# Advice to become a Network Technician



## tonytheleg (Apr 5, 2013)

I apologize, I know the internet is loaded with these kind of questions, but I havent really found the info Im looking for yet

I hope to start a career in the networking industry. My thought is to try and work towards a network technician career and see where I can go from there (maybe later a network admin, or server admin)

I have passed my A+ and I am a week away from finishing up my Network+

I understand experience is king, of which I have only personal experience, no work experience. My question is what is the best route. Is focusing on help desk the best way to go as long as the job description mentions network support as well? What type of entry level positions should I specifically look for? Is there any form of entry level network tech jobs, or even internships or apprenticeships? Id be willing to sacrifice my personal time and do the work for free if it meant gaining experience and possibly helped my career along.

Also in a sense of more training I originally planned to take Server+ and Linux+ first, but now my thought may be to work towards a CCNA first, because even though I lack experience will the certification get me a better chance at getting my foot in the door.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time!


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

Hi and welcome to TSF take whatever you can get but start at the bottom and work up in small increments, making to big a leap will leave you floundering and show any and all areas of weakness,also decide which area your most interested and if possible happiest in since being happy in what your doing is half your battle.
Now Boson Michael or greenbrucelee will be able to answer more of your questions but there are entry levels in most fields see here Entry Level Computer Networking Jobs, Employment | Indeed.com please note it is for info purposes not encouraging you use that place


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## BosonMichael (Nov 1, 2011)

Get ready for a long post. You might say I've answered this question a time or two. 

You don't really start a career in the "networking industry". You start a career in IT as a tech, in which you can eventually work your way up to become a "network administrator".

I would recommend that you apply for any IT job out there, _even if the job doesn't mention network support_. Companies aren't going to entrust the administration of their network to someone who hasn't yet worked in IT. By all means, apply for any positions you see, but don't expect a call back if the company desires or requires experience. 

You're much more likely to get a call back for entry-level IT positions - meaning, any IT job that doesn't require experience. Requirements vary from company to company - one company might hire people without experience to staff their help desk, whereas another company might require 3 or 4 years of experience to staff their help desk. But generally, entry-level jobs include (but are not limited to) help desk tech, field service tech, PC repair tech, 1st line tech, and desktop support tech.

I would not recommend pursuing certifications beyond entry-level (I'll explain why in a bit). Entry-level certifications include the A+, Network+, and Microsoft client certifications. Certifications beyond these should only be pursued if you have relevant experience in the technology.

So why not go after a more advanced certification, such as Server+, Linux+, or the CCNA? Surely if entry-level certifications are good, advanced certifications are better, right? Well... here's the deal: certifications aren't a valid substitute for experience... and companies require experience before they'll hire someone as a server administrator or a network administrator, even if you have a list of certifications a mile long. 

What's worse, advanced certifications can actually make it LESS likely that an entry-level employer will hire you (for the same reason McDonalds doesn't hire people with Masters degrees to be fry cooks). Let's say you studied hard and got the Server+ and CCNA. If you were to put them on your resume and apply for an entry-level job, the employer is going to think one of two things:

1) "This guy has some advanced certifications. He's likely to demand more money than my entry-level job pays. I'm not gonna waste my time or his."
2) "This guy looks like he's interested in server administration and networking, which my position doesn't offer. As soon as something better comes along, he's going to bail, leaving me to find, hire, and train someone all over again. Not worth the risk."

So if you make yourself look unattractive to entry-level employers, and you lack the experience for advanced positions, you can put yourself in a bad position. (For those reading this who are already in this position because you overcertified, leave the advanced certifications off your resume.)

So how do you get advanced jobs if they require experience? Isn't it a catch-22, where you need a job to get experience but you need experience to get the job? Not at all. Typically, people progress up the IT career ladder first as an entry-level tech, then as a desktop administrator in a domain environment, then as a server administrator, then as a network administrator. It doesn't always follow this path, but it often does. Gain experience as an entry-level tech (in one or more positions) until you can get a job as a desktop admin in a company that has servers. Over time, you'll likely be allowed to do some light server administration. This experience will help you to get a server admin job (remember to certify as you gain experience in the technology!). Eventually, you should be able to get a server admin job where you can do some light network administration, and you can leverage that experience into a network admin job. Or a security admin job. Or a database admin job. The possibilities start opening up the more experience you get. 

Hope this helps give you some good perspective from the employer's side of the interview table.  Don't be shy - ask questions! We're here to answer them.


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