IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

[aXiom]

Im def interested. Can you hook me up with some material? Not sure if i asked already but how long did it take you to become CCNA certified?

In all it took me 11 weeks(6 CCENT, 5 CCNA) with a 4 month break in between exams due to being lazy, prior to that I had no networking experience outside of setting up home routers/modems.

I used used Todd Lammle+Odom along with CBT Nuggets ICND1/2 videos to fill in any knowledge gaps I had. Packet Tracer/GNS3/Boson for labs. I'm more of a hands on/visual learner so the books were kind of a struggle, but once I started labbing everything came together.

 

[bambinokino]

Hey I'm trying to break into the IT field and have been doing some heavy research into it and figured I should get started with the ccna cert. I have no certs or degrees and no experience.

BUT i also have a strong desire to be able to work for myself after a certain amount of training, education, certs, etc...I don't want to have to completely depend on another man to employ me, glass ceilings, white supremacy, layoffs, downsizing, c00nwalkin, tokenism, etc, etc...

I haven't heard much about brothas doing their own thing with their skill sets much. I need good advice on which fields in IT should I look into that inclines and more readily transfer over to self employment, real financial freedom, independence from this so-called system..is this far fetched dream in IT?
I considered web design, and web development but also networking and programming...something I can do at home or wherever I want to go..please share what you think is a brothas best options out here..

Any info from personal knowledge? Anyone?

 

[Apollo Creed]

Any info from personal knowledge? Anyone?

Really you can take your skills from anything IT related and start your own "Consulting" firm.

 

[bambinokino]

Really you can take your skills from anything IT related and start your own "Consulting" firm.

.. Guessing you can tackle small to midsize companies needing a network guy....may take alot of years to even gain the experience to do that though

 

[Apollo Creed]

.. Guessing you can tackle small to midsize companies needing a network guy....may take alot of years to even gain the experience to do that though

thats the purpose of paying dues. Get the work experience and master a skill then figure out how to make money off it. Tons of small businesses have crappy IT infrastructure. You master a few skills and start a consulting firm and contract your skills to these companies, or if you have a few homies who are all skilled you can do it even bigger. My Senior Director joked about how when he retires he will probably become a consultant and charge the hell out of companies lol. There are a lot of guys who have rare skills so they go around particular industries as contractors and fill the jobs that companies can't fill because there may be a small # of people with the skill set.

 

[GollyImGully]

Anyone ever work as a a NOC? What does their daily task consist of? What would be the natural advancement from a NOC?

 

[TRFG]

In all it took me 11 weeks(6 CCENT, 5 CCNA) with a 4 month break in between exams due to being lazy, prior to that I had no networking experience outside of setting up home routers/modems.

I used used Todd Lammle+Odom along with CBT Nuggets ICND1/2 videos to fill in any knowledge gaps I had. Packet Tracer/GNS3/Boson for labs. I'm more of a hands on/visual learner so the books were kind of a struggle, but once I started labbing everything came together. Gimme a few and I'll shoot you some material to get started.

I'm the same on more of a hands on guy myself also. So would buying the lab be an easy way for me to learn the material for the CCNA?

 

[TRFG]

Anyone ever work as a a NOC? What does their daily task consist of? What would be the natural advancement from a NOC?

I read an article that said most people move into Network Engineer posts from NOC

 

[aXiom]

I'm the same on more of a hands on guy myself also. So would buying the lab be an easy way for me to learn the material for the CCNA?

You don't need real equipment for CCNA.. PT/GNS3 is enough.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Any info from personal knowledge? Anyone?

Are you asking which career in IT leads to entrepreneurship?

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Hey brehs it's been a minute since I posted in here. Since my last posting I've started college with MIS as my major (the school just changed the name of it to Business Information Technology this summer). I don't want to just depend on that though I want to start reading and trying to get some of the basic certs under my belt. What books do you recommend? Daps and rep for help.

Where in IT do you want to be? Programmer? DBA? System Admin?

 

[bambinokino]

Are you asking which career in IT leads to entrepreneurship?

Yes
Would appreciate all the info you know ..which ones lead to entrepreneurship.

 

[BamdaDon]

Spoiler

A+ Certified as of today brehs

Shout out to this thread/op and all the people who showed loved and helped me make that jump.

-BDizzle for flexin and stunting on nikkaz.

-Shout out to all the nikkaz on thecoli hating on the cert gang.

-Shout out to the nerds in this field who are going to teach me everything, just because Im cool and their basically

On my way brehs, help desk lined up with a hospital , network or security here I come

edit: shout out to the Chinese hackers trying to steal shyt....got a potential job lined up off that alone with a connect once I get this security

Damn that was little over two years ago. I'll update my shyt for the nikkas just reading this thread like I was. Currently making 60k at level 2 remote desktop support. My job has me doing cisco and avaya server tickets now (without certs). Still not sure if I want to go security or networking. But I'm getting pushed into this voip so might as well just get that cisco money once I actually know how to trouble shoot all this phone stuff.

@bdizzle said you going to have a struggle two years he wasn't lying . I'm straight now but the next two years should be that real money.

Give yourself 5 years imo 0 to 100k given your grind and connections. I still get calls damn near weekly on a resume from a year ago for contract jobs. Once I milk my employer for all the resume building shyt I need might put my resume back out their. Even thinking about taking some project manager courses.

Let me add no degree and just a A+ thats expired now get this money brehs

 

[bambinokino]

Damn that was little over two years ago. I'll update my shyt for the nikkas just reading this thread like I was. Currently making 60k at level 2 remote desktop support. My job has me doing cisco and avaya server tickets now (without certs). Still not sure if I want to go security or networking. But I'm getting pushed into this voip so might as well just get that cisco money once I actually know how to trouble shoot all this phone stuff.

@bdizzle said you going to have a struggle two years he wasn't lying . I'm straight now but the next two years should be that real money.

Give yourself 5 years imo 0 to 100k given your grind and connections. I still get calls damn near weekly on a resume from a year ago for contract jobs. Once I milk my employer for all the resume building shyt I need might put my resume back out their. Even thinking about taking some project manager courses.

Let me add no degree and just a A+ thats expired now get this money brehs

A+ ? might have to grab that real quick...could use a help desk joint right about now

 

[bambinokino]

Damn that was little over two years ago. I'll update my shyt for the nikkas just reading this thread like I was. Currently making 60k at level 2 remote desktop support. My job has me doing cisco and avaya server tickets now (without certs). Still not sure if I want to go security or networking. But I'm getting pushed into this voip so might as well just get that cisco money once I actually know how to trouble shoot all this phone stuff.

@bdizzle said you going to have a struggle two years he wasn't lying . I'm straight now but the next two years should be that real money.

Give yourself 5 years imo 0 to 100k given your grind and connections. I still get calls damn near weekly on a resume from a year ago for contract jobs. Once I milk my employer for all the resume building shyt I need might put my resume back out their. Even thinking about taking some project manager courses.

Let me add no degree and just a A+ thats expired now get this money brehs

Did you take a class or self study? If you self studied, what books or materials you used?