Table Of Content

Getting a Networking Job by Peter H. Gregory and Bill Hughes Getting a Networking Job For Dummies® Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030‐5774, www.wiley.com Copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Media and software compilation copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748‐6011, fax (201) 748‐6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877‐762‐2974, outside the U.S. at 317‐572‐3993, or fax 317‐572‐4002. For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport. Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print‐on‐demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e‐books or in print‐on‐demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Control Number: 2014958354 ISBN 978‐1‐119‐01594‐9 (pbk); 978‐1‐119‐01623‐6 (ebk); ISBN 978‐1‐119‐01621‐2 (ebk) Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents at a Glance Introduction �� 1 Part I: So You Want to Be a Networking Professional �� 5 Chapter 1: Working with Networks .................................................................................7 Chapter 2: Understanding Networking Roles ...............................................................17 Chapter 3: Knowing Your Networking...........................................................................31 Chapter 4: Networking Concepts and Trends ..............................................................45 Part II: Having the Right Stuff �� 81 Chapter 5: Getting the Necessary Education and Training ........................................83 Chapter 6: Becoming Certifiable ..................................................................................101 Chapter 7: Making Your Own Way ...............................................................................125 Part III: Finding a Job with the Right Organization �� 133 Chapter 8: Working for a Networking Solutions Provider ........................................135 Chapter 9: Working as an In‐House Networking Professional ..................................141 Chapter 10: Serving in the Public Sector or Academia .............................................149 Chapter 11: Living on the Edge with a Startup ...........................................................155 Chapter 12: Life as a Consultant ..................................................................................163 Part IV: Getting Hired! �� 171 Chapter 13: Branding Yourself for Your Dream Career ............................................173 Chapter 14: Creating a Winning Resume.....................................................................195 Chapter 15: Getting Attention with Your Cover Letter .............................................213 Chapter 16: Bringing Your Resume to Life: The Interview .......................................223 Chapter 17: Becoming a Star Employee ......................................................................239 Part V: The Part of Tens �� 247 Chapter 18: Ten Great Answers for Your Interviewer ...............................................249 Chapter 19: Ten Great Questions to Ask Your Interviewer ......................................257 Chapter 20: Ten Alternatives to a Regular Job ..........................................................265 Chapter 21: Ten Networking Books for Your Professional Library .........................271 Glossary �� 277 Index �� 305 Table of Contents Introduction �� 1 About This Book ..............................................................................................1 Foolish Assumptions .......................................................................................2 Icons Used in This Book .................................................................................2 Beyond the Book .............................................................................................3 Where to Go from Here ...................................................................................3 Part I: So You Want to Be a Networking Professional �� 5 Chapter 1: Working with Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Why Are Networks Important? ......................................................................7 Skills and Activities in Networking Jobs .......................................................8 Managing network devices ...................................................................9 Setting up remote access ......................................................................9 Maintaining user accounts ...................................................................9 Helping end users ..................................................................................9 Configuring firewalls ............................................................................10 Monitoring antimalware consoles .....................................................10 Issuing authentication tokens ............................................................10 Setting up wireless networks .............................................................10 Configuring communications with business partners ....................11 Connecting storage devices ...............................................................11 Managing telecommunications services ...........................................11 Setting up VoIP phones and voicemail ..............................................12 Pulling network cabling .......................................................................12 Installing network devices in data centers and closets ..................12 Designing networks .............................................................................12 Completing paperwork ........................................................................13 Fixing things .........................................................................................13 Working with People .....................................................................................13 How Networking Fits in a High‐Tech Career Path .....................................14 The Future Is Bright for Networking Jobs ..................................................16 Chapter 2: Understanding Networking Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Reviewing First Principles ............................................................................17 Performing Essential Tasks in Networking .................................................19 Navigating Networking Job Titles ................................................................20 Service desk analyst ............................................................................20 vi Getting a Networking Job For Dummies Network administrator ........................................................................21 Network engineer .................................................................................21 Network architect ................................................................................22 Network manager .................................................................................22 Wireless network engineer .................................................................23 Telecommunications manager or specialist ....................................24 Pre‐sales engineer ................................................................................24 Getting Networking Experience Where You Are Now ...............................25 Computer repair specialist .................................................................25 Webmaster ............................................................................................26 Software developer ..............................................................................26 Database administrator ......................................................................26 Business analyst...................................................................................27 Information security analyst ..............................................................28 Project manager ...................................................................................28 IT auditor ..............................................................................................29 Chapter 3: Knowing Your Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Appreciating First Principles .......................................................................31 Recognizing design goals for the network ........................................31 Appreciating the business objectives of the network .....................32 Reviewing the OSI Model ..............................................................................33 Exalting TCP/IP ..............................................................................................34 Staying Local with LANs ...............................................................................35 Using wired LANs .................................................................................36 Moving around with wireless LANs ...................................................38 Going Out with WANs ...................................................................................39 Buying service from LECs and CLECs ...............................................40 Considering the cloud and managed service ...................................41 Accessing Wireless WANs ............................................................................41 Going beyond texting on a cellphone ................................................41 Cooking with a microwave connection .............................................42 Circling around satellite communications........................................43 Chapter 4: Networking Concepts and Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Access Control ...............................................................................................45 Basic concepts in access control.......................................................45 Emerging issues in access control .....................................................49 Telecommunications and Network Security ..............................................50 Basic concepts in telecommunications and network security ......50 Network technologies .........................................................................50 TCP/IP ....................................................................................................54 Network security ..................................................................................55 Attacks and countermeasures ...........................................................57 Emerging issues in telecommunications and network security .......58 Cryptography .................................................................................................58 vii Table of Contents Basic concepts in cryptography ........................................................59 Emerging issues in cryptography ......................................................62 Computing Architecture and Design ...........................................................62 Basic concepts in computing architecture and design ...................63 Cloud services ......................................................................................65 Emerging issues in computing architecture and design .................66 IT Operations .................................................................................................66 Basic concepts in IT operations.........................................................66 Emerging issues in IT operations .......................................................70 Physical and Environmental Security .........................................................71 Basic concepts in physical and environmental security ................72 Emerging issues in physical and environmental security ..............75 Regulations, Investigations, and Compliance ............................................75 Basic concepts in regulations, investigations, and compliance ................................................................................76 Emerging issues in regulations, investigations, and compliance ................................................................................78 Factoring Nontechnical IT Issues ................................................................78 Outsourcing IT .....................................................................................78 Employees un‐telecommuting ............................................................79 Part II: Having the Right Stuff �� 81 Chapter 5: Getting the Necessary Education and Training . . . . . . . . .83 Off‐the‐Record Training ................................................................................84 Studying with self‐direction ................................................................84 On‐the‐job training ...............................................................................85 Viewing prerecorded college courses ...............................................86 Learning through Higher Education ............................................................89 Undergraduate programs ...................................................................90 Graduate degrees .................................................................................92 Formal study at an online university.................................................92 Adult education ....................................................................................96 Pursuing a Nontraditional Education ..........................................................97 Military education ................................................................................98 For‐profit training companies.............................................................98 Maintaining Your Networking Knowledge ..................................................99 Chapter 6: Becoming Certifiable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Planning for a Certification .........................................................................101 Deciding Which Certifications Are Right for You ....................................102 Choosing a Vendor‐Specific Networking Certification ............................104 Cisco certifications ............................................................................104 Microsoft .............................................................................................107 viii Getting a Networking Job For Dummies Juniper Networks ...............................................................................109 Palo Alto Networks ............................................................................111 Check Point .........................................................................................112 Red Hat ................................................................................................113 Other vendor‐specific certifications ................................................113 Winning with a Third‐Party Networking Certification ............................114 CompTIA .............................................................................................114 Network Professional Association ...................................................117 Planet3 Wireless .................................................................................117 Earning a Vendor‐Neutral Security Certification .....................................118 International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2 ..........................................................................118 ISACA ...................................................................................................121 SANS Institute .....................................................................................122 Earning Other Relevant Certifications ......................................................124 Chapter 7: Making Your Own Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 Informal Education in Networking .............................................................126 Setting Up Your Own Lab ...........................................................................126 Equipment ...........................................................................................127 Operating systems .............................................................................128 Virtualization ......................................................................................129 Volunteering .................................................................................................129 Working on the Side ....................................................................................130 On‐the‐Job Training .....................................................................................131 Part III: Finding a Job with the Right Organization �� 133 Chapter 8: Working for a Networking Solutions Provider . . . . . . . . .135 Working in Sales as a Pre‐Sales Engineer .................................................135 Rolling Up Your Sleeves as an Implementation Engineer .......................137 Helping Customers in Technical Support .................................................138 Watching the Fort for a Managed Service Provider ................................139 Chapter 9: Working as an In‐House Networking Professional . . . . .141 Living Your Destiny .....................................................................................141 Working in the Private Sector ....................................................................142 Industry regulations ..........................................................................142 Comparing private versus public companies ................................143 Supporting company goals and objectives ....................................144 One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Small and Large Businesses .............................144 Chaos versus Calm: Growth, Mergers, and Acquisitions .......................145 Working in Global Enterprises ...................................................................146 Working for a Nonprofit Organization ......................................................147 ix Table of Contents Chapter 10: Serving in the Public Sector or Academia . . . . . . . . . . . .149 Working for a Federal, State, or Local Agency .........................................149 Public service .....................................................................................150 Transparency .....................................................................................150 The glacial pace of change ...............................................................151 Leadership ..........................................................................................151 Tenure .................................................................................................152 Regulations .........................................................................................152 Working for a Military or Defense Contractor .........................................153 Going Back to School ..................................................................................154 Chapter 11: Living on the Edge with a Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 Doing More With Less .................................................................................156 Building Virtual Infrastructure in the Cloud ............................................157 Experiencing the Razor‐Sharp Edge ..........................................................158 Finding Startup Jobs ....................................................................................159 Is A Startup Right For You? ........................................................................160 Chapter 12: Life as a Consultant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163 Is Consulting Right for You? .......................................................................163 Consulting workload..........................................................................164 Appearance and approach ...............................................................165 Working for a Consulting Firm ...................................................................166 Consulting firm processes ................................................................166 Subject matter variety .......................................................................167 Working in pre‐sales ..........................................................................168 Going It Alone as an Independent Consultant .........................................168 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Consulting .......................................170 Part IV: Getting Hired! �� 171 Chapter 13: Branding Yourself for Your Dream Career . . . . . . . . . . . .173 Meeting People ............................................................................................174 Business Networking with LinkedIn ..........................................................176 Photo ...................................................................................................177 Headline ..............................................................................................178 Background .........................................................................................178 Connections ........................................................................................179 Recommendations .............................................................................179 Updates ...............................................................................................180 Groups .................................................................................................180 Jobs ......................................................................................................181 Using LinkedIn successfully .............................................................181