FAO People that work in IT/Networking

[TwoSugars]

Hi ppl,
I have just passed the Cisco Academy CCNA course (all 4 sem's). What chance have I got getting a first job with this? I underastand that it would be better to take the final cert exam (that u need 85% to pass!!) but just wodering what employers think of just the 4 sem certificates.

I only ask as:
1) its about £100 to take the cert.
2)I will be doign my final yr at Uni next yr and the cert only lasts for 3 years. So thats a years cert wasted.

Thanks for any guidance,
-TS

 

[McBunny]

well you dont really need anything to get a job in IT except experience

 

[FiDoDiDo]

Might sound weird but you really need to state what you want to get into, networking I would presume?

Companies are different, they all look for different things. Your best bet is send a letter or call the sort of companies that you might be interested in working for and see what sort of requirements they have for getting in to there company.

 

[Rasclart]

I have a First from Bournemouth and Cisco CCNA Semester 1, was enough to get me a job, but I had 3 years IT Experience as well as I worked while I was at uni!

Experience is key

 

[GaryB-Bikes]

Get a job as a jnr engineer with a Cisco reseller and go from there.

3 years of experience and voila, you're a £450 a day contractor on 6 month rolling contracts.

 

[GaryB-Bikes]

..but you'd need to be a full CCNA for that though.

Worth the effort and a few quid now, it'll pay in the long run.

 

[TwoSugars]

Thanks for all the replies ppl. I have exams coming up in the next few weeks so I think it may be worth my while getting the full CCNA cert after ththe stress of those have passed.

To Rasclart - if you dont mind me asking, what was your degree in? Mine is BSc Network Computing.

 

[Evil Ally]

My advice would be sit it as soon as possible. You will start forgetting loads of it very quickly and the material changes not infrequently. I've been through the CCNA for my Bsc and the CCNP for my Pg/Dip, but not sat the final exams. I've left it a while and I'm now doing my MSc and working full time. I'm going to have to work very hard to bring myself back up to exam standard once I get time. Do it while it's easy!

IMO qualifications are playing a bigger part in IT these days. A few years ago they weren't so important, but competition is much stronger now. I know people with plenty of experience who are struggling to even get an interview. My place usually won't interview you unless you have a degree or better. I think the best bet is to try and fit in some voluntry work while studying, then you have a least some sort of experience and a qualification.

 

[Rasclart]

Bsc (Hons) Computer Science

The Cisco module was offered free when I was doing it so I thought why not, Semester one was piece of piss, I remember passing with an Average of 95% across the exams at the end of each kinda module.

I am 2 years out of Uni and my salary isnt too bad, wont say what it is as it isnt a public thing IMO!

 

[Dafthead]

Just doing my ICND this week, did INTRO 2 weeks ago, been in Networking for 6 years, looking for a bit of a challenge.