Well folks, here it is. I've made the commitment to myself that this year I will start working on the CCIE: R+S.
This thread at the moment is kind of a placeholder, but somewhere I can come and remind myself that I've made this decision and I will stick with it and see it through.
For those of you who don't know me, maybe a little bit of background information about me would be pertinent about now.
My name is David, I hail from South Wales. Have grown up with and spent my entire life learning about computers and networking. First computer I had was a BBC Micro back in 1987 (I was 4 years old) and what seems to be a never waining love for technology has continued ever since.
I got into Windows PCs in 1991 with the arrival our families IBM Model 55 PS/2, sporting DOS 3.3, 2MB RAM and a 60MB Hard Disk... Not long after I discovered Windows 3.0 and 3.1, then 3.11, and so on.
For the years that followed we had various computers and so on and I was able to hone my skills with Windows.
Exposure to Windows 3.1, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7... all over the years that followed...
Got my Degree in Business IT at 21, completed MCSE shortly before I turned 23.
I started work formally in IT in 2004, working for local government. Did 2 years there bouncing around various temporary posts, and then finally landed my first Systems Admin post in 2006 after getting the MCSA. From there I learned a lot about Network design and decided that starting to move to Cisco was a wiser idea.
I moved to my current job in June of 2008 and suddenly I had exposure to Cisco everywhere, from 2801 Routers to CallManager 4 to 3550 Layer 3.
I attained the CCNA October 2008, CCNP BSCI December 2008, and BCMSN in December of 2009.
I know, 12 months gap, but there is a good reason for this. In April of 2009 I met my now fiancée, so studying wasn't probably as forthcoming as it should have been.
Anyway, to today, I live with Rebecca now, so time is more available, and I've been steadily continuing my certification progress. Hoping to sit the ISCW at the beginning of March, and then wrapping up ONT before the end of April/Early May. This should leave enough time to get the CCNP done and dusted before Cisco change it.
Then, beyond that, while we are not married and currently child-free, getting on with the CCIE while the going is good seems wise.
Hence, here is my thread.
It will be my continuation of ISCW and ONT studies as well but I think I'll be dipping into the CCIE materials from now on to help.
Please, if you would like, you can follow all my progress and blatherings here.
PS, Getting the written CCIE in December seems realistic, and then head for the lab in 2011
