A lot of a lot of questions that are popular here. People get and want to know how long is it gonna take them to become a network engineer horizontal Alan does it take to you know, Gives you see scent, Get your CCNA, Get your CCNP and actually fall into the role or grow into The role of a network engineer like a lot of questions along these lines.
It depends it really depends for me it took before. I would really consider myself like an engineer, Someone who not only knows how to you know, Get in and configure a basic router or switch configuration, But knows how to troubleshoot and actually design a network that works. I'D say it took me about three years before I felt like I was an engineer actually designing something know what what did that involve me doing? Well, I was first of all I was studying a lot. I was studying like crazy and I was also working crazy hours.
I mean you can ask my wife, Don't don't ask her she'll get angry about it, But I was. I was working late nights. I was at data centers doing stuff studying a lot. I mean it was.
It was a lot of work. That's when I considered myself a network engineer and I loved you when you asked a question: how long does it take to become a network engineer you're, Probably asking? How long will it take for me to get my certifications and actually get into a role where I'm I'm working with network stuff that depends to, But I would say it won't. Take you very long.
If you do the right things, The typical path, You'll, Take from from zero to network engineer, Will be finding like a entry-level help desk position right and there you're not going to be doing much. Networking you'll be dealing with PC issues and people calling in and it'll be basic stuff right, Nothing serious. What you're wanting to do is move up from that help desk position to the network admin or a junior network admin or network engineer position that, I think, Will not take you very long at all for me to go from just PC troubleshooting to working with Cisco Router stuff, It took me about six months now. How did I do that? Well, It's you know it's pretty simple, First of all be study and be very vocal about your studying.
So what I mean is, I was working on my seasoned and then later my CCNA, I let everyone know I was working on. I let the network admins and network engineers know I was working on it. So I was on the helpdesk, But I was doing everything I could to get my hands on network engineering stuff, So the network admin in the company. I was always his shadow man.
I was on him when t would have maintenance weekend's, Which t do, Because you can't you can't make network changes during the day. People go down and all hell breaks loose. No, T do the things t do big changes. You know router upgrades on installing new routers things like that over the weekend.
I would stay. I would stay late. I would go with them to the data center. I know I wasn't getting paid for it.
It was pretty much a volunteer work, But I was getting a ton of value out of that. I was learning. T were seeing the effort I was putting forth so when it came time that t realized t needed help who t gonna turn to this guy. The guy who's been helping them, The guy who's shown interest.
Who is working hard so how long it's gonna? Take you to become a network engineer really depends on how much time and effort you're going to put into this. If you're, Just studying for your CCNA spending a few hours a night but you're, Not putting any effort and like marketing yourself or getting yourself into a good position to actually get your feet, Wet you're, Not gonna, Get very far. You may be like right now. You may have no, IT experience you not even on a helpdesk you just trying to get your CSUN CCNA and get to that role. That's cool! I understand that you're doing the right thing, But you you can find opportunities.
I would I would try to get on an IT some sort of IT position as soon as possible, Because that's the fastest way to get onto a network engineering role with other paths. I'Ve heard of people like volunteering, Helping out schools or companies who can't afford to pay. I add Network admin staff.
I'Ve heard of things like that happening, So there's there's options. You just got it. You got to work at it, So I can only really speak from my experience and the things I've heard from other but for me it took me six months to actually start doing work with Cisco stuff, And this was again working pretty hard on that.
For I know who've gone through this cisco net academy thing and t'll complete that course, And t'll get a job right out of the net academy. T had like these job situation is set up, Which is pretty cool, But I mean a big part of it. Is just if you want to if you want to get into networking, Get a network and what I mean by that? Is you it's really about who you know us? Anyone who is very successful in IT t'll tell you that a large part of being successful is who you know so do your best to find some networking events. You know t've got the Cisco users group in certain cities. Look it up, T might have one there in your city meet with fellows Cisco who, Who might want to offer a line' again. You never know get into forums.
Network chuck, You know, We've got people commenting below. We'Ve got our Facebook group. I mean this. Is networking you never know who you're gonna meet and you never know when that doors gonna open? So how fast you become a network engineer.
There are a lot of factors involved in that, But the biggest factor is you: how hard are you working towards that goal? Anyways I hope this like was encouraging to you. I know it for some, It might be like. Ah, I'm really trying hard Chuck, I'm really trying to get there. I understand that if you have any questions, Leave me some comments below I'm willing to help out I've been through a lot of this. I'Ve helped other get into it as well.
So, Just let me know, But I hope it's been encouraging to you and again I'm giving away five of david bumbles CCNA packet, Tracer, Lab courses. You know again we're pretty close to Christmas. So five, Now we're not gonna do five.
Today, Today, We're gonna do 20, Giving away 20 of the CCNA packet tracer courses. If you want to enter please first of all, If you've already wanted, Please don't enter again. Why do you need another one?
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