GOAL: CCNP in 3 months

xirtlook

Hey everyone, thought I would introduce myself and share my goal with everyone.

I'm currently CCNA, CCNA Security (January 2011).

I'm currently taking courses at a local community college...
T-SHOOT
Saturdays 830a-1p (8/27 - 12/19)
SWITCH
Mondays/Wednesdays 530p-1030p (10/31 - 12/14)
ROUTE
Mondays/Wednesdays 530p-1030p (9/7 - 10/26)
CCNA Security
Saturdays 130p-630p (8/27 - 12/19)

So my overall goal here is to get my CCNP before 2012. I'll probably give myself a lil less than 2 weeks to self study/examcram what I learned.

So it's probably a lil more than 3 months... but I thought it made for a better subject title, LOL.

I probably wont end up taking all the exams until January but my goal is to get it done before.

Would it be wise to go for the exam after each course... or can I study hard after all my classes and go for each one within a week or two?

--oh and I know I already have my CCNA Security, but I barely passed it, and dont remember much of it, so I'm taking a course on it now, so I know it know it... better prepare me for CCNP Security when that road comes.

so any recommendations you guy have, any recommended reads, i would greatly appreciate it.... thanks in advance

Zartanasaurus

I would go for the exam after each course. It will be fresher on your mind and you can limit the range of topics you have to be prepared for. Depending on your experience, taking a class on TSHOOT may be unnecessary.

xirtlook

my experience is limited to school and packet tracer. My teacher actually just told me he recommends I go for the test right after the class... so I think im going to try and attempt that.

I signed up for all the classes at once, figured the more Cisco I learn or keep fresh on my mind, the easier it will be for me to grasp or retain what I already know.

Is there any recommended books or resource sites you guys can recommend?

I was just going to buy Cisco Press books from Amazon. Anything in addition would be cool to have.

Zartanasaurus

The Foundation Learning Guides, known as FLG, are excellent for ROUTE and SWITCH, especially for someone with no experience. I'll leave the lecturing on going for a CCNP with no working experience to someone else.

xirtlook

hahaha well thank you for your mercy and your book suggestion.

mamono

I think the benefit of reading through the Cisco Press TSHOOT book is that it gives you the finer details of how R&S reacts while troubleshooting various routing protocols and switching environments. Something that I lacked from experience, but what I did excel at from experience showed when I was running through the labs the 1st time through as I could troubleshoot blind and ultimately solve it myself without needing to remember the finer details listed in the book. At that point, it would become a problem with time because doing labs you have the luxury of time on your side whereas with the exam you don't. TSHOOT being primary sims, I strongly recommend going through all the labs and knowing them well.

nel

I cant really add much than whats already been said but i started reading the TSHoot and route side by side a little whilst doing lab work. for example, when i ran into issues in my lab scenarios i would consult and go through the steps stated in tshoot chapters.

Good luck, im very interested to see your progress

ehnde

One of the guys I work with did the entire CCNP track in 6 weeks. He took TSHOOT the day after passing ROUTE. Of course this guys has a few years of experience

CCIEWANNABE

Good luck, it is indeed possible. You just need to stay true to your time frame. However with your time frame in mind, you will probably experience information overload during some point. At that time just take a day off and do something else that interests you.

Maced129

is the ccna:sec class at howard cc by any chance?

Monkerz

I don't see the point in cramming all that knowledge in your brain just to forget it once you have your CCNP cert. You have already mentioned your completion of CCNA:S merely 9 months ago, yet cannot remember most of it.

Do you want to actually know the material or just get a paper cert saying you know your stuff?

It probably shouldn't but pisses me off to read a post like this. How much do you honestly think you will retain by forcing the cert in 3 months?

I've seen a couple people come in as Network Engineers with CCNP yet have to be taught by me, CCNA, how to do their jobs. Nothing upsets me more than someone saying they know their stuff, just to find out that they lied to get a job.

Pardon me for being frank...

QHalo

Monkerz wrote: »

I don't see the point in cramming all that knowledge in your brain just to forget it once you have your CCNP cert. You have already mentioned your completion of CCNA:S merely 9 months ago, yet cannot remember most of it.

Do you want to actually know the material or just get a paper cert saying you know your stuff?

It probably shouldn't but pisses me off to read a post like this. How much do you honestly think you will retain by forcing the cert in 3 months?

I've seen a couple people come in as Network Engineers with CCNP yet have to be taught by me, CCNA, how to do their jobs. Nothing upsets me more than someone saying they know their stuff, just to find out that they lied to get a job.

Pardon me for being frank...

Sounds like whoever is hiring needs to revamp their processes. I'd be mad at them, not the people that made it through the interview process. I'd also get a big head knowing that I'm teaching guys that should be ahead of me in skillset. That'd be a personal victory for me. Glass half-full man.


xirtlook,

If you truly want to retain the material and actually learn something and you have 0 prior experience other than studying for the certification, then I'd work on spending 3 months PER exam if not longer while trying to find a gig to exercise what you've learned. Anyone that looks at you without experience and the CCNP is going to question how you got there. If they even manage to get you in for an interview you better be able to answer their questions or perform a skills test. Otherwise you're going to embarass yourself.

If you truly feel you can retain the information in 3 months, then go for it. GL and I wish you well.

joneno

Monkerz wrote: »

I don't see the point in cramming all that knowledge in your brain just to forget it once you have your CCNP cert. You have already mentioned your completion of CCNA:S merely 9 months ago, yet cannot remember most of it.

Do you want to actually know the material or just get a paper cert saying you know your stuff?

It probably shouldn't but pisses me off to read a post like this. How much do you honestly think you will retain by forcing the cert in 3 months?

I've seen a couple people come in as Network Engineers with CCNP yet have to be taught by me, CCNA, how to do their jobs. Nothing upsets me more than someone saying they know their stuff, just to find out that they lied to get a job.

Pardon me for being frank...

I have to come to the aid of my fellow classmate, we did take a redhat class together and I know the kind of student he is. He is not gonna be a paper engineer. Trust me on this one. If anything, I think he is too ambitious. Which is good and also not good in some ways. Go for it Marvin!! Good luck with your crazzzzyyyy schedule. I'd be taking the class next Year too.

@Maced...You're right the class is at Howard CC.

Maced129

I know the teacher, great guy, he should have some great CCNP resources for you to study from.

Good luck!

jamesleecoleman

I hope it works out for you! I have to do the same thing next year along with CCNA:Security and a Microsoft class. Do you have a blog that you post to? I would like to follow your progress with this situation.

mamono

QHalo wrote: »

Sounds like whoever is hiring needs to revamp their processes. I'd be mad at them, not the people that made it through the interview process. I'd also get a big head knowing that I'm teaching guys that should be ahead of me in skillset. That'd be a personal victory for me. Glass half-full man.


xirtlook,

If you truly want to retain the material and actually learn something and you have 0 prior experience other than studying for the certification, then I'd work on spending 3 months PER exam if not longer while trying to find a gig to exercise what you've learned. Anyone that looks at you without experience and the CCNP is going to question how you got there. If they even manage to get you in for an interview you better be able to answer their questions or perform a skills test. Otherwise you're going to embarass yourself.

If you truly feel you can retain the information in 3 months, then go for it. GL and I wish you well.

When I was going through an interview process for a Cisco Gold Partner, there was a practical exam after the interview. Setup the network as described on the network topology diagram that was given. If a network engineer is hired and doesn't know what he's doing, that's a problem of the hiring manager and whoever else was involved. Obviously, the screening process was broken if something like that happened.

Agreed that you seem quite ambitious to want to complete all three exams in a short time period, but there is a strong chance of not really learning to retain that which was crammed within that short time period.

Read read read, lab lab lab, practice practice practice... If you do pursue Cisco as a career path, lab lab lab will turn into project project project... Good luck.

NOC-Ninja

Monkerz wrote: »

I don't see the point in cramming all that knowledge in your brain just to forget it once you have your CCNP cert. You have already mentioned your completion of CCNA:S merely 9 months ago, yet cannot remember most of it.

Do you want to actually know the material or just get a paper cert saying you know your stuff?

It probably shouldn't but pisses me off to read a post like this. How much do you honestly think you will retain by forcing the cert in 3 months?

I've seen a couple people come in as Network Engineers with CCNP yet have to be taught by me, CCNA, how to do their jobs. Nothing upsets me more than someone saying they know their stuff, just to find out that they lied to get a job.

Pardon me for being frank...

I agree with Monkerz.

You need to find a NOC job to understand what we TE people are talking about here. Its fine to pursue higher certs but you will have a hard time finding a Network Engineer job if you dont have experience. A school/college doesnt come close to the real experience in enterprise network where they put you in the spot and everyone is waiting for you to fix the problems.

Find Mike's post. He has the complete CCNP's in his certs list. He explains how a CCNA with experience is more valuable with a CCNP without experience in NOC. No matter how your friends tells us that you know your stuff, Enterprise Network is wayyyyyyyyy different that the books. lol Also, Network Engineers will destroy you in the interview.

Like I always said, if someone gives you a config and ask you whats wrong with it? Can you really tell them whats wrong in the config? You cant even remember much on your CCNA-sec. How much more can you remember on your CCNA since you took that first? CCNA and CCNA-sec are the foundation. How are you going to fix and design a network without the foundation?

You need to back up your certs with experience or else no one will trust you.

You shouldnt be worrying about the CCNP. You should find a NOC job first.

martell1000

I agree on the critic you guys give him with his 3 month plan. On the other hand, if he is a good learner from the books and can manage it within 3 months - why do you bash him for wanting to get a higher level cert?

If he lacks experience he wont get a top enterprise engineering job anyways. And if he does - well - thena thats the problem of the dudes who hired him.

A ccnp is valid for 3 years - and thats plenty of time to get experience. And what would be bad if someone with a CCNP gets two years into NOC and then looks into getting a better job already having "the nice to have" cert under his belt?

I have been doing various IT jobs since i got my first NT4 MCP in 2000 and i can totally understand that you guys are pissed when you have to deal with "paper cert noobs"...

But you have these people EVERYWHERE - i know a load full of people that have an MBA - but if you ask them basic stuff about our financial systems they know nothing.

@xirtlook:

give it a try - but also be aware that you have to proove yourself in the real world after you get certified.

QHalo

martell1000 wrote: »

I agree on the critic you guys give him with his 3 month plan. On the other hand, if he is a good learner from the books and can manage it within 3 months - why do you bash him for wanting to get a higher level cert?

If he lacks experience he wont get a top enterprise engineering job anyways. And if he does - well - thena thats the problem of the dudes who hired him.

I would say that he would have to get a job straight away after he finished his CCNP to keep the knowledge worthwhile. Anything longer than 6-12 months of not using it on a daily basis is like pouring water into a cup with a hole. You're going to lose that knowledge if you can't apply it immediately especially given the depth of the CCNP topics.

I don't discourage CCNP without experience, I think sometimes you have no choice if you want to compete even for the lower level jobs over the other guys. I think most of us are simply saying that cramming a cert path like CCNP into three months is not going to yield results like he might think.

But again, if he is able to retain and pass an interview/skills test then more power to him. I don't discourage dreams/goals, just don't sell yourself short just to obtain them. Spend the time to actually learn the material and I'm certain you'll be happier with the results. If it's three months, awesome; if it's 3 months per exam them great too. He knows his ability and I'm sure he will quickly find out a little more about himself when he dives into CCNP.

davidspirovalentine

I did my CCNP in 9 months, that was with 2 years of on the job experience but I was working at the time...

If I was studying full time and didn't have a day job I think 3 months would be reasonable with the courses...

But then again I prefer taking my time with these things because at the end of the day they are all really just stepping stones to the CCIE...

Just my $0.02

Kind Regards,
David

martell1000

QHalo wrote: »

I would say that he would have to get a job straight away after he finished his CCNP to keep the knowledge worthwhile. Anything longer than 6-12 months of not using it on a daily basis is like pouring water into a cup with a hole. You're going to lose that knowledge if you can't apply it immediately especially given the depth of the CCNP topics.

That is oh so true. But i wonder how many of of the CCNPs here would be able to pass the exams again tomorrow - without any preparation.
Even if you have a job - you tend to lose facts you simply dont use.


For example - would you guys still know how to make a crossover cable? In my first job i had to crimp hundreds of them. Last month someone asked me which wires have to be crossed and i was "oh erm - let me google that for you sir" ...

But i guess that is kinda ok. People just have to be realistic about the whole certification thing, they most likely will buy you a ticket for the pool - but you have to swim yourself - and might get wet in the water

ccie2be

QHalo wrote: »

I would say that he would have to get a job straight away after he finished his CCNP to keep the knowledge worthwhile. Anything longer than 6-12 months of not using it on a daily basis is like pouring water into a cup with a hole. You're going to lose that knowledge if you can't apply it immediately especially given the depth of the CCNP topics.

Agree in principal however if, say, he goes to work for a large org with many NEs, Operations ppl, etc, he would likely be assigned to work on specific area of specialty. Working "specialty" trouble tickets (ie, wireless, F5, firewalls, etc) all the time would make *anyone* lose knowledge over time.

Yeah, I know we need to keep studying to stay current but you gotta use it or lose it. The only way you become the "all around" expert is if you're one of a few ppl in a NOC / design team environment.

Just my .02

QHalo

ccie2be wrote: »

Agree in principal however if, say, he goes to work for a large org with many NEs, Operations ppl, etc, he would likely be assigned to work on specific area of specialty. Working "specialty" trouble tickets (ie, wireless, F5, firewalls, etc) all the time would make *anyone* lose knowledge over time.

Yeah, I know we need to keep studying to stay current but you gotta use it or lose it. The only way you become the "all around" expert is if you're one of a few ppl in a NOC / design team environment.

Just my .02

I'm talking about overall knowledge, not specific knowledge. You're going to lose it much faster if you don't work in the field. Even if he's working in a team, sure he's going to lose knowledge if he doesn't work on it, but not nearly as fast as not working in the field at all. That was really my point.

Sett

I'd say focus on the pursuit of knowledge, not on the certificate fulfillment. I don't think you can miss a job opportunity only because you don't have CCNP if you have good understanding on the topics.

xirtlook

wow... this thread certainly has picked up popularity!

I've been busy studying for my Windows 7 certification (for work).

anyways, guys, guys, and maybe girls? I already have the "job"...

I'm not looking for an engineering job, or a NOC job...

without giving too much details into what I do, or where I work, I can say that in 2 years I will be a Jr/Network Engineer for this company. I'm hoping for lesser time than that with the CCNP.

I work with a bunch of CCNP's and CCIE's. you pretty much have to get a CCNA to even do helpdesk here.

I'm merely just trying to keep up with these guys LOL.

so theres no real rush, or requirement, if I don't pass the first time.. ohwell, I have plenty of time.

I have plenty of resources at my disposal. Hands-on experience with come with the job...

in fact my job is asking my team to pick up the Cisco Certified Technician certs for Routers and Switches. I guess you can say my job is sorta like a NOC job, but its more broad than that.

yes my CCNP teacher is VERY knowledgeable, cant wait to learn from him

I am VERY ambitious, and I tend to take on more than I can handle, but I only know one speed, and thats FAST. I tend to soak things up like a sponge. somethings easier than others...

I appreciate all the comments and criticism. just keep in mind this is just a personal goal, its not dependent on anything. just a fun challenge
I plan on taking the ROUTE at the end of October, and SWITCH at the end of December, and TSHOOT at mid-end January. So more than 3 months... but oh well

CHEERS.

NOC-Ninja

xirtlook wrote: »

wow... this thread certainly has picked up popularity!

I've been busy studying for my Windows 7 certification (for work).

anyways, guys, guys, and maybe girls? I already have the "job"...

I'm not looking for an engineering job, or a NOC job...

without giving too much details into what I do, or where I work, I can say that in 2 years I will be a Jr/Network Engineer for this company. I'm hoping for lesser time than that with the CCNP.

I work with a bunch of CCNP's and CCIE's. you pretty much have to get a CCNA to even do helpdesk here.

I'm merely just trying to keep up with these guys LOL.

so theres no real rush, or requirement, if I don't pass the first time.. ohwell, I have plenty of time.

I have plenty of resources at my disposal. Hands-on experience with come with the job...

in fact my job is asking my team to pick up the Cisco Certified Technician certs for Routers and Switches. I guess you can say my job is sorta like a NOC job, but its more broad than that.

yes my CCNP teacher is VERY knowledgeable, cant wait to learn from him

I am VERY ambitious, and I tend to take on more than I can handle, but I only know one speed, and thats FAST. I tend to soak things up like a sponge. somethings easier than others...

I appreciate all the comments and criticism. just keep in mind this is just a personal goal, its not dependent on anything. just a fun challenge
I plan on taking the ROUTE at the end of October, and SWITCH at the end of December, and TSHOOT at mid-end January. So more than 3 months... but oh well

CHEERS.

Not looking for a NOC job doesnt make sense.
It doesnt make sense that your job is asking you for a CCT if you have CCNA and CCNA-sec

QHalo

NOC-Ninja wrote: »

Not looking for a NOC job doesnt make sense.
It doesnt make sense that your job is asking you for a CCT if you have CCNA and CCNA-sec

If he already works for network engineers and that's what they're telling him he needs to work with them, then it makes perfect sense.

The CCT thing, well I'm guessing they're not referring to him, specifically, in getting the CCT since the CCNA covers that. I'm guessing its a sweeping directive and perhaps not everyone else that he works with has their CCNA in which case CCT makes sense.

xirtlook

NOC-Ninja wrote: »

Not looking for a NOC job doesnt make sense.
It doesnt make sense that your job is asking you for a CCT if you have CCNA and CCNA-sec

agreed.

I'm not looking for a NOC job because my job will cover the NOC, theoretically.

martell1000

and what do you need a windows 7 cert for (just curious)

waragi

Good luck , prove the nay sayers wrong.
You have a rough couple of months coming your way.

xirtlook

we have to get our windows 7 certification because its a requirement for us to provide support to our customers, in a windows 7/2008 r2 environment.

we provide support for endusers, servers, switches, routers.

we are a small dept right now, with a few customers, as it grows expands, it will eventually beak up into individual departments.

I wasnt happy about getting the windows 7, especially after heavily pursuing Cisco, Redhat, and Security... but its done, and over with, got it out of the way.

Actually kinda glad tho, I learned alot of new stuff.

but I'm happy to be focusing on CCNP from here on out.