It's been a while since I wrote my last article. I've been on a hiatus from creating content, so I'm going to explain where I've been, and I'm going to talk about my career plans moving forward.

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Where I've been

I'm not going to sugarcoat anything, I'm just going to keep it short and sweet. Between November 2022 and now, a lot of personal things happened, and a lot of it wasn't great to say the least. I was under a lot of stress, my anxiety was pretty high, and above all, I was lost. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I let my personal issues drag me down to a dead end. (Pro tip: never let bad things in your life kill your dreams!)

I originally wanted to be a cloud engineer, then I went from wanting to do cloud, to security, then from security to networking, then from networking back to cloud engineering. I was completely lost, and I blame it on what I just described in the first paragraph.

My colleagues saw me suffering. One of them gave me a very valuable piece of advice, which helped me get back up after dealing with the temporary downfall I had: "screw everything, stop everything you're doing, and take a month-long break to find yourself again. Then, get your a** back up, and push harder than you ever have before".

What did I do? I listened to him. In December 2022, I set forth my month-long break from studying, personal projects, and any career-advancement activities, and I spent that time avoiding as much stress as possible, and doing that helped me in so many ways. One of the biggest things it did for me was help me realize what I enjoy doing in IT best: networking, security, and programming.

Where I want to go next

After returning from my break, I've decided I want to become a Network Engineer. My favourite trade in IT is networking, it always has been, and it took me a while to realize it.

I'm going to work toward becoming a Network Engineer, with a focus on data center networking, automation, and security.

I enjoy configuring network infrastructure, and I enjoy programming with python. 1+1 = 2, right? Network configuration + python = network automation!

I also like designing and building stuff. I love data center technology. Designing networks in data centers is what I want to do.

Finally, I also like the idea of securing a network. Fortinet/Palo Alto firewalls, and Cisco ISE, are security technologies I find very interesting.

I'm going to focus my efforts on developing skills in data center network design, network automation via Python/Terraform/REST APIs, and network security.

My next steps

As of writing this article, I am actively working on obtaining the Fortinet NSE4 certification. I am halfway through my training, and I expect to be sitting for the NSE4 exam in early April.

After obtaining the NSE4, I plan to get into the Cisco DevNet space, and I'm going to work on developing network automation skills in Python, using REST APIs, and I'm going to study for the Cisco Certified DevNet Associate certification. I plan to obtain the Cisco DevNet certification in the mid-to-late summer of 2023.

In late 2023, I plan to start studying for the CCNP. I do not have a set specialty yet, I'll either go the ENCOR + ENAUTO (enterprise automation) route, or work towards CCNP SCOR + SISE (identity services engine), or the SAUTO (security automation) certification sets. I expect to finish the CCNP by mid-2024.

While certifications are credentials, experience and a deep understanding of technologies go further. So, I'm going to spend lots of time keeping up with networking theory knowledge, while laterally moving to higher-level network engineering positions.

Also, to help me further, I created a GitHub repository where I write down my career steps. Click here to see it.

The short-term end goal

In the short term, I'm going to accomplish three things:

1. Finish the Fortinet NSE4

2. Learn Cisco DevNet/Network Automation and obtain the Cisco Certified DevNet Associate cert

3. Land an entry-level Network Engineering role

The long-term end goal

In the long term, I want to:

• Obtain the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), with concentration in either enterprise automation, or security w/ISE or security automation

• Become a Data Center Network Engineer, work for a Cloud Provider (AWS/Azure), or working for a well-known company using their own DCs, or work for Cisco

• Be a professional in Network Automation and Security

• One day: obtain a CCIE certification

Final Thoughts

I took a hiatus from blogging and content creation, I took a break in December from learning anything, and it helped me figure out what I want to do in my tech career. I want to become a Network Engineer, working in a Data Center, or working at Cisco. I will one day obtain the Cisco CCIE and be a professional in Network Automation and Security. I have a long journey ahead, but I know how I'm going to get there. Now it's time for me to shut up and start taking action. Going forward, you can expect future content to be focused on networking topics, some general theory, as well as automation, and of course, security.

Thanks for reading my article. I wrote it to announce where I've been and where I'm going, and to potentially inspire anybody who might be in the same position. If you enjoyed it, stay tuned as I'll be releasing more content soon!