From: Darby Weaver (darbyweaver@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu May 03 2007 - 08:34:29 ART
Lab Dude,
No pity here...
Who has yet to see anyone with an unlimited budget to
go to the lab.
Cisco Partners typically pay for 2 attempts and a pass
and usually don't cover training as well as some
others.
Most employers pay for 1 or 2 classes per year.
I may sound like I have an unlimited budget but this
is truly not the case, I have credit cards and a goal
and now basically a student loan of sorts to pay back
at a much higher interest rate - can you say
re-mortgage the house to consolidate it all?
1. 2005 - IE COD - A perk from a negotiation.
2. 2005 - IE Mock Labs - A tradeoff from being
cancelled at the last minute from going to Networkers.
Had to work and reschedule these as well.
3. 2006 - NMC-1 - Paid at my own expense 100% /
Vacation
4. 2006 - NMC-1 - Repeat - T&E initially paid at my
own expense - picked up later by employer. Time off
was granted by employer (initially was vacation).
5. 2006 - NMC-2 - Fully Employer Paid
6. 2006 - IE Mock Labs - Took Vacation to complete (6+
months later).
7. 2006 - Lab attempt 1 - Vacation and my expense 100%
8. 2006 - Lab attempt 2 - Vacation and my expense 100%
9. 2007 - H.U. Mock Labs - Took Vacation/Personal Days
and my expense 100%
10. Requested 1 Week of vacation to study prior to
upcoming lab - my vacation time.
11. 2007 - Lab Attempt 3 - my expense 100% (reimbursed
if I pass is the understanding) - time away is granted
by company - but may get counted against my bonus
formula.
I have bought my own books, labs, workbooks, and
training equipment as well, which by the way are
heavily into the deep 10's of thousands if not over
the 100k mark over the past few years... Never mind
buying equipment that is obsolete or no longer
necessary over the years just building up to become a
serious candidate. (Now granted not every one has a
lab for 3-4 tracks outside of Scott Morris, myself,
and some few others...)
Unlimited is the desire... the money comes from Peter
to pay Paul...
Luckily, my job prospects have kept pace with my
desire and my expenditures.
=================
So tell me - where does anyone see unlimited???
Every single class has a price. Nearly every day is a
day of vacation...
And my friend...
Please do not talk about over-worked... so some
employees do not get time to sleep...
Many people here (non-Cisco employees) have to study
in-between exhaustive travel and some as much as
75-100%, do not have company sponsored training
programs that are geared towards Networking...
Dude, I sleep in between work and once in a while I
actually get concentrated study time --> See above
(the vacation dates)... In fact there are weeks at a
time, where I only get up to go to work, sleep a
couple of hours and am working again - just the way it
is sometimes - commitments to clients.
I'm sure many others are in the same predicament and
some of the folks here have younger children or other
circumstances to be dealt with and overcome. Never
mind life in general or even the lawn.
Everyone has their own demons.
Most companies, in fact, see this program as costly,
and a by-product or a necessary evil they have to pay
like a tax to keep skilled workers employed and
in-house as opposed to even more costly contractors or
even costly Smartnet contracts for that matter (they
are viewed as such - heard it with my own ears and
more than once).
===========================
So yes, we are all a little jealous of the perks...
But hey, we would all love to have those perks - so
who is counting.
And yes my friend, I do recall when for "several
years", I did not even consider making the sacrifice
for even a trip to the lab solely due to the expense
involved. The cost just did not seem feasible and
justifiable, despite the obvious benefits. It was
cheaper to work on other more obtainable qualfications
that come in bite-sized chunks.
Nice to have a lot of gear, a library, and equipment
to simulate mostly anything but never quite enough to
meet current lab standards it seemed. Only in the
past 2 years for myself has this issue been corrected.
Many are in the same boat today.
Many people on the list see the "3" lab attempts as an
unlimited chance to pass... or close enough.
And pressure... try being a Cisco Gold Partner or
Silver trying to get Gold status... these guys are
stressed. Anyone remember me mentioning a blood-eyed
classmate... I think Silver was the goal for his
company.
Too much information...
--- Jason Carpenter <adventureracing@gmail.com> wrote:
> Dunno sounds like 3 free lunches :) May have to work
> just as hard to
> get there but the cost is a major factor for us
> mortals :) 3750
> dollars per CCIE so if you go for all 4 thats a
> hellofa perk. So sorry
> if I dont have much sympathy, cisco isnt the only
> compay that works ya
> hard.
>
> On 5/3/07, Lab Dude <ccielabdude@gmail.com> wrote:
> > The only advatnage that Cisco employees have is
> the privilege of 3 *free*
> > attempts, which I think makes sense as a perk of
> working for Cisco. We
> > suffer the same as the rest of the bunch when it
> comes to struggling with
> > the lab, and we *do not* have any insider
> information.
> >
> > For any further attempts (i.e.4 and on-wards),
> Cisco employees not only have
> > to pay for the lab out of their own pocket, but
> also for any expenses
> > associated with it (airfare, hotel etc). In fact,
> for some roles at Cisco,
> > it is mandatory to have a CCIE, unlike for others
> pursuing it where it is a
> > 'nice to have' thing, hence it puts more pressure
> on some Cisco
> > employees preparing for CCIE.
> >
> > Hardest thing as a Cisco employee is the ability
> to find time to study for
> > CCIE, taking into account the work load, time
> pressure and long hours,
> > unlike at many other employers where people get
> time off to study for CCIE,
> > or have unlimited training budget :)
> >
> > Concluding, theres no such thing as a free lunch!
> >
> >
> > On 5/3/07, Loc Pham <ccie17030@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Let look at another angle ,
> > > How about a proctor have booked 1 day vacation
> and
> > > cancel it in the last week ??
> > > After all, we are all human ... I hope ;-)
> > > lP.
> > > --- Darby Weaver <darbyweaver@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Bill,
> > > >
> > > > I did not mean to imply that they necessarily
> have
> > > > it
> > > > any easier.
> > > >
> > > > Remember - No conspiracy theory.
> > > >
> > > > But it does seem that invariably some people
> can
> > > > jump
> > > > ship within 30 days...
> > > >
> > > > And 4 at a time could be a coincidence...
> > > >
> > > > Perhaps I am mistaken.
> > > >
> > > > I'd just like to think if a rule applies to
> one of
> > > > us,
> > > > it might apply to all of us.
> > > >
> > > > If I cancel my seat, I not only forfeit my
> money,
> > > > but
> > > > being a no-show, I would have to wait 6 months
> to
> > > > get
> > > > a new date. Or at least this is what it says.
> > > >
> > > > I have not yet had a reason or a concern about
> being
> > > >
> > > > a no-show yet, but it could happen to any of
> us.
> > > >
> > > > I would just find it hard to think it would
> happen
> > > > to
> > > > a lot of us and at one time.
> > > >
> > > > I could be wrong.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I'm just another hopeful...
> > > >
> > > > :)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- jslauer@hotmail.com wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > agreed,
> > > > >
> > > > > other than getting 3 free takes of the exam
> I can
> > > > > second this. I have a
> > > > > bunch of NCE friends that say the same
> things.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Josh Lauer
> > > > >
> > > > > CCIE #16024
> > > > > CCNA,CCDP,CCIP,CCSP,CCDP,RHCE,MCSE,CEH
> > > > >
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: "Bill Mckenzie"
> <bmckenzie@hotmail.com>
> > > > > To: <darbyweaver@yahoo.com>;
> <ggombas@gmail.com>;
> > > > > <ccielab@groupstudy.com>
> > > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 8:44 PM
> > > > > Subject: Re: Isn't it too late cancel?
> > > > >
> > > > > > Darby,
> > > > > > Do you think Cisco employees studying for
> the
> > > > CCIE
> > > > > have some secret
> > > > > > advantage to achieving it over
> > > > > > anyone else? If so, I believe you are
> mistaken.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Bill Mckenzie, CCIE#16725, CCVP
> > > > > > Systems Engineer
> > > > > > Cisco Systems, Inc.
> > > > > > Phone: 614-425-2370
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >>From: Darby Weaver <darbyweaver@yahoo.com>
> > > > > >>Reply-To: Darby Weaver
> <darbyweaver@yahoo.com>
> > > > > >>To: Gregory Gombas <ggombas@gmail.com>,
> > > > > Cisco certification
> > > > > >><ccielab@groupstudy.com>
> > > > > >>Subject: Re: Isn't it too late cancel?
> > > > > >>Date: Wed, 2 May 2007 16:45:32 -0700 (PDT)
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> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>Damned Cisco Employees...
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>No suffering for losing a "FREE" seat...
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>I wonder if they get penalized by having
> to wait
> > > > > for 6
> > > > > >>months like the rest of would...
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>Hmmm....
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>They just re-register...
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>Take it as a warning sign...
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>Last minute droppers know something we
> don't...
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>:) :) :)
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>But no conspiracy theory here...
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>--- Gregory Gombas <ggombas@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> > Just saw 4 seats open in San Jose in
> May -
> > > > > isn't it
> > > > > >> > too late to cancel?
> > > > > >> > How is that possible?
> > > > > >> >
> > > >
> > > === message truncated ===
> > >
> > >
> __________________________________________________
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