Job interview for Network Analyst - I'm not qualified

[Formerly Black Trash]

Unless you lied on your resume, they already have a good idea about your experience level. I don't know if you applied to the job or they reached out to you but it's good opportunity to sell yourself either way. A lot of the tech companies value customer service and end-user interaction so it's possible to get a job without as much technical experience as you think you need. And depending on how far you are into your CCNA studies, you probably know more than you give yourself credit for. You can get hired if they believe you will put in the work to learn and have the ability to think through problems.

I've been lurking on this site for years but joined in March to try to contribute to this section mainly. I really want to see more black people pursue the opportunities available in technology, especially after the shyt I've seen.

I worked for a technology vendor with a global customer base. On a daily basis, I dealt with people in tech who couldn't even find basic ass information in spec sheets. They couldn't even complete application and system configurations with step by step instructions. They would literally wait on hold for 20 or 30 minutes for someone to hold their hands when they could have just read the documentation and configured everything in 10 minutes.

Don't sell yourself short. Trust me, there are some real bums working in tech.

Nah I didn't lie
I'm just shocked I got an interview

 

[Macallik86]

Let us know when's the interview and update us on how it goes :grin:

 

[Formerly Black Trash]

I got a second interview

I didn't know some questions like what does a bad dhcp address look like (169.254)

I also need yo review ports

How do I prepare?!?!

 

[GollyImGully]

I got a second interview

I didn't know some questions like what does a bad dhcp address look like (169.254)

I also need yo review ports

How do I prepare?!?!

sounds like N+ level questions. Why dont you download the pdf of the book and skim through that? pdfdrive.com

 

[Formerly Black Trash]

sounds like N+ level questions. Why dont you download the pdf of the book and skim through that? pdfdrive.com

I'm doing ccna now

Should I still dowload that and study it too?

I think I'm going to focus on ports, dhcp, and dns

Thats the questions most commonly asked in interviews

 

[GollyImGully]

I'm doing ccna now

Should I still dowload that and study it too?

I think I'm going to focus on ports, dhcp, and dns

Thats the questions most commonly asked in interviews

if your doing ccna then no need for n+

 

[JLova]

If your resume is legit and thry still reached out to you and you made it to the 2nd interview I say go for it. It’s on them if they know your skills and experience and still feel you’re a match for the job. They may think you will pick it up.

Good luck.

 

[Swirv]

Unless you lied on your resume, they already have a good idea about your experience level. I don't know if you applied to the job or they reached out to you but it's good opportunity to sell yourself either way. A lot of the tech companies value customer service and end-user interaction so it's possible to get a job without as much technical experience as you think you need. And depending on how far you are into your CCNA studies, you probably know more than you give yourself credit for. You can get hired if they believe you will put in the work to learn and have the ability to think through problems.

I've been lurking on this site for years but joined in March to try to contribute to this section mainly. I really want to see more black people pursue the opportunities available in technology, especially after the shyt I've seen.

I worked for a technology vendor with a global customer base. On a daily basis, I dealt with people in tech who couldn't even find basic ass information in spec sheets. They couldn't even complete application and system configurations with step by step instructions. They would literally wait on hold for 20 or 30 minutes for someone to hold their hands when they could have just read the documentation and configured everything in 10 minutes.

Don't sell yourself short. Trust me, there are some real bums working in tech.

This is very encouraging, makes me think I should just start sending out my resume. I thought I would have to be certed up to be taken seriously, but if employers give bonus points for customer service I should be straight.

 

[Billy Ray Valentine]

I got a second interview

I didn't know some questions like what does a bad dhcp address look like (169.254)

I also need yo review ports

How do I prepare?!?!

I don't know how the first interview went but in my experience. I've had four types of questions in interviews. Quiz type questions about different technologies. Scenario questions where they wanted to see if i understood the process of troubleshooting or configuring something. Role play questions to see how you interact with end users. And experience/background questions where they wanted me to explain previous roles and the types of tech I worked with.

Based on the job description it sounds like a MSP. They want people with MSP experience because you have to deal with random stuff but they would be willing to take a chance on someone if you have the ability to think through issues.

Also, don't sleep on soft skills. Ask if you can take notes during the interview to show you're engaged. I know a guy that got hired because he took a bunch notes in a notebook during his interview. He was still dumb as shyt and got fired anyway. Try to ask questions at the end about the company and opportunities to grow.

And have a prepared response to questions you just don't know. If you don't know the answer, don't try to BS your way out of it. Tell them you may not know the answer today but if you're hired, you will know the answer on your first day.

 

[Billy Ray Valentine]

This is very encouraging, makes me think I should just start sending out my resume. I thought I would have to be certed up to be taken seriously, but if employers give bonus points for customer service I should be straight.

You don't need multiple certs to get an entry level position. I think companies may actually be wary of someone that has multiple certs but zero experience. It's like you're trying to skip getting foundational experience and skills.

Having said that, you should have at least one or be close to getting one. Companies may require you get the A+ or Network+ within 90 days of being hired.

Most positions require a cover letter nowadays. If you don't have any professional tech experiences, you can use that cover letter to detail what you have been doing to learn and prepare for a certification exam. And a lot of companies offer their employees training courses through Coursera, Udemy, Pluralsight, A Cloud Gurus, etc. So if you're already using those platforms on your own or using self-study, put that in your cover letter.

 

[calixprynce]

You don't need multiple certs to get an entry level position. I think companies may actually be wary of someone that has multiple certs but zero experience. It's like you're trying to skip getting foundational experience and skills.

Having said that, you should have at least one or be close to getting one. Companies may require you get the A+ or Network+ within 90 days of being hired.

Most positions require a cover letter nowadays. If you don't have any professional tech experiences, you can use that cover letter to detail what you have been doing to learn and prepare for a certification exam. And a lot of companies offer their employees training courses through Coursera, Udemy, Pluralsight, A Cloud Gurus, etc. So if you're already using those platforms on your own or using self-study, put that in your cover letter.

True, i have 0 certs and recruiters stay blowing me up . It's about experience mostly . I doubt my supervisor even got certs

 

[JLova]

True, i have 0 certs and recruiters stay blowing me up . It's about experience mostly . I doubt my supervisor even got certs

Experience is huge.

 

[iceberg_is_on_fire]

Experience is huge.

Experience is huge You have to strive to get it in some capacity.

Here is a sign some people who hire (including myself) use to weed out potential hires. If you can lead off the resume with experience and accomplishments rather than your education. It is a difference maker. Even if you get this, study up like crazy to get even better. Admittedly, I don't know the particulars of this field but I do know that you have to go out there and get it. It being knowledge, experience, connections, etc. Gotta grind.

 

[L&HH]

Unless you lied on your resume, they already have a good idea about your experience level. I don't know if you applied to the job or they reached out to you but it's good opportunity to sell yourself either way. A lot of the tech companies value customer service and end-user interaction so it's possible to get a job without as much technical experience as you think you need. And depending on how far you are into your CCNA studies, you probably know more than you give yourself credit for. You can get hired if they believe you will put in the work to learn and have the ability to think through problems.

I've been lurking on this site for years but joined in March to try to contribute to this section mainly. I really want to see more black people pursue the opportunities available in technology, especially after the shyt I've seen.

I worked for a technology vendor with a global customer base. On a daily basis, I dealt with people in tech who couldn't even find basic ass information in spec sheets. They couldn't even complete application and system configurations with step by step instructions. They would literally wait on hold for 20 or 30 minutes for someone to hold their hands when they could have just read the documentation and configured everything in 10 minutes.

Don't sell yourself short. Trust me, there are some real bums working in tech.

This. I work for a major 3 letter agency now and the amount of incompetence around me is baffling especially in management, they literally don't know and don't do shyt.

 

[⠀X ⠀]

Just spend a couple of days, watching some videos on YouTube, so you’re more familiar with the topics