I have no regrets about completing CCIE. It was worth it. I passed the CCIE Collaboration lab 2015 It has propelled me in my career and made it a better network professional. It was lacking in three areas that I believe were crucial.
First, the CCIE of old was not technologically sophisticated, but it wasn’t a good analog to the actual work of a CCIE. That’s changed. The new practical exam aligns with the Service Lifecycle. It includes Design, Deployment, Operate, and Optimize. It covers everything required of network engineers: design, build, maintain, optimize, and supercharge it with automation.
The design module takes three hours. You will need to analyze customer requirements, network diagrams and email threads in order to design the environment. It is a very useful module that makes a lot more sense than anyone expected.
Second, the recertification route was a barrier to further exploration of your specialty. The current CCIE curriculum aims to produce individuals with exceptional technical competence in their chosen track. Anyone who has taken the lab exam will recall thinking, “I wouldn’t do this in real-life, why is Cisco testing my knowledge on this?”
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Start training The new CCIE takes you down the rabbit hole. Recertification is geared towards skill diversification. While you can still pass another CCIE, you also have the option to obtain a CCNP or combine continuing education credits with specialty tests. I believe that IT professionals will gravitate towards the new options as they become more common.
Third, the CCIE certification had to shift its focus from creating technical specialists to creating technical leaders. Today’s CCIEs must be able to bridge between the IT department and stakeholders. They must be an integral part of every project, ensuring that new solutions not only are technically sound but also provide tangible value to the company. Candidates will learn to think beyond the technical aspects of building, and to consider service management and business-driven outcomes by aligning the exam topics with the Service Lifecycle.
These shortcomings are addressed by the new CCIE. The changes should not be limited to professional services teams or the largest employers. It will hopefully be recognized by every organization as a key to their success.
The Reality of the CCIE
Two main goals were my focus when I began my CCIE journey:
I wanted to ensure that I never found myself in a position where I didn’t have the skills to deliver. I felt that CCIE certification was the best way to ensure that I was ready for the job.
I wanted to make a lot of money. Completing the CCIE would make me stand out from thousands of network engineers and justify my yearly salary.
That day finally arrived when I received the coveted numbers. On the return flight from Raleigh, I vividly imagined what this would mean to my career. I imagined employers stepping out on the red carpet. I imagined battling recruiters.
I was going to be so great at my job. My billable rate would be hundreds to the hour and projects would be completed in half the time. I added everyone I knew to LinkedIn and updated my email signatures to show my accomplishments. All I had to do was wait for the job opportunities to start coming in.
Reality was quite different from what I imagined on that flight. I was able to communicate with my flight attendant.
