I haven’t got my score confirmation email yet, but I’m not waiting to celebrate!
I will replace the #devnet2020 logo with a passing score to add to the wall of exam passes once I get the official email, but I did indeed pass with a score of 930/1000 today, and I must say that being recognized for such a unique skillset at my own work place is incredible.
Of course I have barely scratched the surface of DevNet / DevOps / Automation, but every journey begins with that first step, and mine was just over 10 years ago when I passed my first ever Cisco exam the ICND1 when they still had questions about cable types 🙂
One year ago I honestly never believed I would be posting that I passed DevNet!
It was cool, it was new, it was “the future” of “hybrid network engineers” that you wanted to get on top of before you missed the train – And things honestly are falling right into place. My employer is interested in tapping me for ideas on how to explore what Automation can bring to the companies offerings, nothing solid at all but having my name floated as I’ve let it be known I am GRINDING to learn this Automation stuff, it was just cloud 9 when I saw the Pass.
I had to jump back on the clock after the exam to help with a rush, and had coworkers who don’t do certifications intrigued by the pass, and asking about the material / exam / topics like I’ve never heard interest in ANY other Cisco exam and it just feels amazing.
The best feeling by far, is when your employer realizes, maybe it Automation time 🙂
My employer is on top of Automation Tools that help keep customer networks humming smooth, but having a DevNet certified CCNP Enterprise with ambition to take it further, I feel like the tone is beginning to change in terms of not only embracing Automation Tools but to bring in an Automation / DevOps team – To be part of that conversation is mind blowing.
I still have a long journey ahead of me in my professional career, but I’m not sure I have ever felt this sense of professional accomplishment, even walking out of an exam center with my TSHOOT down and freshly CCNP R/S and soon to be CCNP Enterprise Certified!
So even if there aren’t “DevNet” type jobs out there, employers are ready to embrace it!
Automation has been a struggle in non-Enterprise shops, VARs, MSPs, SMBs, there just isn’t a whole lot of uniformity in networks to make Automation feasible – However I feel like the conversation is now shifting from “It’s not really feasible at this time” to “How can we work towards making this feasible” going into 2021 and I am excited to be a part of it!
I do have one R/S goal that I never really touched on, I meant to after MPLS, but MultiCast is going to be coming up as just a solo topic to learn inside and out to solidify my R/S skillset.
All that being said, was the year of studying every day after work worth it? Absolutely.
Employers are not going to start creating jobs / positions for a skillset they aren’t sure why they need it, we need to get certified and bring that skillset to them, and show them why they need it in their portfolio to lead the cutting edge of Scripting and Automation as it is so powerful being able to run a script that does a job in seconds that manually takes an hour.
Yes I had a lot of long nights of studying after long days of work, and I have a lot more ahead of me, but nothing worth doing is easy to do – Cisco cannot sell Scripting and Automation to employers like they did other Cert Tracks – We need to show them why they need it / us!
With that I am going to let my brain cool off, but the DevNet Grind has just begun!
Imagine being the person who started putting pieces of tape on paper, and in so creating “sticky notes” that would come to cover cubicles and work places across the globe, then imagine being the person to write the script that solves a major time drain on the IT industry that comes to eventually cover all programmatic networks across the globe! 🙂
If I can do it, so can you, and with the market place getting flooded with CCNA / CCNP candidates getting into the DevNet path before it gets flooded is doing yourself a huge favor!
Going to take some time off over the Holidays, take care and see you next year! 🙂
The DEVNET GRIND! 