Summer 2007, I decided that I wanted to move toward something network engineering related and move away from quality engineering in enterprise server systems development. I wasn't too fond of 14 hour work days and having to fly to San Jose on a weekly basis, IMHO. I didn't feel like my career was going the direction that I wanted, so I started working on certifications to strengthen my resume. M-F, 4-6 hours after work, I would study at a cafe. Trying to leave my weekends free to recover and relax from the week prior.
After completion of CCNA, I started looking for entry level positions in networking. Since I did not have any experience in that area, looking for NOC positions seemed like the best bet. 3 months after obtaining CCNA, I found a NOC Systems Engineer Tier1/Tier2 position with a Cisco Gold Partner. This company encourages their technical staff to pursue Cisco certifications, which I like very much. They provide a lot of training material, definitely lets my bleeding wallet heal for once!
Here is a breakdown of what happened:1/22, Wednesday - Applied
1/23, Thursday - Response from HR, asked me to provide some supplemental information. Seemed like a prescreening phone interview.
1/24, Friday - Response from HR, application submitted to Hiring Manager.
1/26, Monday - 9AM: E-mailed HR in the morning, "Thank you" for submittal.
12NOON: Response from HR, request for availability for phone interview and scheduled phone interview for later that afternoon.
3PM: Phone interview with hiring manager went well.
4PM: Scheduled in-person interview via HR for the morning on Tuesday.
1/27, Tuesday - 10AM: In-person interview with hiring manager, tour of NOC, and technical exam. Interview went really well and I went home happy.
1/28, Wednesday - Mailed thank you card to hiring manager.
1/29, Thursday - 4PM: Inquiry from HR regarding my impressions of the interview and gave me feedback on the hiring manager's impression.
1/30, Friday - 1PM: Response from HR, verbal offer. HR now processing paperwork for my employment!
I am both excited and nervous. I start next week.
For those that are working or have worked in this environment, are there any pointers or anything I should be aware of so that I am not caught off guard? There is a lot of room for upward mobility and professional/career development with them. I am really looking forward to what is to come.
My current certification studying may shift according to what I might need to know for work, so I know for certain that I will make CCNP a target for this year.
