utilize a virtual lab tool

Network Engineering is a demanding field to work in. You have to be willing to devote a lot of time to this career as well as hit the books, videos and labs on your “off” time. You have to be willing to not just ask questions when you get lost but to have the ability and motivation to not give up on a topic and dive into it head on. This is a key factor/skill that sets some Engineers above the rest. If you are willing to constantly learn and improve your craft and knowledge then there will be nowhere for you to go but to the top. If you are reading this article then you are probably very aware of the fact that the technology changes rapidly and the if a person who is charged with maintaining these systems begins to fall behind on new trends then they will surely be left behind. You have to stay focused and be prepared to learn something new daily. Keep in mind that everyone has a different learning style. To find yours you have to experiment. If you do not currently work in the IT field I would recommend taking just about any “IT” related job in order to break into the field and company. Use this stepping point to learn about the companies’ procedures and infrastructure. Next step would be to work towards network administration and eventually into engineering.

My recommendation on where to start learning on your own would be to utilize a virtual lab tool such as Cisco’s Packet Tracer or VIRL (Virtual Internet Routing Lab). From there I would pick up some books such as the Cisco Press CCENT book. You should also look into purchasing a plan from an online video training vendor. There are so many great resources online to learn specific topics that tend to cause confusion or issues for entry-level Network folks. Some great focus areas tend to be subnetting IPv4 addresses, the OSI and TCP/IP models as well as understanding the differences between a router, layer 3 switch, layer 2 switch and hub. One of my favorite outlets is to connect with fellow-minded IT people online. Knowledge and motivation comes with no price tag from the online IT community as a whole. I would recommend joining forums such as Networking-Forums.com and connecting with people on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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