Hello. I'm Paul. I guess I'll just dive right into it. I want to be in the Tech Field! I started my career in the US Army as a Network Switching Systems Operator. Although 90% of my job had little to do with networking and more to do with telecom. We were "trained" on ATM and other various comm devices, but we weren't really allowed to touch them.

After the military, I got a job in a hospital as a Comm Tech. I basically maintained the old PBX (phone switch) in the basement and did troubleshooting on the punch-blocks with tone generators and such. Now mind you, I loved this job! It was great for a 21-22 year old making $12 an hour in 2003 (alot of money back then), but I found myself being jealous of the IT Guru's down the hall.

Sadly, my position eventually became obsolete and I was outsourced by a third-party vendor before I could get any decent mentoring from the pros. After that, I was unable to scare up another tech job (believe me I tried). I think this was because of the Tech Bubble bursting and demand for IT was at a low. I ended up just taking whatever menial work that I could find in Retail, Sales, Construction, Truck Driving, Warehouse, Forklift, Food Service, and virtually every kind of soul sucking $8.50 /hr position that you can imagine between then and now.

I only had a GED when I joined the military. I figured that no one would care about my high school if I had replaced it with higher education. And for the most part, I've been right.

I've always had a strong technical aptitude, as well as a commanding grasp of the English language, so I'm a relatively smart guy.

Fast Forward to 2012. I'm married, about to turn 30, still living with a relative, and my worry is turning into anxiety. I've hit a wall in life and I've realized that a $8-10 /hr job won't cut it anymore and it's time to pull myself up by my bootstraps and get serious about my career. The hardest part was deciding on a career, although after some heavy analysis, it really was a no-brainer. IT is where my future needs to be.

College is out of the question, at least for the short term. I believe that certifications are probably the way to go. I have been studying for my A+ and will be taking the exam soon, but the forums I've read and the advice from my peers, suggest that this is a weak certification of little market value. I love hardware and I have keen abilities in troubleshooting and system building. So I hope the rumors aren't true.

Can someone suggest a good path? What would be some appropriate certs? Will any of my old experience help me today or has it been too long since my last tech job to be of any relevance? I am a desperate man in need of some solid guidance. Please help.

My strong suggestion - Mark this site in your browser favorites, pick up Cisco Press CCNA Official Exam Certification Library, read the book cover to cover twice!! Use this forum to search or ask every question that you need to get a firm understanding.

If you can't afford to buy the material I will send you a .PDF version that you can use to read on your computer, though I highly recommend having the books while starting out. Don't worry about Certifications right now, just start picking up the material and start learning the fundamentals of networking, IEEE 802.3 standards, sub-netting, grasping Layer 2 and 3, etc.. Cisco is only one large but small corner of networking and will propel you forward towards your goals, and is actually a very good way of proving to yourself and future employers that you competent and committed towards making this a career.

While studying I would also strongly suggest "investing" in a Cisco home lab, 3 x 2950 and 3 x 2611 routers with WIC-1t's or if possible the more expensive WIC-2t's, some cables.. If that's not possible there is a free software names GNS3 that paired with valid Cisco .IOS images allow your to run a home lab on your PC with little difference (which there are, just not totally valid for this conversation).

The best thing you have going for you is your attitude and desire to make something of yourself. Drive yourself to not settle for anything but what you want for the of yourself and your family.. If you dedicate yourself and really do your best you WILL get a shot to prove yourself to several potential employers in interviews.. At that point your personality and desires will carry you through..

Edit: Start learning the basics of Microsoft Active Dirrectory, Server R2 and Exchange.. You don't by any means need to a "know it all" without experience, just enough to hold a conversation and show you have the ability to research complex problems you don't yet understand.. There are many, many more opportunists in this field for well versified generalists!! - Especially when starting out. Learn how everything works, as deep as you can..

Welcome..

What's up Paul - I had the same MOS (31F) while I served in the Army. I was wondering if you signed up for the GI Bill. I went to school full time after getting out of the Army and was getting about $1700 a month just to got to school from the GI Bill. Worked out pretty good for me.

The GI Bill will also pay for certifications. If you have a local community college near you that has courses for the CCNA I would look into them.

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“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal, a commitment to excellence, that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” – Anonymous

Welcome Aboard!!!

believe, take scottsee's word, If I remember correctly he was wearing similar shoes. was selling cars, had interest and drive in networking, came across the site at a time when Steve was running a CCNA certification contest promo, wrote a paragraph or two on why he'd make the best winner, won the contest, studied hard, built labs for hands on, got his CCNA, found a job in IT, and currently working in the IT field. so it is possible!!!

you can read more about scottsee and the progress he made in his transition into IT in the contest sub-forum
viewforum.php?f=66

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"If you're good at anticipating the human mind. It leaves nothing to chance."
-Jigsaw

Wow! Ok. First I want to thank all of you for your swift replies. I'll address each of your responses individually.

scottsee: You just dropped an atom bomb on my whole paradigm! I will admit, much of that went right over my head, but after some Googling, I think I get what you're saying. Are you suggesting that I abandon the CompTIA certs in favor of the CCNA? I was certainly planning to acquire the CCNA somewhere down the road, but I realize that it's a bit beyond my scope of abilities right now. My hope was that I could get my A+/Network+ first, since they are more vendor neutral. And then following that, I could find some entry level work where I could really learn the ropes. Is this not a good plan?

I have a shaky foundation when it comes to networking and all of the nuances that come with it. I've been able to do some real basic stuff at home, like setting up a homegroup for our PC's and Tablets, and I've even managed to dabble in a bit of port forwarding for some online gaming. But to be honest, I probably could have done it better, as I was really just doing it all through trial & error. I might be able to get a family member to help me with the costs of the home lab, that you described. But I think they will need a sign of good faith, which is why I should finish up the A+ as quickly as possible, seeing as this is the path I've already started on.

When you said that I shouldn't worry about certs right now, what did you mean? I'm not sure how I can get a job without possessing at least some basic certs. Thank you again for your help.


SofaKing: Ah another 31F! Where were you stationed? I was at Ft. Hood, TX 16th Signal Btn. a support group for 3 Corp. I wish that I had learned more, and gotten more training while I was in. It would have helped me a lot more today. But I digress.

Yes I did have the GI Bill, but like a dumb kid, I spent the bulk of it taking courses in Music Tech, to become a Recording Engineer. Mind you, I was still single at the time, but what a horrible idea that was. Well maybe not, at least it was still tech related. You still have to deal with signal paths, signal to noise ratios, and tons of other stuff.
I'm not sure how much I have left on the GI Bill. I suppose I would have to track down a VA Liaison to see if there's enough left to cover some certs. I live just south of Nashville, TN and I'm already established with Nashville State Community College. Formerly known as Nashville Tech. I know they have some courses there for this stuff. I even took a Microsoft XP class. It was harder than I thought it would be. I busted my tail in that class and still only got a C. But if I were to retake it today, I'd probably do a lot better.


ristau5741: Thanks for the welcome. Hopefully I can become another success story like you folks have. I'm getting the impression that having a CCNA is the way to go. Which brings up another question that I have. Is this site strictly about Cisco or is this just a general Networking forum? Is the CCNA as valuable and indispensable as a degree? I am still confused. From the Cisco website, there appears to be several subcategories that the CCNA can specialize in. Is there a base level cert that you add specialties to, or do you have to choose a direction before beginning?

Thank you all for the help. I have bookmarked this site and will continue to refer back to it. The advice of established professionals is going to be critical in helping me to move forward on this journey. I could not be more grateful.

Another 31F (well 25F as they re-orged MOS numbers just before I joined). CCNA or CCENT is better than the CompTIA stuff. As for the CCNA specializations you can get your normal CCNA, and then go after the others if you find you enjoy one of those paths.

-Otanx

Paul - Looks like you served at least 90 days post 9/11 which makes you eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill which adds another year to the regular GI Bill. Here's a link for more info - http://www.gibill.va.gov/benefits/post_ ... index.html

Edit: I was stationed at Ft. Stewart, GA (3rd ID Mechanized).

_________________
“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal, a commitment to excellence, that will enable you to attain the success you seek.” – Anonymous

What I mean is focus on learning, not collecting certification..


ristau5741's right, I came from similar statues. Just man up - Start now... It's not above your head! The Cisco CCENT will expose you to the basics and give you a foundation for learning networking, the CCNA will come second.. Neither school nor Certifications will get you a job.. The right attitude, personality, desire, and intelligence will. You just have to want it bad enough - make the commitment and see it though..

You want to stand out, not blend in..

No lie, it's rough with a family - but they'll understand. Especially the day you come with that first job!

Please excuse my ignorance on this matter. I don't mean to insult your experience or expertise on this topic, and I will certainly heed your advice by diving face first into the study material. But I don't know how my resume will make it past the "Round Filing Bin" if I don't have any certs.

Let's just say that I do get some solid footing in the subject matter we're discussing. How will I even get to an interview to showcase what I've learned without that "piece of paper"? I don't have a college degree, only a few credit hours plus a couple years of vaguely related experience between 2000-2004.

Furthermore, my family is beyond impatient. Time is not on my side right now. My wife and I have to find a new place to live by September and I'm currently only making chump change as a pizza delivery guy. The wife makes about $500 bi-weekly, and combined, we don't even have enough to afford a place in the ghetto. I have a short window of time to get something cracking. There has to be a clearly defined goal for every page I turn, for every book I crack open, otherwise (as far as the family is concerned) I'm only wasting my time and will be perceived as not taking things seriously.

My hope was that I could use the A+ as a small spring board. A tech help desk or pc repair position would get me exposed to the elements and possibly allow me to afford a place to live and some equipment for training.

This is very exciting for me, and I am willing to do whatever it takes, but I have to make every little bit count. Do apprenticeships still exist? Maybe somewhere I could do some volunteer work? I don't mind working for free if it gets me some face time with some equipment, since that's the best way for most of us to learn and would look great on the resume. I think a volunteer spot could buy me some extra time under the roof if it could get me some credentials.

You got to do what you got to do..

Defintily go after your certifications, but don't be soly focused on collecting them.. The time you spend working on your A+ and Net+ you could have your CCENT &/or CCNA..

Everyone starts somewhere. If you need to have a job now, get one, study at night after everyone goes to bed, set a goal for 6 months down the road to have your CCENT and/or CCNA - Totaly doable. Just understand if you're looking for a good job you should study diffrent areas too, as I mentioned earlier.. Server 08 R2, AD, Exchange.. The more you understand the more doors you will open for yourself..

What technologies do you like? Are you intrested in sitting in a networking closet all day? Are you a people person? Do you want to travel? Are you intrested in Server and workstation administration?

Well my last tech job was in a closet. I'd get a stack of work orders or trouble tickets and I'd have to go around the hospital and fix or replace phones or assign numbers to different outlets if someone moved offices. I really enjoyed that type of environment.

Natuarlly that type of work still required some people skills but it wasn't like a high pressure sales environment or consulting where there's a risk of mismanaging someone's money. I like being behind the scenes and keeping everything working right.

I've heard that security is real popular these days. But i know it's not the be-all, end-all of IT. I really like fixing broken stuff or streamlining inefficiencies, that's my bread and butter. Which direction would that take me in the Cisco world? yeah, being in a closet is definitely the life for me. I love the cold air conditions and the symphony of 120mm fans humming in harmony. Does that make me weird? I hope so.

Hi Paul, welcome. Keep plugging away. I did what was described above. Start with anything and study at night to pick up skills/certs to get that next job. I was lucky enough to do this during the IT boom and I'm pretty awesome, but there are still opportunities out there.

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