Top 5 Likely Job Opportunities After The CCNA


job opps for ccna

Top 5 Likely Job Opportunities After The CCNA

Choosing a certain certification means choosing a career path. Passing the CCNA exam is a huge step for IT professionals, and since Cisco is the leading figure on the market, that means an abundant number of opportunities. So, which jobs can you get once you are CCNA certified? 

Mainly, networking aspirants that have obtained the CCNA can get a job as Network Administrator, Network Engineer, Network Technician, Network Analyst, or System Administrator. However, the CCNA enables people to get well-paid positions even with little experience, so the options are vastly spread. 

In this article, I will discuss the job opportunities that may arise for you once you obtain the CCNA certification. I will discuss these jobs in detail to get an idea of what kind of work you will be required to do. This might help you decide whether the CCNA is a suitable certification for you and whether this is what you wanted in the first place.

Newly Minted CCNA With Little Experience 

The amazing thing about the CCNA certification is that it holds status as one of the most prestigious certificates in the IT industry. Along with this comes the advantageous point of Cisco being the leading figure in the world of networking. This means that the CCNA job positions are widely spread and Cisco certified professionals are in high demand. 

Even though the CCNA exam requires experience for passing the exam, that usually refers to your practice skills. When it comes to landing a job, the experience you gained in your preparation process would be enough. The CCNA certification gives you the privilege to get a well-paid job even with little experience. 

However, you should not expect a position of a high-paying engineer. Usually, applicants with little or no experience can get the Desktop or System Support position, or something similar to this, depending on the companies where you apply. Still, this is an excellent starting position that can grow into something bigger and significant.  

Network Administrator 

You should understand that the job roles may vary from company to company; therefore you might be asked to do different tasks for the same job title. However, the tasks are always related to the network concepts and everything that is covered in the CCNA exam. 

For example, some companies require their network administrators to cover everything from setting up and maintaining hardware to troubleshooting. On the other hand, some enterprises tend to keep their network administrators focused on the computer interaction, i.e., configuring the local network used in a company. 

You should know that this job position is stable, and according to statistics, it is paid around $80,000 per year. However, the salary may vary due to location, education, and experience. 

Network Technician 

Network technicians are required to possess skills in installing operating systems, and other network components. This job position needs in-depth knowledge in networking protocols, like TCP/IP, DNS, FTP, and SMTP. Furthermore, the ability to access hardware and software of different networks is of great importance. 

The network technicians need to show skills in maintaining, handling, resolving, and examining networking issues that may arise on a daily basis. The fast response to troubleshooting is one of the most needed skills and the ability to always maintain the equipment up and working. 

To get this job position, the CCNA certification would be enough. However, if you are a certified professional with programming skills as well, then that can take you on a higher position in the future. 

Generally, the salary is around $40,000 per year in the United States, while a freelance network technician might get around $20,000 annually. 

System Administrator 

A system administrator is the professional responsible for maintaining and setting up the network in a particular company or organization. The system administrator needs to have an in-depth knowledge of hardware, software, and networks, and their job tasks may vary due to the needs of the workplace. 

This job title requires handling issues related to Local Area Networks (LAN), Network Segments, and Wide Network. The IT administrator is responsible for managing the operating systems, applications, security tools, web servers, and every hardware equipment used in a company. 

The annual salary for system administrators ranges from $60,000 to $90,000, and it usually depends on the previous experience and education. The salary can also vary due to location and the needs of a certain organization or company. 

Network Analyst

A network analyst is responsible for the installation, configuration, layout, maintenance, and analysis of network components in a company. The career of a network analyst is one of the fastest rising in the IT industry due to the responsibilities and variety in the fields they work for. 

The network analyst is involved in the process of designing, improving, and deploying computer networks. Network analysts have a crucial role in an organization because they are the ones who enable a well-functioning workflow. They are concerned with providing the latest and the best technologies to develop networks characterized by perfect performance. 

The salary of a network analyst on average is around $50,000 per year. However, the salary can easily rise due to the fact that this job position tends to develop fast and enables career growth. 

Jr. Network Engineer 

The responsibilities of a Junior Network Engineer are related to controlling and managing essential issues that might occur in a network flow. Also, they are concerned with the security of the network used in a company or organization. 

The junior network engineers need to focus on the network issues that might arise in different circumstances, and they need to be able to find a quick solution and respond promptly. Since we are talking about a junior position, the person at this job position will probably be supervised by a senior network engineer. 

The salary of a junior network engineer is usually around $70,000, but it can vary depending on the previous experience, other certifications, and academic degree. 

As you could see, the CCNA exam has a lot of benefits and offers amazing career options for IT professionals. I have listed just a few of the options available to you, but rest assure that there is a lot more out there on the market. 

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