CCNA

>>60679604
Do you have a degree?

>>60679614

Yes, comp sci

>>60679618
actual knowledge is always worth more than a certificate

even when certificate is based on a hands-on exam

and CCNA isn't (i.e. it's shit)

>>60679604
I let my CCNA/CCNP expire...no one really gives a shit unless you want to be a response monkey fighting other peoples shitty fires all day.

>>60679604
if you want a certificate that at least means something try Red Hat

>>60679604
I had to switch from network engineer to a codemonkey.
I had ccnp, was about to get my ccie.
Network engineering is dead. Continue on your path, I want less competition.

>>60679890
>Network engineering is dead
I wouldn't call it dead, but you really have to be top of your game as only big ISP's are hiring them. Think ATT/level3. They were around Purdue during job fairs but if you didn't have a 4.0GPA you might as well not waste your time applying for them.

>>60679664
as did i
>>60679890
pretty much this. unless you're top 1%, they're just going to offshore all the entry level / grunt stuff to pajeets in india. cox recently did this a few years ago.

though it really depends on the area you're going to be applying in. AZ is pretty fucked outside a few $11 an hour call centers.

there are a few small and medium sized hosting companies but the competition is large. a truck load of people went back to school for cert training when the economy took a shit and the supply for entry level positions is high with little demand.

>>60679992
And just how many of fresh-faced graduates are capable of dealing with that?
You need to invest a lot of time and get a considerable amount of experience to get even a lowest-paying job at network engineering.
SDN is taking over anyways and you need to know at least python for scripting. Field is alive right now, I'll give you that, but it's not going to last.

in my city, pretty much any job to do with computers requires CCNA and Comptia A+ at bare minimum

you won't even land an interview without those.

>>60679646
So much this.

>>60680102
oh and wages really tanked too. my instructor use to work for cox and recently had retired and decided to teach to pass the time when i was taking my ccna training at my local community college. he was telling us back in 1999 when he got his ccna, with just a ccna alone, he got hired at cox for an entry level junior assistant position and was making 43k a year. in 1999. now that same position at cox, if you're able to land, will net you around 27k a year.

they moved a lot of position over to offshore remote management. they still have physical people of course, but a lot less now. and the ones who get them, usually keep them. even the shitty 27k ones. shit starting pay, but it does give a CHANCE of a career.

A CCNA is pretty hard to get for such a generic certification. You should look into something more specialised, focusing on cloud stuff or data centres or something, and then you can be an actual expert. If you're at the stage in your career where you just want any entry-level job, a CompTIA A+ was enough for me.

You will not just skip all the shitty jobs and walk right into a good job with no experience. Stop being a faggot and do your time like the rest of us. Answer phones, reset passwords, and get a CCNA while you're doing that if you want. If you think you're too good for that shit, you will never make a career out of this, because we all have to do it.