Good article. But how do you suggest one can break into the "networking" side of the fence? I have been doing IT Support for almost 10 years, mostly Senior Desktop Support with "some" System Administration. For the past year or so, I've been studying heavily and am "this close" to obtaining my Cisco CCNA cert. But once I get the cert, that's not going to get me a job. EVERY networking job I see requires tons of "real world" experience. So how do I break into it? I don't see ANY entry level networking jobs, and even the "junior" positions require tons of real world experience. Please help.
KevLev
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In your years of IT support, a large portion of that had to involve a network in some way. That sort of thing counts as network experience. Now you just have to market yourself. I think this article paints a bit of an overly rosy picture of the future, though. For every ten jobs predicted to open up, there MIGHT be one actual job.
It is by far the most interesting career you can have in IT because you are exposed to every aspect of IT - tech support, security, programming, business analysis, project management, you name it.
I've been a Network Administrator for over 25 years and think the best way to start out is on the help desk and doing desktop support in a networked environment. That's how I started. After a few years of doing help desk/tech support, I started doing more and more basic network administration, eventually being promoted to a junior network administrator. My career started in the late '80s and early '90s, but I think the career path is probably similar today.
What's different today in network administration compared to when I started is the inclusion of phone systems through VOIP and MPLS systems, as well as smartphones, tablets and the acceptance of BYOD (bring your own data) into a company's networked environment. That concept was taboo years ago. Also, copiers and faxes are now part of the network. Even the postage meter is now on the network.
When I started out, none of that was part of my job, but now it is all part of the job for a network administrator. Especially with BYOD, there are no longer any corporate/company standards to adhere to. You are expected to get it all to work with the network. Its very challenging, to say the least.
Personally, I am nearing the end of my career in network administration, but I still love the work. There is so much satisfaction that you can get from maintaining a network so it runs well and making changes that benefit the company. You really are a crucial part to the health, competitiveness and productivity of any company. Those are big shoes to fill, but it is a truly rewarding career and if you are willing to make the effort, it will be a very satisfying and lucrative career for you.
AV
I've been a Network Administrator for over 25 years and think the best way to start out is on the help desk and doing desktop support in a networked environment. That's how I started. After a few years of doing help desk/tech support, I started doing more and more basic network administration, eventually being promoted to a junior network administrator. My career started in the late '80s and early '90s, but I think the career path is probably similar today.
What's different today in network administration compared to when I started is the inclusion of phone systems through VOIP and MPLS systems, as well as smartphones, tablets and the acceptance of BYOD (bring your own data) into a company's networked environment. That concept was taboo years ago. Also, copiers and faxes are now part of the network. Even the postage meter is now on the network.
When I started out, none of that was part of my job, but now it is all part of the job for a network administrator. Especially with BYOD, there are no longer any corporate/company standards to adhere to. You are expected to get it all to work with the network. Its very challenging, to say the least.
Personally, I am nearing the end of my career in network administration, but I still love the work. There is so much satisfaction that you can get from maintaining a network so it runs well and making changes that benefit the company. You really are a crucial part to the health, competitiveness and productivity of any company. Those are big shoes to fill, but it is a truly rewarding career and if you are willing to make the effort, it will be a very satisfying and lucrative career for you.
AV
Thanks for the reply. I too have plenty of HD and like I said, Desktop Support. But it sounds like you were lucky enough to get promoted. II haven't had that opportunity. I will have my CCNA, BUT how do I break into the other side if I can't get promoted? How do I get that opportunity"real world" experience that opportunity seems to be mandatory for all the Other"networking" jobs that I see?
Depending on where you live, look for a company that provides support for smaller networks. They're usually less demanding about experience (of course, the pay is lower), but you'll get a chance to work on a variety of networks. I've caught my boss telling someone "if it plugs into the wall, he'll make it work".
The big multi-national companies don't offer the same opportunities as when I started out. Most of my experience is with smaller companies, under 150 people. I think you get broader experience at a smaller company because you get exposure to all facets of network administration. In a big company, you might just work on one facet of the network.
AV
AV
I thought your article was right on the money, Ben. Thanks for posting it and articulating some very interesting aspects of a network administration career that most people may not consider.
AV
AV
This article looks very charming while you read it but it gets more ugly when you think of real world , where each company require amense amount of experience. Same is the case for me i got my MSc in networking but still could not get a job in 2 years after my studies.
While I too have a lot of help desk experience, along with desktop support, backup admin, email exchange admin, and basic server admin. I am finding it hard to enter the "official" network admin field. A lot fo companies see my resume and think "jack-of-all-trades". It's to the point where I'm now going for a RHCSA certification, in the hopes that I can land a gig working with Linux servers, I figure this will at least get me behind the controls of a few boxes on a network, and it won't involve having to deal with broken laptop screens, or replacing monitors, I would much rather be the person behind-the-scenes working on connecting two segments of a corporate network that spans the globe.....but I guess only time will tell....I'm still in "study" mode, but because I have dabbled with Linux in the past I'm finding it a lot easier to digest than when I first tried it about 7 years ago.
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