Naitee Lal

I am studying to earn the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification. My career in networking was not a smooth path. I discovered it, as many other people did, when I was attempting to determine what got me excited about the world of technology. However, today, I can surely tell that CCNP is not a simple certification; it is a life-altering experience that is making me develop as an individual and a professional. I had an initial broad interest in computers and IT, but I was not into networking until I started preparing to take the CompTIA Network+ and then the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate). It was at that point that it dawned on me the true power and complexity of networks. I was amazed by the thought that you could create and control whole communication systems. I had recently passed my CCNA exam, and I felt that I wanted to dig deeper, and that was the time I made the plunge into CCNP. CCNP studying has been a true test of patience, discipline, and curiosity. The course explores the field of enterprise networking, routing and switching, security, automation, and troubleshooting in depth, and all the topics have their pool of issues. I have stayed up late hours to set up labs, peruse Cisco literature, and follow tutorials, as well as apply my knowledge on Packet Tracer and GNS3. However, with each command I entered and each concept I learnt, I could feel myself one step closer to becoming a confident network engineer. The community has been one of the finest aspects of this trip. I have networked with other learners, gotten into online communities, and participated in study groups. They are all very helpful, and it does help a lot when you are stuck trying to figure out something as hideous as BGP, OSPF, or MPLS. I would ultimately like to work as a network engineer or a systems analyst in a big organization or even an international firm. I also like the thought of being the one who designs and maintains secure and high-performing networks that people depend on daily, whether by making video calls, using cloud services, or transferring critical data around the world. Technical skills are not the only things that I have learned during this trip. I have had to learn to be a critical thinker, a problem solver in high-pressure situations, and a constant student, constantly adapting to an industry that changes very quickly. All the difficulties I had to encounter until now, just made me stronger-willed. And in case you are the person who loves solving problems, creating systems, and getting things to work behind the scenes, then networking is the right career choice for you as well. I am figuring it out as I go, I am evolving as I go, I am establishing as I go, but I am proud of the progress I have made. #CCNPJourney #NetworkingStudent #CiscoCertified #TechGoals #ITCareer #NetworkingLife #LabEveryday #NetworkEngineerInTheMaking #FromCCNAtoCCNP #GNS3 #PacketTracer #NeverStopLearning