From Truck Driver to 2x CCIE: Interview with Dennis Bates

From Truck Driver to 2x CCIE: Interview with Dennis Bates In this video we interview with 2x CCIE Mr. Dennis Bates. Every situation will be different. My goal was to give you my first hand experience. I hope you enjoy this video and please remember to subscribe, like and comment. --------- Contents of this interview -------- 00:00 - Intro 02:09 - How old were you when you got your CCNA? 03:29 - What drove you to go from truck driver to getting your CCNA? 08:18 - What does his Cisco Home Lab look like? 10:45 - After your CCNA how long did it take you to get your CCNP? 12:05 - Have you always been a self learner? 13:02 - How long did it take you to get your first CCIE? 14:03 - Did you think you were ready on your first CCIE attempt? 15:15 - What advice do you have for someone that fails a certification exam? 17:12 - Should you study for the CCIE alone? 18:05 - What drove you to get your 2nd CCIE? 20:09 - What changed for you after you got your CCIE? 21:28 - Does where you work matter as a Network Engineer? 22:15 - Do recommend for network engineers to do consulting? 23:22 - How does a network engineer determine which position is the best for their career? 24:54 - Have you ever had a position where you were no longer growing? 28:34 - What is it like to be a contract network engineer? 31:54 - What changed after your second CCIE? 33:30 - How do you sale your network design ideas to the business? 35:28 - Did your 2nd CCIE make you more valuable? 36:48 - Is networking your passion? 37:26 - Did you have a mentor? 38:45 - How do you be a good CCIE? 40:35 - How do you become a network engineer? 43:28 - What do you think about network automation? 45:45 - After your CCNA should you go for the CCNP or learn Python? 47:01 - When working with different technologies, at what point should you get certified? 48:19 - Have you always been honest about your skills? 54:28 - Was the transition from engineering to solutions architect a difficult one? 56:00 - What area of network engineering was your favorite? 56:57 - How do you grow your network design skills? 58:44 - What are 5 technologies that network engineers should know? 1:02:50 - When did you know you were ready for the CCIE? 1:06:43 - How important is documentation for network engineers? 1:08:41 - Do you have a college degree? 1:10:40 - Should you get an I.T. certification or a college degree? 1:13:50 - Have you ever taken a position for the money? 1:15:12 - How do you balance being a network engineer and family? 1:18:29 - Do you remember every nuance of every technology that you work on? 1:21:58 - How important is Linux for network engineers? 1:22:50 - How important is the cloud for network engineers? ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Du'An Lightfoot on Social Media: https://twitter.com/labeveryday DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support! #LabEveryday #CCIE #SolutionsArchitect