Stephen Elliot, joined the Cisco Networking
Academy at Bedford College in 2005 whilst studying for a degree in
Computer Communications. He explained:
“I firmly believed (and still do) that this
would open doors for me once I also achieved my degree.”
Unsurprisingly, obtaining both his degree and
Cisco certifications at Bedford College was to prove hard work for
Elliot, but he found the structure of his Cisco CCNA course allowed
him to successfully fit in all the aspects of his demanding
schedule. “The course was modular - in bite-sized chunks, if you
like, which made it fairly easy to handle,” he says.
Another plus for the course, according to
Elliot, was his Bedford College instructor. “Steve Deards is
without any doubt the best teacher I have ever come across,” he
insists, adding: “lessons were fun, exciting, entertaining and
always extremely productive. I gained so much from his influence
and the level and materials we covered far exceeded the standard
required for the course.”
In addition, Elliot found that his Cisco
course had a clear industry focus that was to be of immense
practical and career value. “I had easy access to current
technology and we used real case studies to simulate complete
projects from beginning to end,” he elaborates.
Stephen graduated from Bedford College with a
first class degree and Cisco CCNA Voice, CCDA, CCNP and CCDP
certifications from the Networking Academy.
The next step was to find employment and
Stephen explains: “As I wanted a career in this industry, I felt
Cisco would be the perfect company to work for. I found out about
the graduate scheme, applied, went through the various stages of
the interview process and, ultimately, I was offered a
position.”
Here again, he found the support of his
Networking Academy - and Steve Deards - invaluable. “He was the
biggest driving force. His advice and guidance was, in my opinion,
instrumental in me being successful on the Cisco assessment day,”
he says. This short description of how Elliot became a Network
Consulting Engineer omits one key factor - that, as one of the 20
or so successful candidates, he beat the 2000 who were not chosen.
And his advice to those seeking a career in networking? “Search for
jobs while you are still learning and beat down every door to get
your CV on the table. Sell yourself!”
Having now worked as a Network Consulting
Engineer for four years, Elliot plans to develop his career within
Cisco, aiming to take on more management responsibilities in
addition to his technical role, while working towards more
certifications.