From: anthony.sequeira@thomson.com
Date: Wed Oct 03 2007 - 12:03:23 ART
Just another awesome GroupStudy/CCIE story!
Congrats and enjoy!
Anthony J. Sequeira
#15626
Unmatched CCIE Written Simulations
http://www.netmasterclass.net/CCIE/Self-Paced-Program/Written/
-----Original Message-----
From: nobody@groupstudy.com [mailto:nobody@groupstudy.com] On Behalf Of
Meried Bekele
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 7:35 AM
To: Cisco certification
Cc: harith@winnetsystems.co.uk; David Zee; lafirzaman@gmail.com;
bdennis@internetworkexpert.com; bmcgahan@internetworkexpert.com; Sales
Subject: Lab passed - First Attempt - At the age of 24
Dear All,
I have been waiting for long time to write this email. I was a silent
member of the group except some of my few questions like 'time
management in
the lab'. I have got my number - CCIE#18988 - passing the R&S lab exam
in
Tokyo yesterday 2nd October 2007. I will be the first CCIE to be counted
for
my country - Ethiopia - in Cisco's CCIE database. Here is my journey to
CCIE.
My background is electrical engineering. I became CCNA when I was
college
student and I had been working as part time network administrator of the
university for two years until I graduated. After graduation I haven't
taken
any of the CCNP exams for two years but I was working as a network
engineer
for a private company and I was doing many Cisco projects not only on
routing and switching but also on voice and security areas. That
experience
was very useful for me and I had to do many readings to complete the
projects I was assigned to do. And the other advantage for a person like
me was that I had to do many advanced things without any senior
person helping me. So my only option was reading and I love reading.
Ok enough about my background. I took the written exam last October
2006.
After that I had to find a sponsor for my lab exam because, it was very
difficult to cover it by myself. My company director general accepts my
request immediately but the financial process took about 8 months. So my
study at that time was on and off. I have really started my lab
preparation
at the beginning of July. For one month I revised all the technologies
using
IEWBv4.1 volume 1 and most of the recommended books like Jeff Doyle's
and
the others. I was also using CBT Nuggets. I have been studying the whole
month full time. Then I went to Harith's 12 days bootcamp in UK. It was
really nice in clarifying the core part of the exam - IGP/BGP. Then I
came
back home and continue my preparation for another month. This time I
installed the IE dynamips topology in my pc at home and start IEWB for
Dynamips. I have tried to do the first 10 labs but time didn't allow me
to
finish the other 10 labs from IEWB4.1 volume 2. So I have gone through
the
last 10 labs by just reading the question and answering it in my mind
and
checking the solution if I am right. I have also taken both of Cisco's
Assessor Labs and one mock lab each from IE and NMC. At that time I was
good
in technology readiness but I was not good in time management. Then I
went
back to UK for Harith's another 5 days bootcamp. It was really helpful
in
making me completely prepared. Then I went directly to Tokyo for the
lab. I
have finished exactly in time. Since I was doing verifications in every
of
the questions, I was not worried by not having extra time for checking.
Generally my lab preparation was three months full time. My company (I
can
say Ethiopian Government since I am working for government agency) was
very
cooperative in many things from covering all my expenses up to giving
two
years annual leave without counting the 3 weeks of the bootcamp.
Now I should take a little break to celebrate Ethiopian Millennium that
I
missed during study and then to another track - most probably SP. I am
thinking of getting married in the time of the little break. My fiance
was
all the way with me in the CCIE journey.
Thanks and Best Regards,
-- Meried B. - CCIE#18988 Network Operations Senior Expert National Data Center (PMO) Mob. +251 91 1349519
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