Lunch with a CCNP

Hey all!

Well today I purchased the three new Cisco Press ROUTE/SWITCH/TSHOOT books in preparation for my 2011 CCNP goal. It got me thinking about a friend of my little sisters who's a current CCNP working for Qwest. I asked her if she was available for lunch to ask her questions about CCNP preparation and what it's like working as a CCNP.

My question for all of you is, what sort of questions should I ask? She is willing to help me study next year too so any suggestions on how that should work? The mentor/mentee thing is a new study approach for me as I'm used to doing everything on my own.

Thanks all!

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Comments

davidspirovalentine

genXrcist wrote: »

The mentor/mentee thing is a new study approach for me as I'm used to doing everything on my own.

On my own is how I'm doing it from now on... I had a mentor, but its now more the case of your idols becoming your rivals. Just hope that your success never alters your relationship and you will be fine.

I'm sitting the SWITCH on the 27th of this month and the TSHOOT at the end of next month!

Hmmm a CCNP chick... cool...

genXrcist

davidspirovalentine wrote: »

On my own is how I'm doing it from now on... I had a mentor, but its now more the case of your idols becoming your rivals. Just hope that your success never alters your relationship and you will be fine.

I'm sitting the SWITCH on the 27th of this month and the TSHOOT at the end of next month!

Hmmm a CCNP chick... cool...

I never thought of that, the competetive thing you bring up. That would more often than not be the case with men but not so much with women. They're just not as frequently competetive as we are.

This woman (in her early 50's btw) isn't one of my 1st hand friends so there isn't much of a relationship to lose.

I'm very grateful that she's taking the time to speak with me (I'm buying lunch) and am truly looking forward to it.

She's also on the verge of earning her CCVP so she's got a lot to share.

How was the ROUTE exam? I'm really excited to get back to Cisco.

davidspirovalentine

genXrcist wrote: »

(I'm buying lunch)

As for the ROUTE:

>What study materials did I use?

The WO Official Book... As discussed on this site, it is full of typos... But a great resource regardless. Also used the Quick refrence guide which helped tie everything together the night before the exam.

>How much and what sort of experience I have?

I work at an ISP... enough said... I work with Cisco everyday and sometimes at rare occasions I get to work with other routing hardware like the Jupiter OS (I know its Juniper but some guy said shitsco to me so I had to fight back with something)... But experience would be 2yrs IT before starting work and 3Yrs on the job (and loving every single day of it)...

>How long/hours per week did it take?

A long journey my friend! I was actually contemplating taking the COMP then I thought yes then I thought no over and over again... Studied for the COMP for 4 months and then decided Its too much to study while working so studied a furthur 4 months only on ROUTE so about 6 months. I study roughly 36 hours a week... 4hrs every day of the week and 8 hrs each day of the weekend... no i dont have a life...

>Any areas of focus you would recommend?

Without violating my NDA I would say PBR, OSPF Area types, Route Redistribution were tough. I dont want to sound sarcastic so dont take this the wrong way but what I did to prepare was print multiple copies of the Exam Blueprint on Cisco site and I kept a copy everywhere I went (Car, Home, Office, Girlfriends house..she didnt like that) and I read it over and over again untill i knew exactly what was coming and how well i knew it.

Regards,
David

Paul Boz

davidspirovalentine wrote: »

On my own is how I'm doing it from now on... I had a mentor, but its now more the case of your idols becoming your rivals. Just hope that your success never alters your relationship and you will be fine.

Dynamik and I are probably each others' biggest rivals from a "who can get the most knowledge" standpoint but it has never caused a problem. the ocean is far too big for a few fish to get territorial.

dynamik

Paul Boz wrote: »

Dynamik and I are probably each others' biggest rivals from a "who can get the most knowledge" standpoint but it has never caused a problem. the ocean is far too big for a few fish to get territorial.

There's nothing wrong with some healthy competition

creamy_stew

pix or it didn't happen!