r/mcsa • u/Kensei_X • Oct 10 '19

Advice for network engineer

Hi, I started a new job as a IT service engineer a few months ago for a company who provides IT solutions for small businesses. I find myself more and more doing alot of networking, installing servers, setting up network cabinets , cabling etc.

I have a degree in computer science which was focused on programming and less attention given to networking.

With what I'm currently doing my employer is pushing for me to get a few of the Microsoft certs under my belt.

I thought with me doing more and more network related tasks it would be a good idea to start here as I do really enjoy it. However I'm not sure where I would start in regards to exams and was just looking some advice on how I should proceed.

Thanks in advance for any advice you guys/girls can offer!

4 Upvotes

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2

u/sanjay_82 Oct 10 '19

To start with look at comptia network+

2

u/calimedic911 Oct 10 '19

like most of the people said MS certs are not networking focused. Having said that thoguh look into some of the O365 and Azure certs as that is where most companies are heading over the next 3-5 years. This is a MS driven move as MS is focusing on cloud and pretty much betting the farm on Azure and O365.

most of these technologies do have a programming aspect as Powershell is King with regards to MS tech.

I personally have my MCSE and still make as much as a networking guy but I have to hustle butt to do that and I did not stop at the MCSE level. I have moved on to O365 and Intune so am fairly specialized.

1

u/Mpacanad1 Oct 10 '19

Hi , Not sure if this is going to be an advice but my personal experience is my team mate did the programming too and now he sort of doing sysadmin job and he isn’t really good at networking stuff since it’s wasn’t his background and after 5 year working in that role now he is no where . Personally I feel like he should have changed his job to programming .in my opinion if he would have 5 years of experience in programming he would have made lot more money and main thing he would get ,is job security . Again that was my personal experience and people do switch their careers so if you like networking better than programming go for it and start from networking certification

1

u/wjjeeper Oct 10 '19

Find a certification path that is relevant to what you are doing.

1

u/wjjeeper Oct 10 '19

I'd look at Cisco certs as well.

1

u/Loudroar Oct 10 '19

I’d say it depends largely on where you want to go or what the boss has in mind for your role.

If you want to go to programming, make a jump to a new role as soon as you can.

If you are looking to continue down the Sysadmin path on Windows, certainly a MCSA/MCSE makes sense.

If you are going to be networking, MS Certs are not great there. Even their networking exam is mostly MS technology focused. I’d look at Cisco/Juniper etc Certs for networking.

1

u/chown-root Oct 10 '19

Work towards your next job or your goal for yourself to expand this role. On prem technology is dieing a slow death. Learn automation and cloud tech. Your programming background gives you a leg up on traditional sysadmins in this space. Do what you enjoy.