Help me choose a path?

wannabedamned

wannabedamned

wannabedamned

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I want to be a network engineer. I've done the job before, As a trainee, On a fixed term contract, Unfortunately. I was young, and dumb. Spent the time pulling sickies, And at the end of the contract, I was not kept on.


Now I'm older, I realise, That I don't want to be a computer technician, I've been doing it over a year now, And it's no where near as good or forefilling, as my previous job as a voice and Data network engineer.

I know this is the career I want.

But there are multiple paths into the career, And I want to know which path I should take.

Path 1: BSc (Honours) Computer and Network Engineering
http://prospectus.shu.ac.uk/op_UGlookup1.cfm?id_num=534

Path 1 would take me 3 years, 4 if I go with a work placement.

Path 2: CISCO CCNA/ OCR Level 3 Certificate for IT Practitioners, Units 15, 16, 17 and 18
http://www.tritectraining.co.uk/course.asp?course=5

Path 2, Would take me 1 year.

I am more than willing to go to university for 3/4 years to get to where i want to be. Is the CCNA ever going to look as good to an employer as a degree?

Would I be better off, aiming to get both a CCNA and a CCNP rather than going to university for 3/4 years?

Would the CCNA\CCNP be better than a Degree in Network Engineering

I'm so confused :p I know what I want to do, And I just need to be pushed down a path.

I'm guessing CCNA alone, is not going to be enough to get me into a network engineering position
 
CCNA is not enough, everyone and their dog has one, a good route is up the cisco route, CCNA first, CCNP, and upwards, steep learning curve, but considering Cisco's market share more than worth it
 
Can't you do both? Uni is only part time you know. I reckon you could do the CCNA/CCNP stuff while doing the degree.
 
I'd say do the Cisco qualifications.

I certainly wouldn't take on a Uni graduate with no experience, however I would take a CCNA certified applicant.
 
paradigm said:
I'd say do the Cisco qualifications.

I certainly wouldn't take on a Uni graduate with no experience, however I would take a CCNA certified applicant.
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Well as I said, sorry to say but a CCNA only will get as far as patching from A to B nowdays, but from there the CCNP is easily available, and the rest is history. A few of my friends are working as NetOps, WFH most of the week, yet still pocketing 50k a year, but then again this is for a huge oil conglomerate. All I am getting at, is that over the last five years, A CCNA has become more worthless than patching experience, IMO of course
 
djmc0 said:
Well as I said, sorry to say but a CCNA only will get as far as patching from A to B nowdays, but from there the CCNP is easily available, and the rest is history. A few of my friends are working as NetOps, WFH most of the week, yet still pocketing 50k a year, but then again this is for a huge oil conglomerate. All I am getting at, is that over the last five years, A CCNA has become more worthless than patching experience, IMO of course
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Oh, I'm not saying that the CCNA is a short path to large salaries, as it just isn't anymore. What I am saying is that I would rather take on a successful CCNA candidate, over a paper-based post-degree applicant, as in my experience, someone who has "merely" done a degree has no industry knowledge and requires more training and a slower integration into the department. Furthermore, the CCNA is a required stepping stone towards CCNP or even CCIE.

I am writing this in my capacities as an IT Manager, not as a potential job applicant.
 
Only go to uni if you can get into a decent one and get at least a 2:1 the cost of them these days it is just not worth doing rubbish degrees.

Also as above if you do go to uni, do the courses ontop of it. 3 years of courses would give you an extremly attractive cv and show you are willing to do more than most people.
 
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What AcidHell2 said.

You might want to consider now a good time to go to uni, to ride out the current economic climate as (from where I see it at least), the industry isn't in a hurry to recruit inexperienced people at the moment!
 
AcidHell2 said:
Also as above if you do go to uni, do the courses ontop of it. 3 years of courses would give you an extremly attractive cv and show you are willing to do more than most people.
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Very good advice - you get loads of free time at uni, the course is only some 30 weeks a year and even that isn't full time! It's a good idea to do other training alongside, if you can afford it.

I think it's a shame that more universities don't offer BSc degrees in say 18 months - full time. It would be great for adult learners.
 
SiD the Turtle said:
You might want to consider now a good time to go to uni, to ride out the current economic climate as (from where I see it at least), the industry isn't in a hurry to recruit inexperienced people at the moment!
Click to expand...

I graduated in 2004 and have decided to finally go back this Sept to do a masters. I dont think i could have chosen a better time. Ride the recession out as a student :D
 
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