This site has been recommended to me because I am interested in Cisco Networking. I really don't know anything about it though - and there seems like there is a lot to learn. I am trying to find a viable career and this seems good to me. I am thinking of doing a Cisco Academy so I get CCNA cert right off of the bat. Do you guys know much about these programs? The problem is I have no real world idea what the "networkers" life consists of. Job titles, job duties. Job duties especially. What do you even do in Cisco Networking? Is it physically tweaking routers and switches... or is it software based like VMWare for example.
I guess I'm just trying to conceptualize what this career is really like, what my actual duties would be and what I can expect.
Hope you can answer questions or help with links that can show me the reality of networking!

Thank you all,
Kyle

Welcome aboard

Cisco academies are a really good place to start, although reading a few books will let you know if it floats your boat, or not.

Networking is all over the place so actually putting a title on it is very difficult. One companies network engineer is another companies sysadmin.
Think of yourself as being in control of your little bit of the internet kingdom.
A traffic engineer for the bits that traverse the world, telling them where to go and where not to go and who should go first and which evil little bits should be destroyed.

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Good Luck,

David

Hi Kyle, welcome.

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I think Cisco Academies are a waste of money. You can buy some gear and books instead.

Welcome aboard.

Why??

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Good Luck,

David

Welcome Curious!!!

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

I disagree 100%. Some folks learn better in a classroom environment where they have someone they can ask for help from. I went through the Cisco Networking Academy a few years back.

Another great benefit is that I became friends with a lot of folks who are in the networking business now. Knowing my current boss from a job I worked back in 2006 which I got because my instructor recommended me to someone he knew in the business is how I got the very nice paying engineering job I have today. This alone made the money the GI Bill paid for my CNA classes worth it.

It pays to be really good at what you do. It pays even more to know lots of people who know you're good and the CNA classes are one way to get to know the people who work in the networking field in your area.

Dave


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Taking the sh out of IT since 2005!

If you have self learning skills an academy is not necesary. If you don't have self learning skills yet(because if you want to be good in this you MUST develop self learning skills), the academy can be a good option.

In my country the CCNA course costs about $3000 dollars(a full CCIE R&S lab including the books).

That still doesn't make it bad, expensive yes, but not bad.
Some people will flourish after a Cisco course, I know I've seen it happen to some of my classmates.
They would never have gotten as far on their own but, they will get a lot further now.

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Good Luck,

David

Welcome to the forums Kyle!

Welcome to the forum

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- Pete

I always wanted to be sysadmin since a junior kiddie-scripter untill i got on the academy. I got lucky as it was just part of a colledge class so free, and it was the best part I tell you! Now I'm in the job and who knows, perhaps in different situation I would have turn out to be a sysadmin... or a fireman