In Romania
by BogdanBogdan is a friend I made after he read the CCIE Flyer. He is not a CCIE yet but he soon will be. In Romania where he lives he is about to join a very elite group of CCIEs. The fact is there are fewer than 30 CCIEs in that country. I thought it would be a good idea to asked Bogdan a few questions in English and Romanian which I am fluent in (if you believe this then your sharing my crack pipe). Every CCIE’s experience and journey is different!
In his words…
First of all, I owe you a big thank you for bringing me the opportunity to share my thoughts with you and with your readers. I must admit that I truly enjoyed reading all the editions of your Flyer (and I was so deep into this that I haven’t realized it was almost 3AM when I finished the last article). Of course, I woke up this morning with red eyes, but it was all my pleasure.
There was something that astonished me the most – I could never imagine how many people got a better chance, both from a professional standpoint, but most important from a life perspective, and I think this is the most beautiful part of your job, the true reward of your efforts. I raise my hat to this!
Draga Eman,
In primul rand vreau sa iti multumesc pentru posibilitatea de a imi impartasi gandurile cu tine si cu toti cititorii tai. Trebuie sa recunosc ca mi-a facut o deosebita placere sa citesc toate editiile Flyer-ului tau (si am fost atat de prins cu asta incat s-a facut 3 noaptea cand am terminat de citit si ultimul articol). Bineinteles, m-am trezit in dimineata asta cu ochii rosii, dar placerea a fost de partea mea.
Este un lucru care m-a uimit cel mai mult – nu mi-am putut imagina nicioadata cati oameni au avut o sansa mai buna, atat din punct de vedere profesional, dar mai important dintr-o perspectiva personala, si cred ca asta este partea cea mai frumoasa a job-ului tau, adevarata rasplata a eforturilor tale. Jos palaria pentru asta!
1. How many years have you been in Networking? De cati ani lucrezi in Networking?
It all started 4 years ago, back in my first year as student in the Telecom field, when one of my colleagues brought me some CCNA courses from a local Cisco Network Academy and the next day I was in front of their door, eagerly waiting to learn how the packet life works.
Totul a inceput acum 4 ani cand eram in primul an ca student la Telecomunicatii, iar unul dintre colegii mei mi-a adus niste cursuri de CCNA de la o Academie Cisco. In ziua urmatoare eram deja in fata usii lor, asteptand cu nerabdare sa invat cu functionaza aceasta lumea a pachetelor.
2. When did you make becoming a CCIE your goal? Cand ai facut din a deveni CCIE telul tau?
Well, the motivation to be among the best in my field has a sort of sentimental roots. My best friend (she) went to study in Australia while I was in my first year and by that time I didn’t have the necessary funds to support myself overseas, but we promised ourselves that no matter what, we must get together again once we graduate. For me, the only solution I saw those days was to start doing something that will place me with one step in front of the crowd, and then Cisco came into my life. While my formal studies won’t get easily recognized abroad, their (Cisco’s) certifications definitely have a worldwide appreciation, and, with this mindset, I started to get more and more into networking, I started to earn my certifications and to get a job that provides me a truly broad international exposure by working with people from all the 24 time zones. While I felt that my knowledge and expertise would recommend me when I will decide to move away, in the same time I knew that there is a last mile to be conquered if I want to seal a good opportunity. So, about 3 months ago I decided that the time to get my CCIE number has arrived.
Ei bine, motivatia de a fi printre cei mai buni in domeniul meu are un soi de radacini sentimentale. Cel mai bun prieten al meu (ea) a plecat sa studieze in Australia cand eu eram in anul intai, iar la acea vreme nu aveam suficienti bani pentru a ma intretine intr-o alta tara, dar ne-am promis ca indiferent ce va fi, trebuie sa fim din nou impreuna dupa ce vom termina facultatea. Pentru mine, singura solutie pe care am vazut-o atunci a fost sa fac ceva care ma va scoate cu un pas inaintea multimii si astfel Cisco a aparut in viata mea. Pe cand studiile mele formale nu vor fi recunoscute prea usor in afara, certificarile Cisco au cu siguranta o recunoastere mondiala, si cu acest gand am inceput sa ma implic tot mai mult in networking, am inceput sa imi iau certificarile si sa obtin o slujba care sa imi asigure o experienta internationala prin contactul cu oameni de pe tot mapamondul. Cu toate ca eram constient de cunostintele pe care le dobandisem, ce ma vor ajuta cand voi decide sa plec din tara, in acelasi timp am stiut ca mai este un ultim obstacol de trecut daca vroiam sa prind o oportunitate buna. Deci, in urma cu aproximativ 3 luni am decis ca e vremea sa imi iau numarul meu de CCIE.
3. When did you take the written test? Cand ai trecut testul scris?
About 3 weeks ago, at the end of November.
Acum vreo 3 saptamani, la sfarsitul lui Noiembrie.
4. What tools have you used to prepare for the CCIE lab? Ce ai folosit pentru pregatirea in vederea laboratorului de CCIE?
I am using mainly the dynamips workbooks provided by Internetwork Expert (btw – a sincere THANK YOU to the team that developed this wonderful toolset: dynamips, dynagen and gns3; you just can’t imagine how many good network professionals train themselves using your software) and I plan to go for the newly arrived materials from IPexpert that are also dynamips based. At the final stages of my preparation when I will start doing all-in-one labs I will go for rack rentals because there are some switching features that dynamips can’t do, yet.
Principala resursa sunt workbook-urile pentru dynamips de la Internetwork Expert (apropo – un mare MULTUMESC echipei care a creat aceste minunate programe: dynamips, dynagen si gns3; nici nu va puteti imagina cati retelisti buni se pregatesc cu ajutorul software-ului facut de voi) si planuiesc sa iau si noile materiale de la IPExpert, care sunt tot pentru dynamips. In ultimele etape ale pregatirii mele cand voi incepe sa fac laboratoare integrate voi inchiria cateva ore de laborator pentru ca sunt cateva feature-uri de switching pe care dynamips-ul nu le poate emula inca.
5. Are you worried about your lab date approaching soon? Esti ingrijorat de faptul ca data laboratorului se apropie curand?
I have scheduled my lab in Brussels for the end of April and I must admit that I am a little bit stressed about this. But I think this is the right thing to do, is what I need to enter a learning state of mind and to have a constant focus on my objective. I expect it to be to a tough journey because I am will have to deal at the same time with a full time job and with my university courses and exams, but if it has to be the hard way I won’t step back, I will just do what I have to do and I know that the taste of success will then have a special flavor.
Eu mi-am programat laboratorul la Bruxelles, la sfarsitul lui Aprilie si trebuie sa recunosc ca sunt un pic nelinistit din cauza asta. Dar cred ca asta este lucrul care trebuia facut, este ceea ce aveam nevoie ca sa ma mobilizeze si sa ma puna pe invatat. Ma astept la o calatorie grea pentru ca in acelasi timp trebuie sa fac fata unui serviciu full-time, plus cursurilor si examenelor de la facultate, dar daca trebuie sa fie greu, nu voi da inapoi, voi face exact ceea ce trebuie facut pentru ca la final gustul succesului sa fie mai dulce.
6. How do you feel about becoming a CCIE in a country with so few? Ce parere ai despre a deveni CCIE intr-o tara cu atat de putini?
In Romania there are currently under 30 CCIEs , a number that I see as being low due to lack of demand for highly certified people plus the high cost of training material for an individual, including here the lab equipment, but hopefully this is going to change rather soon due to the new tools like the aforementioned dynamips plus, more important, the fact the country’s economy is now on an ascending trend. Basically, right now, only the Cisco Channel Partners are interested in retaining a CCIE. My personal feeling about this? For me a CCIE has a global meaning, it is valued everywhere he/she might go, it is not someone bounded to a local way of doing things and this is what I like the most about this – the freedom this certification confers to you. Being only few of us here, can only make me smile a little bit, but I don’t see it as something way too extraordinary.
In Romania sunt in momentul de fata mai putin de 30 de oameni care au CCIE-ul, numar care mi se pare scazut din cauza lipsei de cerere pentru oameni ultra calificati, la care se adauga costul ridicat al training-ului pentru o persoana, incluzand aici si echipamentul pentru laborator, dar sunt convins ca asta se va schimba cat de curand datorita noilor emultaoare precum mai sus mentionatul dynamips si, mai important, datorita faptului ca economia tarii se afla pe un trend ascendent. Concret, acum doar partenerii Cisco sunt interesati sa retina un CCIE. Parerea mea despre asta? Pentru mine un CCIE are o valoare globala, este apreciat oriunde se va duce, nu este cineva limitat la o anumita arie georgrafica si asta este ce imi place cel mai mult – libertatea pe care acesta certificare ti-o confera. Fiind doar putini CCIE aici, asta nu ma poate face decat sa zambesc putin, dar nu o vad ca pe ceva iesit din comun.
7. What are your plans after obtaining your CCIE? Care sunt planurile tale dupa ce obtii CCIE-ul?
On the next day? Go party with my friends!
In ziua urmatoare? Petrecere cu prietenii!
On the long run, I plan to move to Sydney, Australia and I hope this will help me get a better job there and after all the things will settle down I do want to go for a new CCIE track, which is Voice – my first love.
Pe termen lung, vreau sa ma mut in Sydney, Australia si sper ca asta ma va ajuta sa obtin un job mai bun acolo, iar dupa ce lucrurile se vor mai linisti un pic vreau sa ma apuc de un CCIE in Voce – prima mea dragoste.
8. Does your family understand the significance of this certification? Intelege familia ta importanta acestei certificari?
Yes, I am glad to have a family that fully supports me in my efforts of doing something that will change my life. I am so lucky to have you close to me.
Da, am norocul sa am o familie care imi sustine in totalitate eforturile de a face ceva care are potentialul de a-mi schimba viata. Sunt foarte norocos sa-i am alaturi de mine.
9. This past year has seen a lot of economic turmoil, has this effected you? Anul care se incheie a fost agitat din punct de vedere economic, cum te-a afectat asta?
As far as I had the opportunity to discuss with different people and to observe how the things are moving around, in the telecommunications world only the big players might have been hit, but the small and medium sized companies are doing pretty well in these times. So, for me the things looked pretty well this year, I do work for a medium sized company that will end this year with revenues higher with 30% than they were last year and I am glad I could help them achieve this. An important thing to note here is that almost 90% of our customers are US-based.
Atat cat am avut sansa sa discut cu diversi oameni si sa observ cum merg lucrurile in jurul meu, in lumea telecomunicatiilor doar jucatorii mari par sa fi fost loviti, dar companiile mici si mijlocii par sa mearga destul de bine in vremurile astea. Deci, pentru mine lucrurile au aratat destul de bine anul asta, eu lucrez pentru o companie medie care va incheia anul cu o cifra de afaceri cu 30% mai mare decat anul trecut si sunt mandru ca am putut sa-mi aduc contributia. Un lucru ce merita mentionat aici este ca peste 90% dintre clientii nostrii isi desfasoarea activitatea in SUA.
10. Tell us a little about yourself. Vorbeste-ne un pic despre tine.
I am a 24 years old guy, working as a Sr. Network Engineer for an international voice carrier, taking care of their whole data & voice infrastructure spanning Europe, North America and Asia . When I don’t do this (although more rarely than I’d like to) you can usually find me playing tennis, skiing, swimming or just lying on the beach and if I am not doing any of these, I am surely riding my bike or soaring on a glider.
Sunt doar un tip de 24 de ani ce lucreaza ca Sr. Network Engineer pentru un operator international de voce, avand grija de infrastructura lor de date si voce ce acopera Europa, America de Nord si Asia. Cand nu fac asta (desi se intampla mai rar decat mi-ar placea) de obicei ma puteti gasi jucand tenis, skiind, inotand sau doar lenevind pe plaja si daca nu fac nici una dintre astea, cu siguranta ma plimb cu motocicleta mea sau ma dau cu planorul.
Thanks,
Bogdan
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