Career Advice - 2nd Line Support to Networking

[Shikkaka]

Afternoon all,

I've been in the IT support game for just over 10 years now, I've never really thought too much about where I would like to be in X amount of years and kind of plodded along.

Anyhow, I'm now at the point where I want to take some direction. End user support is getting seriously tiring now and I've taken an interest in Network Support.

I know the basics of network troubleshooting including some Cisco bits and bobs but really want to expand on this and learn more about it.

Can anyone recommend any online courses, learning videos or training material to have a nosey at? Ideally I'd like to learn more about it in my own time and then take some sort of exam to start building on my qualifications.

Thanks

 

[DJMK4]

If your looking to go down the networking route, I would see if you can try and adapt and get some hands on working experiencing, and look at combining that with studying for a CCENT/CCNA, especially if you are looking at Cisco networking.

Hands on experience is invaluable, even if its within your current organization, or look at trying to get a networking role else where and work your way up.

For CCENT studying, I cant comment on any course/online courses as I dont take this route, I am self studying, using CBT Nugget CCENT/CCNA videos, Official Cisco Press Guide, Exam Cram questions and Cisco packet tracer for my virtual labbing, along with Ranet packet tracer labs for some practise labs going through the modules that you learn.

But yeah, defanatly try and get your foot in the door with some working experience within networking.

If you have been in the IT support field for 10 years, you should have had some experience within networking at least?

I jumped from my first IT support job after 2 years in to a managed service networking role/datacentre, was at the new place another 4 years, jumped ship again and in another role which is pure networking, working with high end Cisco core switches, routers, Cisco ASA firewalls / pix firewalls, juniper, checkpoint firewalls and much more, loving it.

 

[Shikkaka]

Thanks for the reply. Very useful.

I've taken it upon myself to get involved with the Networking team where I currently work. I'm producing support documentation for the first line guys to follow when receiving any network related issues. This is giving me a better understanding of the subject but currently we are very limited to what they will give us access to (switches, routers etc)

We are also facing redundancies for the 2nd time in a year so I'm looking to up ship and leave if I can.

I really want to try and crack on with this and get myself a network support role and work up from there.