There are various discussions and point of views on what kind of approach to take for an IT career in networking. When I first started my career I asked Google which path should I take. Unfortunately, experience wasn’t in that equation as I didn’t even have an IT job to begin with. Searching on forums came to three methods. The three methods of growing into the networking field
- Education through a college by obtaining your Associates or Bachelors degree.
- Certification by passing vendor exams such as the CCNA, CCNP and CCIE
- Experience through working in the field.
Which method is the best approach? I believe taking a step in combining education and certification is a good start. Reasons involve getting a solid foundation in the technology that you will be working with.
I got my education at ITT Technical Institute. I may have fallen for the marketing material but I knew exactly where I wanted to go and wanted to do it the fastest way possible. I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Information Systems Security. During my 4 years at ITT Tech I learned about core networking, cabling, wireless spectrum, terminology, etc. They gave me the chance to make mistakes in lab environments instead of production environments. I also learned how to educate myself when needed. The most important aspect of an education degree is foundation.
After I received my foundational knowledge I took it upon myself to start applying for IT jobs. At the time I only had fast food and retail experience so I aimed at getting a job in a computer shop. It got me one step closer to working with actual computers. During this time I also studied for the Comptia A+ certification which helped land me a position doing help desk.
Working in help desk gave me the opportunity to work with a team of other technical individuals. Allowing me to pick their brains and learn how the company solves issues. I met with the network administration staff and created a professional relationship with them. Conversations led me to pursue the Comptia Network+ certification. The knowledge obtained from the Network+ reinforced my foundations from ITT Tech.
While I worked in help desk and tech support I was able to learn so much by asking questions and educating myself on my own time. At work, I would massage the relationships I had developed with other technical staff.. those at the position I wanted to be in.
In IT you must have the hunger to learn and find solutions. This attitude paved a path for my career. Within 4 years I found myself in a Systems Administrator role managing a whole network. As a sysadmin I started pursuing Cisco certifications by acquiring my CCNA and currently I am studying for my CCNP.
In summary, I was able to get to where I wanted to be by taking the scenic route. I got an educational degree, acquired certifications to beef up my resume and gain experience through my employer. My career is still a work in progress and I am actively improving my knowledge and skills.
The certifications were a way for me to add new knowledge and skills so that I can perform tasks required for my job. I don’t view certifications as a way to collect pieces of paper to look good to employers. I see them as a form of education. A more direct education which increases your skillset once actively applied.
My opinion is that it doesn’t take one or the other to get somewhere. You need to use all resources.
