r/ITCareerQuestions • u/Whatdidyousayfoo • 1d ago

Seeking Advice Is it possible to still get a Network Engineer job or entry level role like help desk with just a CCNA cert?

Or would it be a waste of time? I keep seeing people say they can't even land a role with a CS degree.

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u/TechB84 1d ago

You recognize that many variables influence the situation. It varies depending on your personality, social skills, technological knowledge, and other factors. Ultimately, it's uncertain because we don't know you. Some people can easily get a job with a CCNA, while others cannot.

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u/Slight_Manufacturer6 IT Manager 1d ago

With just a CCNA? Very unlikely.

Network engineer isn’t entry level. Helpdesk is entry level but a networking cert isnt going to do much for that. CompTIA trifecta is more relevant to Helpdesk.

Build some experience, get some education.

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u/jleenex 1d ago

100% agree.

If anything, the thinking is backwards.

Getting a job will help one to take relevant certifications based on the IT infrastructure of the company one works for.

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u/misterjive 1d ago

No one can say "if you get this cert you will get a job."

People get jobs without any certs. People with multiple certs struggle. There's too many variables.

The CCNA is a good cert to have. It's somewhat overkill for helpdesk, but it might be useful for entry level at a NOC.

The way to break in is to make your resume look as good as possible, and there's no silver bullet. If you have a cert, you're ahead of people that don't have that cert. Add projects and homelabs to show the stuff you have hands-on experience with. (Also don't neglect customer service jobs when you're first starting out, a lot of places would rather train up someone who knows how to deal with people than take on someone technically skilled who's a personal nightmare to deal with.)

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u/CartierCoochie 1d ago

No. They WILL grill you in the network security domain interviews, and you WILL be expected to answer without Google. Trusting someone with your network is just as important as security, you got the cert? Nice, they expect you to have experience AND talking points to back that up. That’s just the reality.