Career advice: t-shoot first, then network design?

General
1

Hello,

I’d like to ask for some career advice if possible.

All things being equal, which position is best for someone starting in the field of networking engineering: a job involving troubleshooting, or a job not involving troubleshooting, only network design? We’re talking about a candidate with CCNA-level knowledge.

Isn’t true that it’s best to first learn real-world troubleshooting, and then to move on to design roles? If one picks design first, isn’t there a risk of becoming a senior network engineer who can’t troubleshoot simple problems later?

I’d be very happy to read a response.
Best regards,
Attila

2

Hello Attila

When starting out in the field of network engineering, you will rarely land a job in network design. Network design requires several years of experience in other positions, and no serious company would hire someone just starting out to do network design. Typical entry-level jobs for network engineers include:

  • first level helpdesk technician, either on the phone or via email or IM
  • racking and physical installation of equipment establishing initial connectivity for more experienced engineers to connect remotely and continue configuration
  • NOC engineer, monitoring network status and reporting network performance and/or security issues

These are the types of jobs that will get you the initial job experience you will need to move on to more advanced positions. All of these tend to involve some level of troubleshooting requiring analytical thinking and systematic processing of problems that you may see on the network.

Yes, it is true. But not to worry, it is unlikely that you would land a more advanced position if you don’t have the initial background and experience from several years in these entry-level positions which involve troubleshooting and related processes. Employers would not risk it, so there is very little risk of you falling into this type of problem. Does that make sense?

I hope this has been helpful!

Laz

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Hello Laz,

Thank you very much for the response.

If one passes the CCNP t-shoot section, doesn’t that automatically mean that they can troubleshoot most scenarios of production environments? Meaning someone starting in design would, by passing the t-shoot exam, have roughly the same skills as someone who’s been doing it in real life - or not? Maybe not to the exact same degree, but it would be good enough, and they could learn new things as they troubleshoot real scenarios - just like it happens when they start their career by first landing a troubleshooting job.

Also, don’t seasoned engineers also make mistakes or have gaps in their knowledge, or skills that are not as sharp as some scenarios would require it? By which I mean that one couldn’t really distinguish a seasoned engineer who did troubleshooting since they started their career from someone with CCNP-level knowledge who did design (assuming the latter did labs at home).

I hope I’m not asking too many questions, but I’d like to get a good understanding of this question.

Have a nice weekend.
Attila

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Hello Attila

First of all, the Cisco TSHOOT exam is no longer valid. It has been retired in February of 2020, and has been replaced with core and concentration exams as seen here:

Having said that, I think your question has more to do with the value and use of “real-life experience” and “controlled training in a lab”. How much troubleshooting experience do each of those offer a network engineer?

I don’t know if there is a right and wrong answer, but I can tell you my personal opinion. The primary purpose of learning troubleshooting in a lab or by studying for an exam is to get your foot in the door. It is a way to elevate your skillset to a point where an employer would be willing to pay you to do the job. It’s there to land you your first job. From there on, all the rest of the troubleshooting experience you will gain should come primarily from real-life scenarios. That’s why employers will pay more for people with previous real-life experience.

Having been in networking for close to 25 years, I would have to say that the most valuable troubleshooting experience I have gained is on the job. Now note that the skills you gain have to do with critical thinking, proper questions to ask, and the appropriate steps to take, all done to get to the source of the problem more quickly. That’s something that can be achieved the fullest only in a real-world scenario.

I’m not quite sure why answering such a question is important. Sure, everyone makes mistakes, but the value of a network engineer will not be estimated on how much troubleshooting experience they have, but on how effective they are in their job. It’s a direct evaluation of job performance. And experience and training are only part of the equation. The rest has to do with the willingness to learn, innate natural abilities, and determination.

I’m not sure if I’ve answered your questions, but I hope I’ve given you some useful information.

I hope this has been helpful!

Laz

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5

Hello Laz,

Yes, as always, your thorough response has answered all of my questions.

Thank you very much. :slight_smile:

Regards,
Attila

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6

Hi Laz,

I was wondering what you would recommend to move up to after being helpdesk. Should I be looking at network engineer jobs? Network admins? What do you recommend. Thanks

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Hello Cameron

I remember starting out at helpdesk, and to be honest, it is probably the best possible entry-level job you can get. The experience you gain is INVALUABLE!! You get to see the kinds of problems that exist on a network, and you gain experience in troubleshooting and in recognizing particular symptoms and diagnosing them.

The next “step up” that I took after helpdesk was becoming part of the network admin team. I was responsible for network maintenance tasks and moves/adds/changes. This allowed me to be able to apply all of the theoretical knowledge and skills I had obtained while on helpdesk with a more “hands on” approach. So I started racking, making changes to VLANs, Access ports, and IP telephones, and I was part of the team that worked together to implement migrations, upgrades and so on. But I wasn’t in charge, but I took my instructions from the team leader, which is also an important step in gaining experience.

This worked well for me because I was able to obtain my hands on skillset within a “safe” environment of a team, so my actions were monitored and there were procedures that protected me and the network from mistakes.

Later, I became network admin of the network of a large municipality with multiple buildings and a fiber optic network, so there, I was on my own without a safety net so to speak, but I had obtained the appropriate experience to be able to deal with it.

Based on my experience, the ideal position after helpdesk is indeed a network engineer job as part of a networking/ICT team, so you can start hands on experience while remaining within the “safety” of a team. That way you can learn from your experience, and the experience of other more seasoned team members.

Being dropped into the network admin job too early can be interesting and challenging, but may also be damaging if you bite off more than you can chew.

Now the truth is that we can’t always pick and choose, sometimes we just have to take whatever comes our way. In any case, all on-the-job experience is valuable, but I’m just describing what I believe to be ideal based on my experiences.

I hope this has been helpful!

Laz

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Hi Laz,

Thank you for the response it was very insightful and helpful. I was also curious what is a reasonable drive for a job is for you. Taking a job that is an hour away makes it a 2 hour commute. I considered 40/45 minutes not too bad but I am not exactly sure how far I would be willing to drive for a job.

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Hello Cameron

Thanks a good question. It depends on a lot of factors. Really, it all comes down to “is it worth it?” and only you can answer that question.

For example, my first full-time job was a 90-minute drive from my home. At the time it was worth it because I was young and single, so I had the time and energy to “survive the drive” so to speak. At the same time, the pay was good and, arguably the most important aspect, the job itself was an excellent entry-level position for me.

A couple of months in, I was interviewed for another job at a location 20 minutes from my home. There was a pay increase and the job position was a step up. So all of the factors pointed towards me making the change.

Today my home office is on the 1st floor, and my home is on the second, so my commute constitutes a couple of flights of stairs. Now being married with two kids, I would never consider a job 90 minutes away, no matter how good it is. If it was actually good enough, I would move just to avoid the commute.

For me, the amount of time you spend in the car has to do with the quality of life. My quality of life would diminish greatly if I were to spend even an hour a day in the car, but that’s just me.

Again, each person must answer this question for themselves, because each of us has different values, different thresholds, and different needs. But I hope the sharing of my experiences will help you to evaluate your situation more successfully.

I hope this has been helpful!

Laz

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Hi Laz,

Thank you for the very in-depth response it was a very good read! I think I would be willing to drive 50 minutes temporarily as I am only 22 without kids. How long did you wait before switching from your 90-minute job? I see that you said a couple months in but is that 6 months or more. I have only been at my job for 2 months so far and it is just part-time IT support. I was also wondering since you said your office is on the first floor is it your own business? I watch a lot of your YouTube videos and have heard of telecomtech.

Thanks again,

Cam

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Hello Cameron

I stayed at my first job for just 2 months. I actually wasn’t looking for a new position. I was happy at this job, but a fellow student from university was working at this other place, and he had recommended me to his boss. So they called me, and since the commute was MUCH shorter, the pay better, and the job was a step up, I couldn’t say no. But I believe I would have stayed at that first job even for up to a year, since I was happy and the commute at the time was manageable.

Yes it is. Working with Rene is one of my primary activities, and one of the most rewarding and enjoyable, but I also have other clients and activities as you have seen. :slight_smile:

I wish you success in your endeavors!

Laz

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