Navigating the CCIE Landscape with help from 3 CCIEs!

Episode Overview

• A panel of three Cisco Certified Internetwork Experts (CCIEs) share their personal and professional journeys to achieving the prestigious certification.
• The discussion covers the immense preparation required, including study resources, the pros and cons of study groups, and the different strategies needed for the written versus the lab exams.
• Panelists explore the significant financial and personal commitments involved, emphasizing the critical need for family support and how to justify the investment to an employer.
• The episode provides practical advice for tackling the lab exam, treating it as a strategic challenge, and concludes with critiques and suggestions for the future of the CCIE program.

Key Concepts

• The Personalized CCIE Journey: The path to CCIE is not one-size-fits-all, often involving failures, strategic pivots between certification tracks, and the need for a study plan tailored to one's individual learning style.
• Written vs. Lab Exam Preparation: The panelists unanimously agree that the written exam is a broad, theoretical hurdle, while the practical lab is the true test of hands-on engineering, time management, and problem-solving skills under pressure, requiring completely different study approaches.
• Commitment Beyond Technical Skill: Success requires a significant investment of time and money. The time commitment is often the greater challenge, making support from family and buy-in from employers (for study time, not just cost) critical components.
• The Lab Exam as a "Game": Passing the CCIE lab is as much about strategy as it is about technical knowledge. Candidates must develop a plan for time management and efficiently accumulating points to navigate the exam's difficulty.
• Employer Justification: To gain company funding, the certification should be framed as a "win-win" investment that provides the business with a highly skilled expert, which is especially valuable for partners maintaining certification levels.

Quotes

• At 3:19 - "I started out with Route Switch. It took me about three times. I failed it." - Erica Cooper candidly shares her initial struggles and failures on her CCIE journey before successfully pivoting.
• At 25:16 - "You have to find what works for you. You can't, you can't take the advice from someone who's done it... and just say that's the path." - Chris Mielke emphasizes that while advice is helpful, each candidate must tailor their study plan to their own learning style and needs.
• At 42:24 - "You have to have the people that are important also have to be on board, because that means I'm not going to be around for a lot of that, right?" - Chris Mielke highlights the critical importance of having the support of family and significant others during the demanding CCIE journey.
• At 59:07 - "Strategy is super, super important, and make sure you're walking in there with one. Um, don't, don't just, you know, go in completely blind." - Chris Miles highlights that a well-defined strategy for tackling the lab is as crucial as the technical knowledge itself.
• At 71:22 - "Get rid of the multiple-choice crap... let me show you what I can do... give me in front of the keyboard, let me show you what I can do." - Erica Cooper voices her frustration with written exams, advocating for a greater focus on practical, hands-on evaluation.

Takeaways

• The path to CCIE is a marathon, not a sprint, requiring resilience and a personalized study plan that may need to adapt over time.
• Non-technical support is as crucial as technical knowledge; ensure you have buy-in from your family for the time commitment and a clear value proposition for your employer.
• Treat the lab exam as a strategic challenge by developing a solid time-management and problem-solving plan before you walk into the testing center.
• Recognize that the time commitment is the most significant cost of the CCIE, and securing dedicated study time can be more valuable than financial sponsorship alone.