Education · 1 of 5

The path

Two to four years from high school to a real network job. There is no license and no single required degree.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Take any computing class you can get. Build a home network, break it, fix it. That story gets you interviews.

2. 2

   Two-year degree or certificate

   1 to 2 years

   A community college program in networking or information technology. A four-year degree works too and opens more doors later.

3. 3

   First certification

   2 to 4 months of study

   Network+ from CompTIA, or the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate). Either one tells an employer you know what a subnet is.

4. 4

   Help desk or junior technician

   1 to 2 years

   Almost nobody starts on the network itself. You fix laptops and reset passwords first, and you learn how the place actually works.

5. 5

   Network administrator

   Ongoing

   Switches, firewalls, servers, backups, monitoring. You own the thing everyone complains about when it is slow.