Re: The story of CCIE#34420

On Monday, February 6, 2012, Md.Jahangir Hossain <jrjahangir_at_gmail.com>
wrote:
> Congratulation for Real hero !!!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Thanks
> ---------- Jahangir*
> *
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 11:25 PM, Michael Kiefer <mjkiefer_at_gmail.com>
wrote:
>
>> I passed at RTP on Monday 1/30, after Cisco won 7 previous battles. I
>> started studying for the CCIE in July of 2008 (V3 was the test until
>> 10/09). I didn't really take studying seriously until enrolled in
Narbik's
>> first bootcamp in Wilmington, DE (my current town). It simply wasn't
>> possible for me to take a bootcamp elsewhere because my wife worked (and
>> was pregnant) and my daughter was 3 at the time. Her hands were very
full!
>> I am eternally grateful for my wife's patience. She is a rockstar!! I
would
>> have divorced myself long ago!
>>
>> I started with INE's product line first using dynamips and then moving up
>> to the real hardware. I was and still am a hard core Linux user. I had
>> about 6 years of experience as sysadmin on production boxes. INE's
products
>> are great, but I was growing more and more frustrated with dynamips.
>>
>> I started with a clean slate the summer of 2010 with a new INE topology
>> based lab on real hardware
>>
>> Narbik taught me to look at things in their absolute simplest form. My
>> friend and mentor Dave Roehsler (CCIE#20502) did the same thing. Grab
some
>> markers, a white board and work it out. Narbik's topology and workbooks
can
>> almost be done entirely on Dynamips without any trouble, FB!!!
>>
>> I began sharpening the saw over and over again with Narbik's workbooks on
>> Dynamips. Any chance I got, I used them.
>>
>> I found myself knowing the material, but failing the tests. The last
>> failure was 9/9/11 by one or two troubleshooting tickets. Revenge for
that
>> failure would be cold and merciless! No comfort to the enemy, just pain,
>> death, and destruction!
>>
>> The time between the two tests was nothing but speed building and
>> reviewing. Brian McGahan's new ATC v4.5 was out and it was great for
>> keeping the cobwebs out of my mind. I could burn through an INE Vol II TS
>> section in 40 minutes or less by the week before the lab. The Vol II
config
>> labs were toast in 4 hours.
>>
>> I managed to complete and pass the TS section with 30 minutes left in the
>> real lab. The config part was done with more than 2 hours left.
>>
>> All of my studies were self funded. In fact, I even left a full time
>> position with a local Gold partner who wanted my CCIE#, but didn't want
to
>> fund my studies. I landed a very lucrative long term contract that
provided
>> the resources to make it all happen.
>>
>> I put some video clips out on my Youtube channel: mjk2374. I don't have
>> much content, but there are some good clips from RTP and a rack tour from
>> my basement. The proctor, David Blair, gave me permission to shoot the
>> video inside the lab.
>>
>> It was an honor and privilege to sign the wall of pain next to David
>> Roehsler's. Narbik's entry is there as well as a few other interesting
>> things like a husband and wife duo. It looks like Howard's son put Sponge
>> Bob on the bottom, too. I saw Brian McGahan's, but unfortunately didn't
>> capture it on video.
>>
>> My best advice to CCIE candidates is pretty much what Narbik says,"You
are
>> ready when you can do the workbooks cover to cover with absolutely no
>> questions." Don't overestimate your own ability(like I did). Make sure
you
>> are an expert when you walk through that door at Cisco. If you take the
>> psychological aspects of the test out, they don't have a leg to stand on.
>> Invest in yourself and absolutely never give up!
>>
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Michael Kiefer
>> CCIE# 34420 (R&S)
>>
>>
>> Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net
>>
>> _______________________________________________________________________
>> Subscription information may be found at:
>> http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> -- *
> *
>
>
> Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> Subscription information may be found at:
> http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html

Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net
Received on Tue Feb 07 2012 - 22:47:15 ART