A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending Legally Blonde The Musical with my wife.  It had been a long summer for us and so we decided that we were going to treat ourselves to a night out.  One of the songs in the play was ‘Chip On My Shoulder’ sung by the character Emmett.  The song was entertaining to say the least, but a few of the lyrics within the song really stuck in my head:

No! That’s the chip on my shoulder
I hugged my mom and told her
With the chance I’ve been given
I’m gonna be driven as hell

Though I can’t take the day off
I just think of the payoff
You need a chip on your shoulder
Little Miss Woods comma Elle

For the life of me, I couldn’t shake the words, Though I can’t take the day off…I just think of the payoff, out of my head and felt very driven for a new achievement in my career.  Watching shows off the DVR and playing video games all summer just wasn’t going to cut it.  My workload lessened so work itself had become stagnant and I figured I needed a new challenge to keep me going.

As you may know, I’ve been eligible to take the Security lab for quite some time, but the test had been eluding my interest level.  I’m usually more interested in a technology when I know it will be utilized in some form within my work environment.  Presently, my company views security technologies as a luxury and hasn’t approved any of the recommendations for new security initiatives which has really dampened my spirits with the track altogether.  IMHO, the market seems to have dried up for Cisco security technologies in SoCal.  I still have until mid-February to make up my mind about the track, but I have yet to find that spark that’s going to drive me to finish the track.

With the R&S track updating later this year to include MPLS (among other things), it only made sense that I should brush up on the technology to assess my personal knowledge of the subject matter.  After reading a few chapters this summer from MPLS Fundamentals, I found the technology to be very interesting.  I also ended up reading MPLS and VPN Architectures, Volume II and was completely hooked.  To measure my level of knowledge with the content from these 2 books, I decided to sign up for my CCIE Service Provider written exam (350-029).  I had booked the test for today and managed to pass it earlier this morning.  Aside from receiving validation of the material, I’m now eligible to take the Service Provider lab.  I feel more driven towards this track than security but some questions linger about in my head:

-Can I even afford the additional expenses? –> I just checked with my wife and she says, yes, but I have to pass the lab on the 1st try.

-Is studying even possible with my current workload? –> Not really, but I thrive on pressure.

-Could I truly commit myself to long lab hours, cramping fingers, an aching lower back, and isolation from my favorite activities (i.e. poker, basketball, mini expeditions, etc.)? –> If I wanted it badly enough, I would find a way.

-If I pursue a track, which one? –> I really have to weigh the pros/cons for each track.

My plan for now is to really think it over during the Labor Day weekend and just make a decision.  All I know is that a driving factor for me is I need a bigger payoff in life (not necessarily a monetary one).

On August 19th, I finally found time to sit and take my written exam for Security (350-018). In just 2 years, the amount of depth required to take this test has changed for the better, IMHO. When I first took the Security written in 2006, I was faced with many R&S type questions. This time around the content was completely security focused and had me using every minute in the amount of time allotted. I can honestly say that I passed by only one question. The materials I used were:

CCIE Security Exam Quick Reference Sheets

NLI’s CCIE Security Written Exam Study Guide v2.0

Network Security Technologies and Solutions

RFCs

Cisco’s website for NAC, MARS, and IPS

In the process of passing the written exam, I managed to recertify for another 2 years:

Dear Barry *****:

Congratulations, you have successfully recertified as a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert! Periodic recertification ensures that the CCIE designation remains a valid measure of expertise in the networking industry.

Your next CCIE recertification deadline will be November 26 2011. Current recertification policies require you to pass one written CCIE exam within the 24 months preceding your deadline. However, you may not schedule the same exam you just passed for at least six months. You may take the written exam for a track different from the one you are certified in to meet the recertification requirement. Written exams are scheduled through Ciscos authorized testing partner, Pearson Vue.

…

Now that I managed to get passed that hurdle, I needed to make a decision on when to take the lab. Yesterday morning, I finally committed to scheduling a lab date and reserved my seat:

RESERVATION INFORMATION:
Name: Barry *****
Track: Security
Lab date: December 10, 2008

Just as I was about to start my 2nd journey, I figured I would peruse through everyone’s blog on my blogroll in case any Cisco related news presented itself. Low and behold, I see the announcement on InternetworkExpert’s blog about the Policy Change to Payment for CCIE Labs which is effective on September 6, 2008.

Hmm, I’ve got a serious decision to make in the next week or so. Am I ready? I’m about 50% ready. The driving force pressuring me into taking the lab before the end of the year are the rumored CCIE Security Changes Coming that were announced by the IE folks at Networkers. Ideally, I’m hoping the official annoucement doesn’t come out until January which will allow me more time to prep due to my workload. I brought it upon myself and took a contract position that has kept me fairly busy. The exposure to MPLS and Voice have been great which is the main reason I haven’t been blogging much these days. I’m now more inclined to start Voice after my Security lab having this new exposure. Plus, I plan on taking the CCIE Wireless Beta Written Exam in October since my contract client has the technology in-house already. It probably sounds like I’m already committed to taking the lab next year, but I’ve been in high-pressured situations before and manage to balance everything out so I may still go through with it this year. Stay tuned…