Beyond CCNA: Into the Server Room

Often, IT pros experience a huge gap between network certification training and real-world application of skills. Does CCNA really address all the issues you'll experience when building a server? Sure. It'll tell you theoretically how it all works. Practically, however, no. You'll need to get your hands dirty.

In this 30-minute webinar, you get to follow Jeremy into his latest IT Expertise training, which takes you into actual server rooms, crawlspaces, and behind the walls at actual job sites to see how the pros build a switch network.

Here are the key topics and their timestamps:

0:35 How to learn any technical concept

2:20 How is IT expertise course?

3:00 Normal methods of learning: College

4:25 Normal methods of learning: Certification

7:10 The right of passage: Your first job

11:57 How do you create the right learning environment?

12:40 Find non-technical objectives to learn

16:47 To start learning, use your home (lab)

17:53 To progress, use your company as a lab, too

21:48 What exactly is the IT Expertise series?

Q&A with Jeremy Cioara

This week, we had a particularly long webinar with Jeremy. You all had a ton of questions for Jeremy about your careers, certification choices, and CBT Nuggets courses. It was so long (and so good) that we split it into another video entirely.

Here are the timestamps for the questions from CBT Nuggets learners and Jeremy's answers:

0:10 Is being 35 too old to get into networking? I have some IT background, but I have been in another career field for last 10 years and now I would like to get into networking. I'm currently starting with Network+, and then CCNA, and then CCDA, and then maybe go into cybersecurity.

1:54 I already did CCNA before, but never gotten my Network+. Do you think it's essential get the Network+ or just keep focusing on CCNA?

2:55 Do I need job experience before doing CCNA R&S?

3:24 I'm a CCIE. What's next?

4:12 What to do after CCNP and 5 years of experience? How can I evolve? To a manager? Maybe try to start a company?

6:17 Will there be an exam for the new IT Expertise course, Building and Configuring a Business Switch Network?

7:29 What is the best way to prepare for a certification?

8:39 How can I decide which networking field to pursue? I only did CCNA R&S. Should I take CCNP or start a different CCNA?

9:32 Which level of certification would the IT expertise course be equivalent to?

10:39 Should I do Network+ or go straight into CCNA?

11:14 When going after jobs, how do you get past the filters when you have the experience but you do not have the certifications?

12:52 What is difference between the Cisco for the Real World course and the IT Expertise series?

14:00 For the next webinar should we do a Coffee Chit Chat with Jeremy Cioara? (Answer: Yes!)

14:31 What's your opinion on further academic degrees such as pursuing a graduate degree? Particularly if have a lot of certs with over 15 years of experience.

You also can plan for life beyond your CCNA with these recent blog posts:

Cable Management Should Be a Process, Not a Project

4 Steps for Fixing a Neglected Server Room

3 Ways to Grow Your Server Room with Your Business

About the Presenter

CBT Nuggets trainer Jeremy Cioara recently completed his course, Building and Configuring a Business Switch Network. It's the latest course in new series called IT Expertise, which emphasizes the realities of working in IT. Jeremy has been a CBT Nuggets trainer since 2003 and holds a variety of Cisco certifications, including CCNA, CCDA, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CCNP, CCSP, CCVP, CCDP, and CCIE R&S.