What happens post CCIE achievement?

Unknown

I was driving home yesterday from work and as I sat in traffic I thought what happens to people after they pass the CCIE lab. This is a question to people who achieved it or knows someone who has. What happens after you get your CCIE do you take a break from the books for a year or two. Do you start looking for employment elsewhere? Do you maybe start studying to get another CCIE track done? Do people usually stick with there single CCIE and when its time to re-certify every 2 years just go and pass the written again. Basically, once you pass then what? I'm curious to read everyones feedback.

gorebrush

I'm certainly not going to stick on one - My options post CCIE #1: -

CCIE #2 - Not sure what track. Depends what my company wants. I do have a very nice setup in that I only have to commute around 5 miles to work. Makes wanting to go elsewhere DIFFICULT. I get paid fairly well as it is too.

MCSE Windows 2012 - I've done 2003 in the past so would love to get this one covered off again

VMWare - Been using the Workstation product since 2004 - been using ESX for 2/3 years now with my server at home - so it would be and obvious move to take some kind of certification here.

I'm ultimately aiming to become a Technical Architect so having a grasp on what I call "the big three" would certainly go a long way in that goal.

networker050184

I think what happens next depends a lot on where you are in your career. If you are getting the IE when you are at the intermediate level then most will be looking to use it to get a better job. If you are already working in an expert level position then it probably isn't going to add much career wise.

As far as studying for another CCIE, most people I know that have a CCIE only have one.

ptilsen

But seriously, it would be hard to see focusing on anything but career mobility at this point, IMO. Other certs, even other CCIE can be nice, but at some point, I, for one, want to be primarily learning from the exciting work I'm actually doing at my job, not from studying on the side.

RouteMyPacket

Only a fool would achieve their CCIE and stop studying or staying up to date on technology. Unfortunately the type do exist, the "I got my IE 12yrs ago but it's expired" crowd.

CCIE is nothing more than a personal quest for those willing to put in the time to work and study. Those who tend to move onto 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x IE's do so for a variety of reasons. None of which ever seem to be "I will make more money so I am getting my 2nd or 3rd IE"..

One of my colleagues simply wants to be an expert in borderless networks, rounding out his 3rd IE will encompass that specific area of expertise.

Another is doing his 4th IE (DC) because his focus has been on Nexus for quite some time. Also, working in the field for decades plays a huge role as well. If you have been doing something for 20yrs, you will most likely have experienced a massive amount of environments and seen lots of technology so taking that experience and certifying along the way seems natural.