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Re: career advice sought - any Network Managers here?

7/8/2004 9:24 PM

SpeedRacer

Re: career advice sought - any Network Managers here? Cisco certs are good, and fairly standard. JM2C - if you like routers/infra - buy some used junkers on ebay, set up a small lab network and go bonkers. Only way to really learn the stuff. It can be done on the cheap. Even old crap routers can run really simple RIP, BGP, etc to get your chops together. I once asked a senior engineer how he got to be so good. He replied "I've broken a lot of networks."   There is truth in that. Break them at home before you break them at work. JM2C.     Don't bother with MSFT creds. 1 they are lame (you can get an MCSE and not know basic networking?!), 2 everyone has them (except me! ) IF you need them for something, you can probably pass most of it without lifting a text if you've got good basics.     Security certs are good for $ as are unix (Solaris traditionally, but learning linux may be the way to go these days..) Main thing is to find what you like (dba? firewall? Linux? Netware? ) and an industry that fits you from a work/quality of life angle. I'm in one of the higher stressed IT positions (wall st) but there are plenty of places to work where work really ends at 5pm and downtime is tolerated. They pay less though.. find a balance that is right for *you*. Perhaps most important? Find an employer who GETS IT. That is, if they expect stuff to always run and be perfect, it is going to cost more, and they have to give you support to get there. There are too many airheads who make shi#t decisions and expect you to live with the consequences (bailing wire, duct tape, rolaids and sleepless nights) Do Not work for them. Move on. You have to have support from the top for what you do; it's not just critical, it is essential. There is a lot of this going around. An epidemic really. Be aware. There is a lot of complexity going on and you're going to be the only one that understands what it means for the business. They have to trust you to some reasonable degree or work is going to suck.     Career wise, I'm an outlier.. started as an IT intern, hired as an accountant (I majored in Business Mgt with a good bit of accounting) and moved into IT a year or so later. Learned, grew professionally, stopped sleeping and eventually took over all of technology. I have no certs, have attended 2 It classes (ever) and take care of everything from the phones to the HVAC to servers on 4 OS's, and everything that goes with them. Certs are nice, but experience/OTJ learning is good too.   My assistant began as a backup admin (swapping tapes - at another firm) and learned IT on the job until she was promoted to sysadmin there. Then she took night courses and put herself through school for msft and novell certs. She wound up at a large med benefits firm adminning their citrix farm with Zenworks when I hired her away. What got to me over the other candidates was her breadth - everything from phones/PBX to Novell (Netware and Zenworks), Windows NT & 2k, database work, citrix, etc and a great work ethic. Neither of us is normal, but there it is FWIW.     the real 2 cent advice: you can be two things in the industry: an IT person who works for a business, or a business person who works in IT. You should strongly consider striving to become the latter. IT is there to solve business problems. Always start with the business problem you are trying to solve and go from there. Too many times I have seen answers looking for questions..     any specifics, feel free to email offline. if I can help with something i'd be happy to. are you in or near London?

 

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Steve B. Break them at home before you break... -- 7/10/2004 11:19 AM