I see this question all the time. I don’t have a lot of computer experience and I’ve heard the CCNA is a great program to help me get a job. What should I do to get my CCNA?

If you are really new to IT, then I’ll tell you right up front, the CCNA is hard. I’m not trying to discourage you. By all means, we all started somewhere. When I first took my Cisco Academy classes back in 2004, I thought I actually new a little about networking. The more I learned, the more I realized the less I know. With that said, I was able to do it and so can you, if you work hard.

But before you start on your CCNA, I’d like to make a suggestion. Considering taking a class on Network+. While it’s not the greatest certification for finding a job, it does a great job of helping you get your feet wet. It will also make the first few sections of the CCNA program a little easier to understand. I did exactly this and I am grateful I did.

Once you get the Network+ under your belt, then I suggest you find a local Community College or Vo-tech and start taking the Cisco Network Academy for CCNA. It is going to be hard, but it is also your best bet for learning what it takes to actually do the work of a CCNA. It is time consuming and you may have to make some sacrifices along the way, but if you really want to get in the field of networking, you need your CCNA.

Now you may have heard about Bootcamps and love the idea of taking 5 days of training, then taking your CCNA. If you have a lot of experience, the Bootcamp can fill in the holes. If you are really new to this, then I suggest you avoid Bootcamps.

One other suggestion I have besides the Cisco Network Academy classes is to build your own CCNA Home Lab. It’s great having access to equipment in class, but you are going to need to study outside of class and having hands on experience with equipment will help you build the experience you need to land that first job.

Be sure to check out our list of predesigned CCNA Home Labs. If you want to put it together yourself, check out our article on what routers are best for a CCNA Home Lab.