Ring Out The Old, Ring In The New

Training : Joe Astorino

Joe Astorino

Joe Astorino CCIE #24347 (R&S)
Sr. Technical Instructor - IPexpert

IPexpert is a premier provider of Classroom and Self-Study Cisco CCNA (R&S, Voice & Security), CCNP, CCVP, CCSP and CCIE (R&S, Voice, Security & Service Provider) Certification Training with locations throughout the United States, Europe and Australia. Be sure to check out our online communities at www.ipexpert.com/communities and our public website at www.ipexpert.com.

Articles : Reviews : Blog

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Well everybody, it's that time of year again. Christmas. New Years. As George Harrison sang thirty-five years ago this December, it's time to "Ring out the old, ring in the new. Ring out the old, ring in the new. Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the old, ring in the new!"

With the new year upon us, it also means hope, rejuvenation, a chance to get back on track, and of course New Years resolutions! I think the New Year is also a great time to reflect on things in life, and to take a solid honest look at the goals that lie ahead. I'd like to talk a little bit about getting yourself motivated again to conquer the newest beast in the CCIE world -- The R&S v4.0 lab exam.

What is the reality of the new R&S v4.0 lab exam, and what does it have to do with rejuvenation and starting fresh? Well, it seems people were actually losing hope in the idea that this was even a passable thing. As an instructor, it was depressing to see people constantly asking on the various CCIE study lists "Is the new v4.0 a passable test?" "I don't have enough time." "Cisco made it too hard." "Nobody has passed yet, how will I pass." "Has anybody passed yet?" "The new format is impossible." "It's not a passable test" "There is too much on the new blueprint." Excuse. Excuse. Excuse. This is where you need to take a good honest look at yourself, and quite frankly man up.

Cisco isn't in the business of handing out CCIE numbers to anybody that applies. As Wayne Lawson likes to say "If the CCIE were easy, everybody would have one." He ought to know a thing or two about what is easy and what is not, having spent some years in the US Marine Corps, and later achieving his own CCIE. It is supposed to be unbearably difficult to achieve. That is part of the glory of it. This is what separates us from the rest. A change needed to be made in the community at large. People had to stop asking "why is this so hard" and "who has passed?" and start boldly saying "I am going to learn the technology no matter what" and "I don't care who has passed, let me be the first!!!" You see, that is the attitude of a CCIE in the first place! The CCIE has always been a special bunch. We loved the technology in the first place. The magic # was a bonus. If you want to be a leader in your field, you don't put your confidence and reason for studying in the hands of other people. This is just a way to dump your problems off on something else instead of dealing with it.

I think of it sort of like the special forces in the military. Granted, I have never been involved in the military, but I do respect them alot. Especially the Special Forces. In the USA, when you join the Marines or the Army Rangers, or the Navy SEALs, or the Green Berets, do you think it is easy? No! For months on end you train hard. You are screamed and yelled at by instructors and told you are a worthless piece of garbage. You are asked to do seemingly impossible tasks. They push you to the point where your mind literally must be stronger than your body, because your body is telling you "NO MORE!!!" but your mind keeps you going on. But you learn. You progress. Life goes on. You grow stronger by the day, and start to see it's all part of the game. The further you go, the more you want to finish. If you quit you are just another guy that didn't make it as the instructor chuckles and says "See you later! I guess you were not cut out for this." IF you want to be the elite in your field, weather that is the military or IT, you understand that this is all part of the game. It is a tactic designed to get you to quit. Why? The special forces doesn't want quitters. If you quite training because it is "too hard" what will you do in the field when your team needs you? Well, Cisco doesn't want CCIEs that are quitters either. Look at it from the perspective of IT. Cisco is essentially branding you as the highest level technical people in THE WORLD. The Special Forces of networking if you will. How will you react in OUR field when there is a bear of a problem to solve? Will you quite? Roll over, call TAC and call it a day? Or will you keep going because you know there is an answer to be found?

As a few months rolled on, most of us instructors kept preaching the same word -- "Know the blueprint inside and out. Keep pressing on, and if you know the technology and are ready, you will pass." Finally, I started seeing a change in the attitude of some people out there. People DID start saying "screw all of you guys that want to quit. I don't care who passes, *I* am going to study hard and *I* am going to pass!!!" Sure enough, a few weeks ago we saw our first pass publically announced (and by "we" let me be clear that I mean we as in the CCIE community at large). The more time goes by, the more I am seeing hope and progression out there, and that makes me happy!!!

So, whats it going to be this year CCIE candidates? Roll over and call TAC, or take your rightful spot with the elite of our industry? When I teach a bootcamp, I can always tell the ones who opt for option #1. How? They don't put in the effort. This amazes me considering it is usually their money on the line, but they will actually refuse to put in the late hours on labs after class or ask good questions. Why? Fear. What if my best isn't good enough? What if, what if, what if??? That way there is always something else or somebody else to blame, and their ego doesn't get bruised. As I like to say, when you start out the path to the CCIE be prepared to humble yourself. Nobody knows everything. There are times when you will feel silly. This is normal and all part of the learning process. You can't be afraid to commit and go full steam ahead!

CCIE SP -- Hopefully coming soon after I finish up revising and creating the IPexpert R&S v4.0 product line.
Drop about 15 more pounds -- I must admit locking yourself away to study for 9 or 10 months while you eat junk food just to survive isn't the healthiest of choices. What are you gonna do : P I want to hit the elliptical and drop the extra weight I put on while getting the CCIE in the first place.
Move -- I got married about 2 years ago now and it's time for a bigger place!

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