# Should I feel obligated to do this? \[CCNA studies\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 17, 2016, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960 "2016-05-17T03:31:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![T-Minus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T-Minus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T-Minus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/1 "2016-05-17T03:31:41Z")
I have been studying for this one exam for a year and a half now. I feel completely burned out and can’t seem to bring myself to finish my studies. I read that it usally takes a person a month to complete this, which is not obviously the case for me. I pretty much told all my family members how I am going to take the test. This is just something I just don’t have a passion for, I feel like I am just slaving myself through this. My dad even said he that he couldn’t wait for me to take the test. The only reason I did this was because I could make a lot of money in IT. Then when I found out the only thing I have to look foward to was a help desk job, that just made it worse for me. On top if that, I feel bad that my dad bought me two Cisco switches to lab on. I feel like I am trapped. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/2 "2016-05-17T03:48:49Z")
maybe you could take the test and then go do something else? It might give you closure. ---
**Author:** ![T-Minus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T-Minus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T-Minus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/3 "2016-05-17T03:57:49Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > maybe you could take the test and then go do something else? It might give you closure. I am considering that, I studied this got a year and a half, either I sink or swim. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/4 "2016-05-17T04:14:53Z")
Is this that CompTIA networking certificate you’re self-studying for? When I was studying for that several years ago, it was brought to my attention that the field is evolving so rapidly that the study materials – and the test – change substantially almost every year. If you’ve been studying for several years, some significant portion of the material may be obsolete before you even finish your studies. (ETA: No, I never finished nor took the test either.) ---
**Author:** ![T-Minus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T-Minus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T-Minus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/5 "2016-05-17T04:30:17Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Is this that CompTIA networking certificate you’re self-studying for? > > When I was studying for that several years ago, it was brought to my attention that the field is evolving so rapidly that the study materials – and the test – change substantially almost every year. If you’ve been studying for several years, some significant portion of the material may be obsolete before you even finish your studies. > > (ETA: No, I never finished nor took the test either.) I am going after ccna, the new book I got is pretty recent. My dad did tell me that they don’t even configure vans anymore and do something else. I have to get an 80% or better to pass this test. The reason I studied subnet ting so hard, is because failing the test is pretty much granted if you don’t know it. The CompTIA networking + is a walk in the park compared to this. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/6 "2016-05-17T12:10:30Z")
Thread title edited to add specificity. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/7 "2016-05-17T12:45:33Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Thread title edited to add specificity. Not enough. I still had to Google CCNA. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/8 "2016-05-17T13:47:16Z")
What’s your education and experience? It sounds like you’re completely green in the IT field and you’d like to parlay this cert into an entry level network support job? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/9 "2016-05-17T13:56:31Z")
> [@T-Minus](#): > > I am going after ccna, the new book I got is pretty recent. My dad did tell me that they don’t even configure vans anymore and do something else. I have to get an 80% or better to pass this test. The reason I studied subnet ting so hard, is because failing the test is pretty much granted if you don’t know it. > > The CompTIA networking + is a walk in the park compared to this. I’m no CCNA, but what are vans in the context of networking? Because if you mean VLANs, then I can tell you first hand that they’re still used, at least in my workplace. But the thing is that much of the network administration can be done remotely. So while we have a local network systems guy, he covers multiple sites dozens of miles apart and then we have remote network admins (including in India) who do what can be done remotely. Plus, I doubt that someone completely inexperienced is going to be hired to work on networking. So perhaps get the CompTIA+ cert, get a helpdesk job and work your way up, first to a desktop support function and then to networking or server admin? And it seems to me that if you want to avoid being outsourced in the computer support field, get into support for a secure company or organization. (Presumably the CIA doesn’t rely on Indian subcontractors to manage its computer systems, so those jobs are sure to be filled by US citizens.) ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/10 "2016-05-17T15:28:52Z")
If you get your CCNA I don’t see how you’ll be doing help-desk. My company is offering to pay for me to get it. I’ve been putting it off because I’m burned out on IT in general. I’m sure there are entry level CCNA’s but usually since there are so many things behind it that matter that no company would trust one. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/11 "2016-05-17T15:36:03Z")
CCNA is a great way to get started in an IT career. No, you won’t be designing municipal fiber WANs once you pass the test. Tests are good for demonstrating theoretical knowledge as a starting point, but the only way to learn to actually do stuff is to do it. Support desk jobs can be shitty but they’re an exceptional way to learn how stuff really works in the real world. You may find that you actually enjoy real-world problem-solving a lot more than the dreary work of studying for the exam. The only way to know for sure is the give it a shot, and you’ve already spent a lot of time and effort (and your dad’s money) getting this far. What do you have to lose? If it turns out that you actually are interested in this stuff, a good employer will happily pay for you to earn more advanced certs. The higher-level Cisco credentials can be very lucrative. But it takes time, and years of experience. ---
**Author:** ![T-Minus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T-Minus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T-Minus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/12 "2016-05-17T16:14:44Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > What’s your education and experience? It sounds like you’re completely green in the IT field and you’d like to parlay this cert into an entry level network support job? My education is a high school diploma and almost complete ccent knowledge. I was I’m training for cleaning malate off of PCs, but didn’t make it through training due to not understanding things completely. I know how to go into a switch physically through a cross over cable. That is the extent of it. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/13 "2016-05-17T16:23:17Z")
For IP Networking-related fields, a CCNA is kind of like having a high school/college diploma–it’s something that the front-line HR automation software will scan for in the resume. By itself, no, it’s not likely to get you much past helpdesk or entry level network operations center (NOC) monitoring, but it can help get you there. Pretty much everything that’s networked in any way runs on IP these days. And maybe teh place you work at fully automates vlan assignments or something, or uses some slightly different technology, but understanding the fundamentals will help you when the automation breaks. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/14 "2016-05-17T16:42:20Z")
> [@T-Minus](#): > > My education is a high school diploma and almost complete ccent knowledge. I was I’m training for cleaning malate off of PCs, but didn’t make it through training due to not understanding things completely. > > I know how to go into a switch physically through a cross over cable. That is the extent of it. I would forget about the cert and just go get a job, then. Something that brings in any sort of paycheck and will A) get you some much needed experience, and B) will quickly introduce you to the actual IT world. You’re going to have to apply at a ton of places and get rejected from most, but do it anyway. Work for 3-6 months and then you can decide if it’s something you want to do, and if so, what aspect most interests you. At some point a year or two down the road, get the cert if you still want to. I can blabber about my opinion of entry level certificates, but the cliffs version is that I think they’re great for _validating_ someone’s claimed work experience, but they’re in no way a replacement. 0 experience plus a cert is about as useful as 0 experience and a nice smile. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/15 "2016-05-17T17:11:40Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > I can blabber about my opinion of entry level certificates, but the cliffs version is that I think they’re great for _validating_ someone’s claimed work experience, but they’re in no way a replacement. 0 experience plus a cert is about as useful as 0 experience and a nice smile. I think that’s true for a great many cert programs, but IME the Cisco programs are reasonably rigorous, and as an entry-level person with no degree, you’re far more likely to get in the door somewhere to do networking with a CCNA than without. (I’m not a networking guy, but I have been responsible for hiring them in the past.) ---
**Author:** ![Yarster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/16 "2016-05-17T17:46:17Z")
As someone who hires quite a few CCNA people to work on Government contracts, I would especially say that it has real value - much more so than your high school diploma. If you’ve studied this long, why not complete it? I suspect the better route for you is to take a prep class so that you are learning what will be on the test, rather than reading endless books about the subject of networking. The prep classes are usually a bit pricey, but well worth the money in my experience, having used them myself for when I got a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Yes, it will suck to just get a help desk job, but it’s a the on-the-job exposure you need, and you’ll be able to leverage that within six months to either move up in that company “Oh, he has a CCNA so let’s make him the supervisor/manager of the help desk”, or move on to a better job. I can’t help you with issues of burnout because those are personal, but it sounds like your burnout is in dealing with the studying rather than the work itself. I’d definitely recommend pushing onward. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/17 "2016-05-17T17:59:39Z")
There’s no sense in throwing good money/time after bad. Studying something you don’t like for a job you don’t want isn’t a path to success. You say you want a job in IT, but that’s a huge field. What do you like to do and what are you good at? What’s your current work/life situation? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/18 "2016-05-17T18:01:44Z")
If you have the right skill set and the right personality, project management can be a good profession. I know that I value the good project managers I work with. But I recognize that my personality probably makes me unsuited for it. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/19 "2016-05-17T18:12:21Z")
> [@treis](#): > > There’s no sense in throwing good money/time after bad. Studying something you don’t like for a job you don’t want isn’t a path to success. You say you want a job in IT, but that’s a huge field. What do you like to do and what are you good at? What’s your current work/life situation? The problem with this argument is that studying for an exam is vastly different from doing real work in the field, and T-Minus may enjoy that. (I presume he had at least a small interest in this stuff to begin with, otherwise he wouldn’t have spent all this time studying.) That’s why I suggest the OP give it a shot; he’s 90% of the way there, might as well finish and see what opportunities come up. You are young and live at home; you’ve got plenty of time to try something else if it doesn’t work out. But it would be a shame to give up on a potentially good opportunity so close to the finish line. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960/20 "2016-05-17T19:03:12Z")
Get the cert. The first thing you will find once you get a job is, the working world is nothing like the study. Its a very different ball game when you are working with live systems with real users mucking it up and and a business losing tens of thousands of dollars or hundreds of thousands an hour while a critical system is down. Plunging straight into more advanced admin positions is not impossible, but its unlikely. You will end up doing some kind of desktop support or other lower end stuff for a while before anyone trusts you to play with mission critical stuff. Once you are there, yes, the money is good, and if you do your job well, things are rock stable and you spend alot of time shooting the breeze with the other admins and dealing with the occasional glitch, but when the SHTF you better be on it and be extremely confident in dealing with the issues. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-feel-obligated-to-do-this-ccna-studies/754960.md?page=2)