Build A Better Career

What should you do once you’ve obtained your CCNA certification? For most people, the logical next step is to get a job as a basic networks engineer either designing or supporting the network infrastructure of a small to medium sized corporation. Many people might also be looking to switch career paths from a more general role in IT to a networks specialization. In either case, you should note these 2 things to increase your chances of success:

1. Hands on configuration experience – The CCNA is arguably the most common network certification in the market now. Just being certified doesn’t really mean much to many employers these days. The number one thing that sets a good CCNA network engineer from a bad one is his or her experience with hands-on configuration and troubleshooting of Cisco networks.

You should resolve to obtain such configuration and troubleshooting skills. A good way to do this is to build your own Cisco lab either at home or if you employer allows it, in the office. This will allow you to practice in the lab before doing it for real on a production network.

A good alternative to using real Cisco devices, is to use Cisco simulators such as the dynamips simulator or buy other Cisco simulator packages. However, one disadvantage of these simulators is that you will only be able to practice your configuration skills but not problems like patch cord faults and other physical layer issues.

2. Technology – Getting a feel for what networking technology your potential employer is using will increase your chance of getting the job. If you can find out what brands of equipment you are using and what routing protocols, you can better prepare yourself for any job interview and subsequent tests.

Often, such information might be considered secret and under no circumstances should you obtain these in an unethical manner. However, if the information is freely available, you should strive to revise the relevant topics before you go for any interview.