Hello all,

I am a seasoned Desktop Support tech with 13 years experience having done just about everything except networking and servers. I love hands-on work and working with hardware. I like to keep physically active and sitting at a desk all day just makes me sleepy. (This is why I don't do helpdesk gigs.)

I'm in my 50s and have been working short-term desktop support gigs for the last few years. The avg. pay varies from $15 - $22 per hour here in the Midwest and they're getting harder and harder to find.

I think it's time to move on. Networking gigs appeals to me, at least the hardware part. They seem to pay more than desktop support and are probably a bit more secure when one has a networking cert. But I don't want to work in a NOC (read, helpdesk). And from what I've read, network engineers don't get to 'play' with hardware all that much.

With that, I'm considering becoming a Cisco Certified Technician (CCT) FE where the emphasis is on "knowledge at the device level." I have no plans to ever become a CCNA but understand that the recert for CCT is CCENT. Before I travel down that path, I have a few questions. (I realize they're kind of general.)

• Has the idea of companies using CCTs caught on or is the cert relatively unknown?

• Is there a real need for CCTs or are companies still making do without them?

• Are CCT gigs generally longer than 3-6 months (which is what I've had with desktop support gigs)?

• What's the rate of pay? Meaning, does it pay more than a desktop support tech?

• Would getting a CCENT or CCNA help retain a CCT job or would it count for nothing?

Thanks in advance.