job offer and a Challenge

Hi guys,
Recently, I got an interview with an IT services company. They threw me a challenge: get CCSI+get CCNP security (both fully paid by company)+teach Cisco courses = 10 months!
Their salary offering is not different from what I'm earning now. One employee there -which is a friend of mine - told me not to come work with the company and that many folks are leaving.
Do you think it's achievable given the deadline? is it worth it?

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Comments

Slowhand

The first thing I would do if I were in your shoes is to see if anyone else has anything to say about this company. Getting one single review doesn't do any workplace justice, let alone a single bad one. If you keep hearing negative things, it might not be a good fit. If you hear some positive reviews, then the decision is up to you and how comfortable you feel with that goal.

The question I have for you is, do you currently have any Cisco certs, or at least a good amount of experience with Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, and security practices? If you've got the background, or if you've got your CCNP Routing & Switching already, then doing all of this in 10 months is most certainly reasonabl. If you're starting from scratch or if you're a CCNA with minimal experience, then it might be tougher and I would definitely think long and hard before jumping in with both feet.

wass.aouadi

Slowhand wrote: »

The first thing I would do if I were in your shoes is to see if anyone else has anything to say about this company. Getting one single review doesn't do any workplace justice, let alone a single bad one. If you keep hearing negative things, it might not be a good fit. If you hear some positive reviews, then the decision is up to you and how comfortable you feel with that goal.

The question I have for you is, do you currently have any Cisco certs, or at least a good amount of experience with Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, and security practices? If you've got the background, or if you've got your CCNP Routing & Switching already, then doing all of this in 10 months is most certainly reasonabl. If you're starting from scratch or if you're a CCNA with minimal experience, then it might be tougher and I would definitely think long and hard before jumping in with both feet.

Slowhand,
Thanks for the input. I am already CCNP in routing and switching. But I do not have field experience in security. I consider myself newbie in security.

Slowhand

wass.aouadi wrote: »

Slowhand,
Thanks for the input. I am already CCNP in routing and switching. But I do not have field experience in security. I consider myself newbie in security.

Then it's a tough call, in my opinion. Since you have the routing and switching experience, it shouldn't be a big problem for you to obtain both the CCNP Security and the instructor cert. If I was in your situation, I'd have to ask myself, "Would I be the kind of instructor that I, myself, would want to take security-classes with, given the time-frame?"

If you feel like you're up to the task and can both learn the material well enough to pass, as well as be able to teach it, then take the plunge. Just keep in mind, you're not just taking your own career into your hands as you learn this stuff. . . you'll also want to make sure you're doing the right thing for your future students.

blargoe

look up the company on career sites like glassdoor.com and indeed.com, you might be able to find reviews by past and present employees there.

instant000

wass.aouadi wrote: »

Their salary offering is not different from what I'm earning now. One employee there -which is a friend of mine - told me not to come work with the company and that many folks are leaving. Do you think it's achievable given the deadline? is it worth it?

You have inside information tons of people are leaving, at most you will break even, and you're asking us if it is a bad investment?

You should be able to make this decision yourself, it sounds like a horrendous investment at face value, though.

Depending on other factors, I could see myself going either way on this decision. I want CCNP Security myself, and would enjoy the opportunity to teach others, but if a friend tells me its not a good idea, then I would value their opinion and give it due consideration.

pham0329

I agree with Instant000, why go there if your friend is saying negative things about it, and you're not going to be getting a raise?

dtlokee

I have a background in running a school where I have seen many very technically qualified people fail the CCSI because they just don't have presentation skills. I wouldn't make such a jump for a number of reasons... 2 of which you already mentioned and on top of that what happens if you don't obtain the certifications? Always plan for the worst case...

pham0329

dtlokee wrote: »

I have a background in running a school where I have seen many very technically qualified people fail the CCSI because they just don't have presentation skills. I wouldn't make such a jump for a number of reasons... 2 of which you already mentioned and on top of that what happens if you don't obtain the certifications? Always plan for the worst case...

Off topic but holy cow, that's a lot of certs you have there!

instant000

pham0329 wrote: »

Off topic but holy cow, that's a lot of certs you have there!

LOL. (7char)

wass.aouadi

dtlokee wrote: »

I have a background in running a school where I have seen many very technically qualified people fail the CCSI because they just don't have presentation skills. I wouldn't make such a jump for a number of reasons... 2 of which you already mentioned and on top of that what happens if you don't obtain the certifications? Always plan for the worst case...

I forgot the worst case scenario!
thank you guys for the insight. I think I'm going to stick to my current job, since I can study at my own pace and learn new material without presssure. I just have to keep an eye on my goals and not be complacent.

Mike-Mike

I know you said you weren't going to take it already... but... am I missing something? what was the appeal in the first place? you said the salary was the same as you currently make, and your friend told you not to work there?

The only think I see as a positive is them paying for certs?

wass.aouadi

Mike, you mentioned it right. The positive aspects about this job offer are:
- opportunity to get official trainings and certs
- opportunity to teach Cisco courses.
Apart from that, there is no real financial benefit