[ad_1]
Back in 2007, after months of intensive finding out, I handed my first Cisco certification examination: the CCNA. I walked out of that testing middle with tears streaming down my face, identical to Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness.
That CCNA certification was my ticket to kickstarting a brand new life and profession in IT. The satisfaction of passing after two earlier failed makes an attempt was unbelievable. Little did I do know then that this achievement was simply the spark that might ignite a ardour for lifelong studying. My actual progress started within the months and years after passing the examination.
We all take certification for a cause: our employer needs us to get a pay increase, a job promotion, or a brand new job. But these do one factor: they offer us self-growth and self-knowledge. What occurs after the certification is what I’ll uncover right here in the present day.
“Achieving Cisco certification is a major accomplishment, but true success comes from having
a lifelong commitment to learning. Continually engage with the Cisco community,
share your expertise, and leverage micro-learning resources.”
Connecting with the Cisco Community
In the lead-up to my examination date, I joined the Cisco on-line neighborhood boards. Interacting with Cisco specialists expanded my information far past textbook ideas. I realized invaluable real-world troubleshooting suggestions and greatest practices from professionals utilizing Cisco applied sciences every day of their environments.
Their insights uncovered me to new views and options. One member helped me higher perceive how OSPF price metrics affect route choice—an idea I had struggled with. Another gave an excellent tip about utilizing port safety to forestall MAC flooding assaults. Not solely did the neighborhood assist fill information gaps, however exposing me to how different community engineers approached issues developed my crucial considering talents.
Empowering Change: Together, We Make a Difference
After getting a lot from the Cisco Community, I used to be excited to begin giving again and paying it ahead. I shared my classes realized by creating weblog posts and tutorial movies and even mentoring different newcomers finding out for his or her certifications. Helping fellow learners made an affect and strengthened my information as I needed to clarify ideas in a easy and logical manner. Never underestimate how a lot you understand and the way sharing this might help somebody following your path.
Short-form studying content material has distinct benefits in in the present day’s world of condensed consideration spans and packed schedules. Technology matters can simply be distilled into <10-minute movies that convey the core ideas learners want. These bite-sized tutorials match fashionable consumption preferences; they’re straightforward to entry on any system, easy to repeat for reinforcement, and fast to suit into small pockets of free time.
Short movies make the most of our mind’s visible processing capabilities by means of slides, screenshots, and code samples. Learners can acquire broad publicity by watching quite a few condensed tutorials on a topic space, constructing foundational information piece by piece. While not complete, quick movies successfully impart basic ideas, terminology, and workflows. They present sufficient baseline understanding to allow deeper impartial examine.
In an period of knowledge overload, compact studying experiences guarantee key concepts stick. Technology matters are well-suited for centered, environment friendly supply in snackable movies that spark curiosity and ship worth in minutes.
Full Snack Developer
Snack Minutes are quick, bite-sized movies created by prime IT professionals that educate centered classes on technical matters. They are a straightforward and interesting solution to maintain increasing our expertise.
One of the good issues about Snack Minutes is that they cowl rising matters like community automation. Network automation makes use of software program and protocols like Ansible, Python, REST APIs, and NETCONF to programmatically configure and handle networks. This could make networks extra agile, environment friendly, and resilient. If somebody is new to community automation, this might be invaluable for studying foundational ideas shortly. The quick movies give publicity to automation fundamentals and phrases.
More lately, the Snack Minute staff has made some nice content material on core networking ideas—good for reinforcing foundational networking ideas similar to TCP/IP, routing protocols, and VLANs; distilling matters into compact classes ensures that you don’t neglect what you labored on so laborious to be taught.
Discovering New Cisco Products and Solutions
The networking world strikes quick, and Cisco is at all times releasing new applied sciences. With Snack Minutes, I can sustain with the most recent Cisco options like Meraki SD-WAN, Catalyst 9000 switches, Umbrella Security, and so forth. Bite-sized movies shortly carry me up to the mark on new improvements from Cisco. This permits me to remain conversant on the place Cisco product households are headed and see how these applied sciences can profit my group.
It’s not nearly staying knowledgeable; it’s about leveraging these insights to make knowledgeable choices that drive effectivity and success in our networking methods. With Snack Minutes, it’s not solely holding tempo with the ever-evolving tech panorama but additionally equipping ourselves towards a brighter, extra related future.
The Journey Continues: Investing in Lifelong Learning
My Cisco certification was simply the start line on my journey to develop as a community engineer. While the finding out and exams have been difficult, the true work started after passing, as I regarded for tactics to constantly increase my expertise. Connecting with the Cisco neighborhood, giving again by creating tutorials, and staying on prime of latest developments have been essential to my ongoing schooling. Short, snackable studying sources like Snack Minutes make it straightforward and interesting to strengthen foundational ideas and decide up rising matters like automation. The bite-sized movies are the proper solution to continue to grow your information and expertise wherever you might be in your profession.
Achieving Cisco certification is a serious accomplishment, however true success comes from having a lifelong dedication to studying. Continually interact with the Cisco neighborhood, share your experience, and leverage micro-learning sources. This ardour for ongoing schooling will maintain you related and forward in our quickly altering technical panorama.
Check out the Snack Minute Presented by Cisco U. playlist on YouTube for simply digestible movies that increase your expertise and information. The quick, visually partaking tutorials are a good way to maintain advancing in your profession journey lengthy after passing your certification examination.
Read subsequent: From Network Automation to Security: Cisco U. Role-Based Learning Paths
Sign up for Cisco U. | Join the Cisco Learning Network.
Follow Cisco Learning & Certifications
Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube
Use #CiscoU and #CiscoCert to hitch the dialog.
Share: