100th hour

Something I might say, might help someone. Maybe..

Alright, by notes and dedicated hours I have broken my 100th hour studying since starting on Route. This is mainly lab+book time. Not counting my previous attempt or the times I spent rewatching the CCNP/CCIE CBTNuggets (my 5th, maybe 6th time going through those while on the trains) At this point I can say I am roughly half way through the materials. Just thought I would take a minute and ramble.

Everything in Network Warrior worked through at least once.. well some of the ASA stuff I couldn't do. But it didn't look that hard and isn't really needed.

Studying the learning guides and exam guides page by page. Thousands of flash cards. Running the labs from the lab book over and over again. Changing things and adding stuff I am finding from the CCIE books online Safari.

After each lab I have taken 10-15 minutes to try and mentally apply what I have learned in real world situation for my customers.

I spend just as much time doing the officially labs as I do going back and breaking them. Or creating "business need" breaks.

Currently running 2 x 2505's, 3 x 2621xm in the real world. But I have some interesting setups in GNS3. I had an extra 2505 but it blew up mid use.

Oh! Also has part of this project I am completely on Linux. So I've found myself using minicom as I found Putty to be glitchy on Ubuntu. On that note GNS3 runs MUCH better on my Ubunutu 10 machine than it did my Windows 7 on the same hardware. Your millage may vary.

I've been helping out every other Tuesday and via email/facebook with a CCNA study group.

I still wana get a layer 3 switch in there, but they remain cost prohibative for me. Essentially I am working as a level 1 help desk phone monkey right now. Doesn't leave you with much cash

. But they allow me to help with some very interesting projects on weekends/evenings etc.

I know counting my time from last year I am certainly at over 200 hours on advanced routing. Probably closer to 300. I sure hope this pays off eventually. But it seems like there is always some subtle thing I forget. Packet header size, the order or some trivial operation. I don't know how people actually know all this or how it actually applies in the real world. But I gotta have faith this stuff will eventually get me a real IT job .

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Comments

dynamik

Wow dude, I had no idea you were only doing help desk work. Your level of knowledge and skill is clearly beyond that.

I think you should definitely keep pursuing the CCNP, but I don't think that's necessarily going to be the answer to your problems. You have more than enough certs and experience to go up a step or two. Do you have any idea what's holding you back?

Regardless, that's an impressive amount of dedication. I know it's easy to get discouraged working on long-term goals like that, but hang in there. I'm sure it'll be worth it when it's all said and done.

Bl8ckr0uter

dynamik wrote: »

Wow dude, I had no idea you were only doing help desk work. Your level of knowledge and skill is clearly beyond that.

Yea dude I thought you were a senior admin or something. I am sure you will do fine on route.

chmorin

Yeah some of the information is a little hard to get around heh. But with an MCSE you should probably weasel your way into a better position to pay the bills

Daniel333

Sorry, I was ranting up there. I think I had better clarify...It's more or less recent that I am strapped to a help desk again. I suppose I should feel fortunate I wasn't part of the mass layoffs. We lost about half our team. Plus they just bought me a "thank you" iphone... but also cut my wages by about $5,000.

We're a small managed service provider. I honestly never have minded working the phones. But when I signed on almost two years ago as a "junior system admin" I expected a bit more. Although I get to take on many hats in my job, but most my time is on the phones dealing with desktop issues.

Don't get me wrong I've had some fun projects...
1) Set a few UC500s/CMEs
2) T1 cut overs/OSPF/EIGRP and even helped out with MLPS not too long ago
3) Deploy ASAs and ISA server
4) Exchange migrations
5) Crystal reporting server deployment
6) Windows 2008/windows 7 deployments
7) Collapsing domains/domain migrations

Built out a small XenServer farm
9) Deployed some simple SANs
10) Wrote and deployed IDS guidelines for our ASA customers

So I manage to get out there and get more hands on than the average help desk guy does for sure. But I have to do all this interesting stuff as OT on the weekends or afterhours. Used to be not so strict, as I was just officially a help desk guy but could be on any project any day of the week. But recently I have been sorta forced back into the help desk role. I would have moved on 4ish months ago when they sent me back to the help desk but it was a bad time for some personal reasons.

But I get married in 40ish days, and when we get back from the honeymoon I am going to see what I can find. I've already been poking around, cherry picking. But so far all the bites are not paying what I am getting paid.

dynamik

Yea, that's more of what I'm talking about

The change of roles sucks, but you've still got a steady source of income, and you've got some great experience along the way. Like you said, it could be worse.

Congratulations on the marriage! Even if you're thinking ~40 days out, I'd still start making serious efforts to polish your profile on the job sites, LinkedIn, etc. and get your resume in the right hands. It can take a couple of months for the wheels to turn and have people start contacting you.

Daniel333

Change of roles really does suck. I am fixing office, virus removals, basic reimages.. Blarg. It's like Geek Squad all over again. But sure is not to still have the money coming.

and thanks on the congrads! We've been together since I was 15 years old and have lived together for the last three years. We're really just making it official so to speak. But it's exciting none-the-less. We're gonna hit Disneyworld! That is another good part of this job. 13 days off and they didn't bat an eye to say yes.

As far as updating my resume and what not, well. It's coming along. I was to run a complete rewrite of my resume. I want a skill oriented and a accomplishment oriented on. Then I can just tweak and cater as needed.

I am gonna miss the people at my job, but I won't miss the work I am doing now

Bl8ckr0uter

Daniel333 wrote: »

and thanks on the congrads! We've been together since I was 15 years old and have lived together for the last three years. We're really just making it official so to speak. But it's exciting none-the-less. We're gonna hit Disneyworld! That is another good part of this job. 13 days off and they didn't bat an eye to say yes.

A

High school sweetheart? Very nice. I've known my wife since I was 8 years old and I think the best relationships start off as good friendships.

Daniel333

Wow! 8 years old?!!?! How old are you guys now if you don't mind me asking?

High school sweeties... we're eachothers first everything. As I like to put it, only everythings.

Turgon

Daniel333 wrote: »

Sorry, I was ranting up there. I think I had better clarify...It's more or less recent that I am strapped to a help desk again. I suppose I should feel fortunate I wasn't part of the mass layoffs. We lost about half our team. Plus they just bought me a "thank you" iphone... but also cut my wages by about $5,000.

We're a small managed service provider. I honestly never have minded working the phones. But when I signed on almost two years ago as a "junior system admin" I expected a bit more. Although I get to take on many hats in my job, but most my time is on the phones dealing with desktop issues.

Don't get me wrong I've had some fun projects...
1) Set a few UC500s/CMEs
2) T1 cut overs/OSPF/EIGRP and even helped out with MLPS not too long ago
3) Deploy ASAs and ISA server
4) Exchange migrations
5) Crystal reporting server deployment
6) Windows 2008/windows 7 deployments
7) Collapsing domains/domain migrations
Built out a small XenServer farm
9) Deployed some simple SANs
10) Wrote and deployed IDS guidelines for our ASA customers

So I manage to get out there and get more hands on than the average help desk guy does for sure. But I have to do all this interesting stuff as OT on the weekends or afterhours. Used to be not so strict, as I was just officially a help desk guy but could be on any project any day of the week. But recently I have been sorta forced back into the help desk role. I would have moved on 4ish months ago when they sent me back to the help desk but it was a bad time for some personal reasons.

But I get married in 40ish days, and when we get back from the honeymoon I am going to see what I can find. I've already been poking around, cherry picking. But so far all the bites are not paying what I am getting paid.

You're doing fine. You are studying hard and getting some varied and useful experience at the weekends. Working for a service provider gives you exposure to lots of things. You are involved in builds and migrations and documentation. This could lead to a design role further down the track if you get work that involves more time on these sorts of projects. So I suggest its time to brush up your CV and hawk it around. Someone will pick you up and you could move into a pre sales engineering role for another service provider.

Bl8ckr0uter

Daniel333 wrote: »

Wow! 8 years old?!!?! How old are you guys now if you don't mind me asking?

High school sweeties... we're eachothers first everything. As I like to put it, only everythings.

I will be 23 at the end of the year and She will be 21 next month*. Our families are friends from church. Our first encounter I chased her around my house with a plastic sword after jumping out and scaring here. Yep I had that much game. Took here sometime to come around, teenage years were a bit rough. She actually turned me down for the Homecoming dance My JR year but I was able to get her to go to prom with me. She had a "boyfriend" too but I basically just told her to get rid of him. She did lol. Told you I had game lol.

We have been married for almost 2 years (actually 2 years next month). We dated for a few years before that so basically it feels like I have been married for 4 years and I love it.

* She doesn't know this yet but I am going to give here nice and drunk.

BADfish10

It sounds like being part of the mass layoff would actually been a good thing and provided the push you need.

What you have listed is so far from Helpdesk it is not even funny!
I have been in the same sort of situation just sitting in the same job just as it is a safe bet. I joined as an engineer 7 years ago and have been a senior/consultant role for the last 3. As with smaller companies we down sized through the recession and as part of the process “although they said I was never one of the choices” I was put on the consult for downsizing think this might be a UK thing.

My certs read like yours with maybe a few extra storage certs and 2 * MCSE + messaging I am to reading my ROUTE exam. I was finally pushed over the edge by a tiny pay rise that they had the cheek to stage. Long story short I put my updated CV on jobserve.com next day got a call had 4 interviews and got a new job with a £15K pay rise base with shift rota £5K and confirmation that CCNP brings more.
You sound like you need that push

P.s
My old company brought me an iphone to lol

Daniel333

Alright, according to my notes I am on my 130th hour. I can say I have completely read the foundation guide twice. I am still working through BGP and IPv6 scenarios. And finding many many little things I have forgotten. I just don't know how to keep it all fresh in my mind. Just labs labs labs. Hopefully if I throw enough on the wall, something will stick.

I need some good pretesting software. I have access to the old trancender for BSCI. But I think that is a bad choice. Any recommendations for Route?

BADfish, that is pretty funny actually. And you know if I don't get out of this help desk spot soon, I am gone. Sometime after the wedding no doubt

Bl8ckr0uter

Do you have a plan for when you want to sit the exam? How close do you feel to being ready?

Daniel333

The plan was to have completed all materials this month. Spend a week reviewing, then take a Transcender exam to see how ready I am. More or less study off what I miss from the Transcender. So I was hoping mid-next month.

But I am feeling less and less confident on this. I seem to be forgetting more than I am retaining