Getting started on the road of Cisco certifications can seem like a long, hard, expensive commitment—especially if you’re just starting out and know you want to get all the way to the architect level.
But just because you’ll spend countless hours studying and a couple thousand dollars on test fees over the course of getting your Cisco certifications doesn’t mean it won’t be worth it in the long run.
In fact, quite the opposite is true.
In the end, IT certifications usually end up paying for themselves many times over with increased salary and the peace of mind that comes with job security.
Since offering the CCNA-Security (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certification in our CCNA training Network Administrator course, we’ve seen droves of students set out on the course to better careers with Cisco certifications and with the higher salaries and job security they get from it, they’ve never looked back with regret.
In the 1980s, Cisco was founded as a routing company and added switching in the 1990s.
As time went on, they added other technologies, and the journey from their most basic to their most advanced certifications reflects this same route in added technology.
With the CCNA training course, you first learn routing and switching. As you go along, you learn about wireless, data centers, voice, and so on.
To begin the Cisco journey, the CCNA course is the first step and pre-requisite for any other Cisco courses. Even if you only really care about data centers, you still need to start from the ground up since that’s how Cisco has designed the training.
So in the case that you do not want to pursue a routing and switching path, the steps they’ve designed still improve your career over time and give you the more wider-reaching knowledge to be better at your job than the majority of your peers.
1. Land More Interviews with Certifications
As it turns out, years of experience actually have little to nothing to do with proving you know your stuff to hiring managers.
“If I were to filter resumes based on years of experience,” said Marcus Fan on The Cisco Learning Network, “I would find that many candidates would not meet the technical requirements for the positions needed despite the years of experience.”
“My last several openings I’ve received 30-60 applicants each,” he went on. “Since it’s difficult to gauge a candidate’s expertise, many recruiters will then narrow candidates based on referrals or IT certifications.”
Wow, so if you don’t know a guy who knows a guy, then it seems like having a legitimate, third-party certification (like Cisco’s CCNA) on your resume will increase your chances of landing an interview even more than having years of experience.
2. Higher Lifetime Earning Potential with a Cisco Certification
Especially for full-time or part-time workers, one of the main oppositions to studying for Cisco IT certifications is the time it takes to do so.
Our Network Administrator Program, for example, lasts for 10 days, and each session is half a day each. If you work full time, the time away from your job means you’re missing out on a weeks’ worth of total income, which can make a difference when your bills come due.
However, one weeks’ worth of income pales in comparison to what your potential salary could be just a few months after completing the certification… not to mention how much more you’ll earn over the course of our lifetime.
According to Payscale.com, the average salaries for someone who earns just the basic CCNA Cisco certification broken down by job title are approximately:
Network Engineer: $46,000 to $94,000
Network Administrator: $39,000 to $79,000
Sr. Network Engineer: $69,000 to $120,000
IT Manager: $50,000 to $113,000
Systems Administrator: $43,000 to $83,000
Quite a difference, don’t you think?
From real pay increases from real LeaderQuest students, read about the success story of Christopher Jaskoski and many more!
3. Get Irreplaceable Job Security After CCNA Training
In line with what Marcus Fan was saying about job candidates with IT certifications being more likely to land interviews, [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”@LeaderQUEST_USA” suffix=””]candidates with Cisco certifications also enjoy far greater job security than those who don’t[/inlinetweet]… simply because they’ve taken the time to prove that they know their stuff.
Here are some experiences from people who’ve taken the time to get a Cisco certification:
“As a CCNP/CCDP for the past 10 years, I have never had to worry about getting interviews and landing great jobs in the Network Engineering/Architecture career,” said Robert L, a Data Center Networking Infrastructure Specialization Field Engineer in Nevada. “Not to mention portability. The certifications give companies assurance that as a candidate, I know my stuff. Whatever industry!”
“You’ll probably never have to look for a job and you’ll be paid top dollar for what you know,” said Sufyan Ali Shaikh, a bank Network Engineer.
Don’t Wait… Take an Easy First Step Right Now
More interviews, higher salary, and job security—who doesn’t want that?
We’re not claiming that a Cisco CCNA training certification is the magic bullet to IT career success, but we are saying that it’s something that will help you out immensely.
And luckily, getting started isn’t hard. We’ve got information ready to send you that will help you figure out the best course timings for your schedule, and easy payment plans to fit your budget.
Well-respected and renowned, there’s no doubt that obtaining the Cisco Certified Network Associate Routing and Switching (CCNA) certification can give you an edge over other candidates.
Unfortunately, as evidenced by the many posts about failing the exam, it’s also not a test to be undertaken lightly or where you can get away with cramming. To help out with this difficult (but still obtainable) certification, we’ve prepared an all-inclusive study guide to get you on the right path.
We’ll start out going over the exam’s format and objectives and then dive into study materials. If you’re just here for the study guides, jump ahead here. For the rest of you, welcome! This is the ultimate guide to the CCNA exam.
If you’ve had some experience in IT and want to take your networking career to the next level, the CCNA is the way to get there. As for your career outlook with a CCNA, here’s the rundown:
With the demand for network and computer systems administrators expected to grow as much as 28 percent by 2020, it’s clear this is a career that’s not going anywhere soon. To learn more about our CCNA program, contact us at the link below.
Once you’ve decided to pursue your CCNA, there are two different ways to take the exam. First, there’s the 200-125 Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices: Accelerated (CCNAX) exam which grants you the full CCNA.
Then, there’s the two-exam approach with Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices (ICND1) Part 1 & Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices (ICND2) Part 2. The first of these exams will grant you the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT), an interim step in the process. The second gives you your full CCNA.
While the study guides below will be helpful for both tests, we’ll be focusing on 100-105 ICND1 and 200-105 ICND2. Simply put, the CCNA exam is no small feat. Compressing the information into one exam makes it that much harder. Therefore, we highly recommend taking the two-exam format.
Associated Certifications: CCNA Routing and Switching
Duration: 90 minutes each (45-55 questions)
Cost: $330 ($165 for each exam)
The focus of the first exam will be testing skills and knowledge relating to network fundamentals, LAN switching technologies, routing technologies, infrastructure services, and infrastructure maintenance. In the second, the focus will continue on LAN switching technologies and expand to IPv4 and IPv6 routing technologies, WAN technologies, infrastructure services, and infrastructure maintenance.
The following are general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the exam.
Study Guides, Labs, and Other Resources
The Cisco website provides a robust amount of study materials, both free and paid, that you can use to prepare for the exam. You can find study materials for ICND1 here and materials for ICND2 here. Some guides are completely free and others have a cost associated with them. Overall, the materials include study sessions with industry experts, an up-to-date wiki with internetworking basics, practice questions, virtual labs, and more.
Supplementary Study Materials
If you’re interested in a specific topic, you can find more in-depth materials like this companion document on transitioning to IPv6. You can also find videos/seminars on specific concepts, and study groups. For more supplementary materials to keep in mind while you’re preparing for the exam, check out the Cisco blog here.
Flashcards & Apps
CCNA Flash Cards: User-uploaded, free interactive flashcards from Quizlet.
CCNA Flashcards: Flashcards app for under $4.00 with more than 530 cards.
CCNA Routing and Switching Complete Study Guide: By Todd Lammle. Contains hands-on labs help you gain experience in critical procedures and practices. The network simulator provides a realistic lab environment so you can practice at your own pace. Includes practice questions, flashcards, video instruction, and an extensive glossary of terms.
31 Days Before Your CCNA Routing & Switching Exam (Digital Study Guide): By Allan Johnson. This text provides a day-by-day guide and checklist to organize, prepare, and review. Each day in this guide breaks down an exam topic into a manageable bit of information to review using short summaries.
101 Labs for the Cisco CCNA Exam: Exam – 200-125 and 100-105: By Paul W Browning and Farai Tafa. This text is designed to help you quickly and easily gain the hands-on skill and speed to get you through the CCNA and CCENT exams and beyond.
Study with an Expert
As you can see from this list, the amount of information out there about the CCNA can be overwhelming. While self-study works great for some, it’s nice to have some assurance when you’re about to take these exams.
At LeaderQuest, we provide quick, comprehensive training that can help you get certified, prepare for a new career, and get hired in a snap.
Looking to dive into a full schedule of classes? Or are you trying to work around a full-time job? We offer classes during the day, at night, online, and on campus to accommodate every schedule and learning style.
With live-virtual labs, a wealth of extra study materials, and industry-expert instructors, we provide you with everything you need to pass your exam. Afterwards, our dedicated Employment Relations Manager will work with you to improve your resume, LinkedIn profile and interviewing skills to help you get hired.
Looking for a chance to pass your CCNA exam, get your Cisco certification, and start a career in networking? Sign up at the link below!
It’s no secret that IT is exploding. By 2019, the non-profit information security advocacy group ISACA predicts a global shortage of two million cyber security professionals alone.
Given this scarcity, it’s no surprise that the salaries for IT professionals are skyrocketing, but the size of that jump might be more than you expect. Salaries for software developers and information security analysts increased 17 percent and 18 percent respectively since 2013 while compensation for computer systems analysts rose a whopping 21 percent.
So what does this mean for IT? In this examination of Robert Half’s 2018 Technology & IT Salary Guide, we’ll be exploring areas of growth, examining average salaries, and reviewing other information that’s essential for anyone thinking of getting into IT.
Counteract Inexperience with Quick Learning
As the world shifts towards automation, the need for talented IT professionals is far outstripping the supply. That’s why companies have become willing to hire professionals with less experience but who are motivated to learn quickly. With technology evolving faster than ever, employers are also looking for new hires who can stay on top of technology in their own time. That means passion is a big selling point. On the flip side, those with skills and techniques related to cloud technology, open source practices, mobile development, big data, cyber security, and other new technologies will definitely be given preference in hiring.
Source: Robert Half 2018 Technology & IT Salary Guide
Expanding IT Industries
Though the need for IT is rising everywhere, the three industries with the biggest demand are healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing.
Healthcare—Big innovations are needed to improve patient care by modernizing healthcare operations.
Financial services—In the wake of the Equifax breach, this shouldn’t be surprising. Both big data and information security initiatives drive the need for pros in this industry.
Manufacturing —While manufacturing has been slow to adapt, things are changing quickly with the trend toward automation.
In Robert Half’s extensive salary guide, they break down the numbers for what people in the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 95th percentile will make. Which percentile an individual falls into is decided by things like level of experience, special skills/expertise, job complexity, location, and other such factors. When looking at these charts for yourself, it’s important to remember that the 50th percentile represents the midpoint. For more information on using the salary guide, check out the video below. [pexyoutube pex_attr_src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iqk4RX6MEQ”][/pexyoutube] When you examine the chart, you can see that IT salaries top out with executive positions such as the Chief Information Officer ($170,750 – $245,500), Chief Technology Officer ($145,000 – $248,000), and Chief Security Officer ($143,250 – $241,000). While that’s the highest of the high, it’s still worth noting that many of the salary ranges for IT roles easily reach over $100,000 including specialties and years of experience. Here are just a few high paying jobs in technical services, networking, and security.
Technical Services, Help Desk, & Technical Support
As you can see from the chart below, these positions represent the lower end of the salary range in IT. However, with the midpoint salary range for most positions around or over $50,000, it’s still much more than a living wage. While salaries start in the $30,000 to $40,000 range, they quickly move to $50,000 – $60,000 as they get more and more specialized. This is especially true for systems administrators and systems engineers.
Position Title
25th Percentile
50th Percentile
75th Percentile
95th Percentile
Help Desk Tier 1
$32,000
$38,000
$45,500
$54,000
Help Desk Tier 2
$38,000
$45,000
$54,000
$63,750
Help Desk Tier 3
$48,500
$57,500
$69,000
$81,500
Desktop Support Analyst
$50,500
$60,000
$72,000
$85,000
Systems Administrator
$67,250
$80,000
$96,000
$113,500
Manager
$80,750
$96,000
$115,250
$136,000
Systems Engineer
$85,000
$101,000
$121,250
$143,250
When you’re looking to get into IT for the first time, it’s important to have a base of knowledge to draw upon. Our Computer User Support Specialist program combines popular ITIL and CompTIA training programs necessary to develop the skills you’ll need for entry-level IT.
If you’re looking to get started in IT with little to no experience. Learn more about us by clicking the link below.
Network Administrators are listed as one of the most in-demand positions for 2018, so it should be no surprise their salaries range from $70,000 to $120,000, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Many higher level network positions such as Network Engineers, Managers, or Wireless Network Engineers start around $90,000 to $100,000 and can go as high as the $150,000 to $160,000 range.
Position Title
25th Percentile
50th Percentile
75th Percentile
95th Percentile
NOC Technician
$51,750
$59,500
$76,000
$97,000
Telecommunications Specialist
$59,000
$70,000
$84,000
$99,250
Network Administrator
$73,250
$87,000
$104,500
$123,250
Telecommunications Manager
$79,000
$94,000
$112,750
$133,000
Network Engineer
$90,000
$107,000
$128,500
$151,750
Network Manager
$93,500
$111,000
$133,000
$157,250
Wireless Network Engineer
$100,000
$119,000
$142,750
$168,750
Network Architect
$112,750
$134,000
$160,750
$190,000
If you’re interested in the networking positions, our Network Support Specialist Program teaches fundamentals, competencies, and qualifications that are necessary to start a career in networking. Through these classes, you’ll learn how to install, configure, run, verify, and troubleshoot medium-sized networks.
Interested in learning more? Click the link below.
Cyber security is rapidly expanding and in desperate need of more professionals to stay on top of security. The compensation for these roles reflects this high demand. In cyber security, even the jobs in the 25th percentile start around $90,000. With rising concerns about data from the Equifax breaches and others, it makes sense that Network Security Engineers, Data Security Analysts, and Information Systems Security Managers most often make between $115,000 and $160,000.
Position Title
25th Percentile
50th Percentile
75th Percentile
95th Percentile
Network Security Administrator
$92,000
$109,250
$131,000
$155,000
Systems Security Administrator
$92,750
$110,000
$132,000
$156,000
Network Security Engineer
$97,000
$115,000
$138,000
$163,000
Data Security Analyst
$102,000
$121,000
$145,000
$171,500
Information Systems Security Manager
$115,250
$137,000
$164,250
$194,250
With the gap between cyber skills growing wider by the day, the industry provides professionals with unparalleled job security and a world of opportunities. Whether you’re interested in working on securing networks, keeping data safe, or even getting inside the mind of a hacker, cyber provides a variety of great, high-paying options. Interested in learning more about how to build a career path toward cyber security? Click the button below. Learn More!
Perks, Incentives, and More
Most IT positions include generous benefits packages. Here are the most common benefits broken down by the percentage of companies that offer them:
Medical Insurance (95%)
Dental Insurance (89%)
Life insurance (88%)
Vision Insurance (81%)
Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance (79%)
Disability Insurance (78%)
Employee Assistance Programs (65%)
Reimbursement for tuition and professional certifications (56%)
Employers also consider a number of other incentives to snag top talent including signing bonuses, health insurance, generous vacation time, and professional development opportunities. As for perks, places often offer flexible work schedules, social events, the option of telecommuting, onsite gym or access to a gym offsite, a compressed schedule, or free/subsidized meals. In addition, employers offer 14 days paid vacation for the first five years of employment and nine paid holidays including floating holidays. Employers also match 3-4 percent of employees’ 401(k) or Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) contributions on average.
Importance of Certifications
Ultimately, the difference in salary comes down to specialization. For IT pros, that means skills and certifications. Both increase the marketability of a professional. Employers may increase salaries between five to ten percent for professionals with sought-after skills and abilities. Some of the most popular certifications, as identified by the Robert Half guide, include CISSP, CCNA, CompTIA A+, and PMP. However, certifications show more than proving a skillset. They also signal to employers that a professional is committed to keeping their skills up to date at all times. With the ever-widening cyber security gap, certifications and willingness to keep on top of the latest updates are becoming more and more of a commodity. Certifications can mean the difference between thousands of dollars in salary. That’s why, at LeaderQuest, we balance by-the-book training that helps people pass their exams with real-world, hands-on experience. This ensures our students can take their learning beyond the classroom and be fully prepared for a brand new career. We understand the pressures of working full-time while still wanting to advance education and earning potential That’s why we offer classes during the day, at night, on campus, or online to meet any schedule and learning style. Ultimately, a certification is a great, cost-effective way to get into the lucrative IT field for the fraction of the cost of a university. With the continuing upward trend in salaries, the IT industry isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. If you’re interested in building a successful career in IT, contact us and we’ll get you set up with one of our expert career advisers. Contact us today and unlock your career’s full potential! Contact Us!
The field of cyber security is growing every year by leaps and bounds as companies and other organizations realize how imperative it is to protect their networks and data. According to the World Economic Forum, worldwide costs inflicted by cyber crime are expected to double from $3 trillion in 2015 to $6 trillion in 2021. As companies struggle to keep up with the rising threat of cyber crime, they’re having one major problem: they can’t find enough qualified candidates.
That’s right, cyber security specialists are so in demand that the number of open positions has outstripped the number of qualified applicants by as much as 2 to 1 in some industries. So what’s holding applicants back? About one-third of information security jobs require a cyber security certification compared to 23 percent of all IT jobs. In the U.S. alone, some 50,000 vacant jobs require the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. But the number of certificate holders is only about 73,500, according to the Information Security System Certification Consortium, and most of them are already working.
Are you considering a career in cyber security, but not sure where to start? LeaderQuest offers multiple cyber security training programs that can prepare you to enter this exciting industry. Take a look at the four programs below, and you’ll be able to choose one that’s ideal for where you are now and what you’d like to do with your career.
Certifications: Comptia Security+, CND, and CEH Base Training Period: 15 days Skill Level: Intermediate Recommended Experience: CompTIA Network+ and two years of experience in IT administration with a security focus Ideal for: If you have Network+, some experience under your belt, and you’d like to massively expand your job opportunities and earning potential, Information Security Analyst could be the perfect program for you. Roles you’ll be qualified for: Cyber Security Specialist, Information Security Analyst, Information Security Auditor, and Site Security Administrator
If you’ve got some experience in entry-level IT and want to take your career to the next level, this program is for you. Security+ will teach you the basics of threat management, identity management, security systems, security risk identification and mitigation, and more. Building on this information, Certified Network Defender (CND) will teach you how to protect, detect, and respond to network attacks in real-world situations. With an in-depth understanding of how network traffic functions, you’ll be able to secure your network and identify the signs of an infiltrator. See below for more information on CND.
By obtaining your Certified Ethical Hacker designation, you’ll not only be prepared to secure networks and look for vulnerabilities; you’ll be an active part of the mitigation and remediation process. You’ll be able to strengthen your network through rigorous penetration testing and stop cyberattacks in their tracks.
Certified Network Defender
Certifications: CND Base Training Period: 5 days Skill Level: Intermediate Prerequisites: CompTIA Security+ Ideal for: If you’ve completed Security+ and want to keep building your resume and knowledge base, Certified Network Defender can be completed in one week and is a HUGE step up from Security+. Roles you’ll be qualified for: Network Administrator, Network Security Administrator, Network Security Engineer, Network Defense Technician, and Security Analyst
Certified Network Defender (CND) is a vendor-neutral, hands-on, instructor-led comprehensive network security certification program created by EC-Council. This tactical network security training course prepares network administrators to defend their networks from intrusion. Through this course, you’ll gain a hands-on understanding of data transfer, network technologies, and network software needed to secure a network.
If you would enjoy taking a hands-on role in the defense and security of your network, this program could be perfect for you. CEH is the natural next step after attaining this certification, and if you’re interested in having a good depth of technical knowledge when it comes to network defense, you may want to sign up for our Information Security Analyst program (above).
CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner
Certifications: CASP Base Training Period: 5 days Skill Level: Advanced Prerequisites: 5-10 years of IT experience or CEH/Security+ certifications Ideal for: Getting CASP certified is ideal for individuals who have 5-10 years of IT experience and are interested in cyber security. Unlike the CISSP certification, another important cert in the cyber security world, CASP’s focus is hands-on and technical. This is ideal for people who AREN’T interested in management. Roles you’ll be qualified for: Network Security Engineer, Information Security Specialist, Information Security Auditor, Security Analyst, Security Architect, and Site Security Administrator
If you’re interested in assessing and managing risk, securing networks, preventing cyber attacks, and even getting inside the mind of a hacker to make sure that a company’s data is safe as possible, CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) could be right for you. CASP is often compared to CISSP, but that’s like comparing apples to oranges. If you’re looking for a career in IT management, CISSP might be the better choice. If not, CASP can level up your career at a fraction of the cost.
Certifications: Security+, CEH, CHFI Base Training Period: 15 days Skill Level: Advanced Prerequisites: Knowledge of TCP/IP, Information systems and security background, and 12 months of experience in networking technologies Ideal for: If you’ve completed A+ and Network+, or have similar job experience, you’re ready to take on this ambitious program. Roles you’ll be qualified for: Cyber Security Specialist, Information Security Specialist, Information Security Auditor, Site Security Administrator, and Computer Forensics Investigator
If you enjoy detective work and want to get inside the mind of a hacker, this is the perfect program for you. Security+ and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) will provide a thorough understanding of the attack vectors and methods of hackers, as detailed above. By adding the Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) certification to this mix, you’ll be able to track the movements of intruders in your network and systems and report on their activities and methods.
Does the idea of doing penetration testing on corporate networks pique your interest? Corporations understand the need for strong security better than anybody, and they are looking to hire experienced cyber security specialists who can protect them from cyberattacks and identify what went wrong. The mix of certifications in this program will perfectly position you for these kinds of opportunities.
Are you ready for a career in cyber security?
If you’ve got some experience in IT and are ready to take a huge step forward in your career, we can help! Our advisors can aid you in choosing a program that will advance your career and increase your earning potential in just a few weeks.
Battles between corporations, governments, and countries are no longer fought using physical force. The cyber war has begun and the consequences can be seen in everyday life. If you are equipped with problem-solving, solid communication, and IT security skills, you have what it takes for cyber security training. A certification in Ethical Hacking can train you to look for weaknesses and vulnerabilities in target systems, as well as how to close those doors and protect systems from malicious hackers.
Do you want to learn to think like a bad guy so you can help the good guys?
What are cyber attacks?
There are four main types of cyber attacks:
Organized crime rings, attempting to steal something of value from a company or individual.
Nation-state actors, organizations that are motivated to make a change that sways an issue to their favor.
Hackers or hacktivists, trying to make radical political statements or get attention from political institutions.
Trusted individuals within a company who have access to top secret information and can access the company’s internal communications easily.
All of these are potential attacks happen unannounced. With cyber security training, you’ll be able to protect a company against malicious attacks like these.
What is the ROI on hiring a certified ethical hacker?
With cyber security awareness on the rise, corporations are spending money to proactively hack their internal systems to search for vulnerabilities before a real hacker can penetrate their network. A breach of security can deplete a company’s resources or steal information that is not public knowledge. These attacks can cause great financial distress. According to the Ponemon Institute, “the average price for small businesses to clean up after their businesses have been hacked stands at $690,000; and, for middle market companies, it’s over $1 million.” In fact, 60% of small companies that suffer a cyber attack are out of business within six months. Because of this, cyber security certifications are in high demand.
A certified ethical hacker is an investment for a company who has assets they don’t want to have exposed. The cost is minimal compared to the loss that could happen if hacked. When a company is looking to hire an ethical hacker, they want to get a qualified candidate as quickly as possible. By looking only at certified candidates, they save themselves time and money. Often, companies are looking for somebody with experience in both information systems and cyber security.
But ethical hacker certification isn’t just lucrative for companies. In 2014, there were 82,900 jobs posted for ethical hackers, almost 3 postings for every qualified applicant. In 2016, the median pay for an ethical hacker was $92,600 annually or $44.52 per hour! Ethical hacking is predicted to be one of the top IT job roles employers are seeking to fill in 2017. And this industry isn’t going away anytime soon. Employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 18 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Who is right for CEH certification?
One of our popular Cyber Security training programs, the Information Security Analyst program, is well matched for Network Analysts, Network Technicians, Network Administrators, System Administrators, System Security Engineers, Firewall Administrators, Network Security Engineers, IT Managers, IT Professionals, Security Specialists, and similar job roles that can meet the prerequisites.
CEH certification can aid your success in career paths such as Cyber Security Specialist, Information Security Auditor, Site Security Administrator, and others. The most common workplaces are computer companies, consulting firms, or business and financial companies. CEH is the best cyber security certification available when it comes to preparing workers for real threats they’ll face in the field. If you think you have what it takes, contact us.
What is our ethical hacking course like?
We offer one of the most effective cyber security certification programs available. For fifteen days you will be immersed in an interactive environment that combines expert instructor-led lectures, interactive peer discussions, and integrated lab experiences. You’ll have to assess live threats and stop them with your new skills.
We have a three pillar approach to cyber network defense:
Prevention
Reaction
Retrospection
You’ll learn basic cybersecurity principles, then you will expand your knowledge even deeper with perimeter defense, hacking, forensics, and intrusion prevention.
Are you ready to become a certified ethical hacker?
Cyber security training puts you in the running for one of the top jobs of 2017. A CEH certification takes about three weeks of training, during which you’ll get in-depth knowledge on how to scan, test, hack, and secure computer systems while increasing your salary potential. In our ethical hacking course, you’ll learn proactive white hat hacking techniques to outsmart the black hats. A career in cyber security allows you to think like a criminal but protect like a guardian. So what are you waiting for?
If you don’t know that the IT industry is one of the biggest, booming business spaces on the face of our planet right now, we just have one question for you:
Do you live under a rock?!?
Because in all, the industry itself is valued at $62 billion. So, yeah. It’s kind of a big deal.
But, since you’ve found your way onto our website (particularly this blog post), I’m assuming that you do, in fact, know those things AND that you probably want to get your hands on a small part of this industry in the form of a great IT career.
The downside, though, is for total IT newbies, getting started in the field can be a little slow. Particularly since the vast majority of IT job descriptions list a requirement for a bachelor’s degree, which takes an average of four years of full-time school to complete.
Not exactly a quick, painless career change, is it?
Fortunately, for those of us IT lovers that don’t want to or can’t afford to spend the next four years at a desk studying, there are three different IT careers that pay really well, but don’t require a bachelor’s degree.
1. Computer Support Specialist
Working as a computer support specialist is the perfect IT job for people who are the ones always getting asked by their friends and family to fix their computers.
Essentially, the job involves working at a help desk and taking calls to walk people through fixing their hardware or software problems on a step-by-step basis. You need to be able to diagnose problems without being physically present and give good, descriptive instructions so the person on the other end is able to do exactly what you would do to the computer if you were present.
The level of expertise required varies depending on the product or company you’re working for, but the best part is you don’t need years and years of on-the-job or academic experience before getting started.
All you need to do is make sure you’ve got the IT certifications that match the level you’d like to work at. Certifications for this IT career path can include CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, and ITIL. Training courses for these certifications are relatively inexpensive and the IT certifications can be easily achieved with the right training and dedication. With this IT career path being so popular, we have developed our Computer User Support Specialist IT career training program that includes those exact IT certifications (pretty clever of us, huh?)
And once you’re done?
You’ll be able to enter a job market with more than 600,000 jobs available and an average salary of $46,500, according to Kiplinger.
2. IT Careers as Network Support Specialists
The generic term of Network Support Specialist covers a vast array of job titles, like Network Technician, Junior Network Engineer, NOC Engineer, Network Administrator and many more. In general, Network Specialists work on wide area networks (WANs) and local area networks (LANs). Their work with these networks ranges from the actual planning and installation of them, to troubleshooting and identifying security issues, as well as making sure everything works the way it’s supposed to without interrupting the work of the company the network supports.
Because the job requires so much deep knowledge and responsibility, it does sometimes require at least an associate’s degree, which is typically two years of full-time study.
However, because we know that a lot of people desiring careers in IT sometimes don’t have that kind of time or budget on their hands, and that if you take two years to learn something, the things you learned two years ago may be wildly outdated, we’ve put together an intensive it career training program of two CompTIA courses and two CISCO courses (along with their IT certifications) that will get you career-ready in just one month of intensive study.
On an average, (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) a Network Specialist earns over $59,000 per year, with nearly 40,000 positions available through 2022. (That’s 800 new Network Specialists per state, if you go on averages.)
3. Web Developer
“Anyone who uses the internet to work knows that it’s important to have a reliable website,” said Harlon Agsaoay on Lifehack. “As our dependence on this technology increases by the day, it also generates a lot of job opportunities not just for the younger generation but also to those willing to learn it.”
Rather than designing a website for looks, web developers are all about how a website works and are the ones behind making sure everything someone sees on a website works exactly the way it’s supposed to. They take the design and turn it into something functional.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that they earned an average of $62,500 per year in 2012, and that an associates degree is again something that’s sometimes required, especially since it’s an IT career where you’re not expected to need a lot of on-the-job training.
Hacking Around Traditional Education & IT Careers Strategies
We hope we have shown you some great options to avoid the time and expense required to land a bachelor’s degree (or so you can be qualified and work in your field WHILE you earn your bachelor’s degree!). There’s some wonderful and quick ways to hack around getting two or four-year degrees and still earn a lot more money than your peers of the same education level. It is not coincidental that our programs match good IT career options! We research our local job markets to make sure our it training programs align to the needs of the community. We not only want you to get high quality training, we want you to be employable when you are finished! Call us today to talk with our career services department to find the best IT career training and IT certifications for YOUR goals!
Beyond these three careers, what are your dream positions in the IT field, and what are some ways you think you could hack your way to that level without following the traditional path to get there?
Study Guides, Labs, and Other Resources
