networking. It can open up new job opportunities, pay increases, and further IT certifications.
Here are some of the major perks and benefits of obtaining the Cisco CCNA certification:
- Career Advancement: The CCNA is one of the most respected entry-level certifications in IT and can help you land a network administrator or engineer role that require Cisco expertise. It validates your skills in Cisco networking, as well as network administration ability, and shows you have the knowledge to install, configure, troubleshoot and operate Cisco infrastructure.
- Increased Salary Potential: Those with a CCNA certification typically earn higher salaries than those without it. Having the certification can boost starting salaries by $10,000 or more per year. That’s a pretty good upgrade for 1 exam! The skills it develops are in high demand in the job market.
- Useful Skills Development: Studying for the CCNA helps you gain in-depth knowledge of essential networking technologies like routing, switching, VLANs, OSPF, EIGRP and subnetting that apply to multi-vendor environments beyond Cisco.
- Foundation for Other Certs: The CCNA serves as a springboard to more advanced Cisco certifications like the CCNP or CCIE, allowing you to continue advancing your skills and pay.
- Job Mobility: Having a globally recognized certification like the CCNA on your resume can enhance your job mobility and allow you to stand out from other candidates without it. Cisco skills are invaluable as a network engineer.
This exam consists of 120 minute exam and a 80% passing score to achieve. This exam can be taken both online and in Pearson VUE testing centers. It’s around $300 in the US but certainly worth the effort with a high paying network job.
Current Exam Breakdown:
- Network fundamentals (20%): Network components like routers, switches, and wireless access points; network topology architectures; physical interfaces and cabling types; IPv4/IPv6 configuration;
- Network access (20%): Configuring and verifying VLANs, Layer 2 discovery protocols, and EtherChannel
- IP connectivity (25%): Routing tables; router decision-making; configuring and verifying static routing and OSPF
- IP services (10%): Configuring and verifying NAT and NTP; understanding of DHCP, DNS, SNMP, SSH, TFTP/FTP
- Security fundamentals (15%): Security threats and mitigation, physical access control, password policies, ACLs, and wireless security protocols
- Automation and programmability (10%): Comparing traditional networks with controller-based networks & automation concepts