Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Sourcefire Corporate Blog: Elements of Next-Generation IPS: App Awareness and...

Sourcefire Corporate Blog: Elements of Next-Generation IPS: App Awareness and...: This is the first of four in a blog series that will examine the four critical elements that differentiate Next-Generation Intrusion...

Monday, June 25, 2012

A Good Mentor


I would like to revisit a concept that is important to all past, present, and future IT professionals.  I have tried and succeeded many times to connect people with each other.  No great stretch, since I am a recruiter after all.  But, what I am relating is matching up mentors with protégés.  There is no money in it for me really, just helping people: that’s one of my faults.  I have spoken with competitors and detractors, hearing from them that every their action needs to generate income.  So, foolish as it might sound, it’s just the right thing to do in my world.  Since I know so many IT professionals around the world, it’s a logical thing to help with.  Yet, for all my efforts in locating mentors I had not given much time to sharing my thoughts on what makes a good mentor. Who would make a good mentor seems to be easy enough. A successful IT professional with a few years under his heels would be a good start, the person who has been in the industry for some time. He will have certifications or none at all, but he will have developed a certain amount of wisdom in our ever changing IT world.  There is no shortage of people who have watched the emerging technologies take hold and have an impact on the real world. While more recently certified IT professionals will have recent exam experience, they do not have the mileage that develops wisdom.  Yet, we know a few of those people attract the interest of upstarts, but do they know what makes a good mentor?

What makes a good mentor?

I have been told a happy protégé or mentee is a good indicator of a good mentor.  What should a mentor bring to the table? A good ear is a requirement because listening skills and the ability to carry on an active dialogue with an upstart is the foundation of a good mentor. A mentor is not expected to know everything, but being an active listener is very important.

What is an active listener?
When you are with good friends or family, and carrying on a conversation, the dialogue is probably easy and flows back and forth building on whatever subject you are chewing over. That is active listening. Responding on a theme and building on the subject involves active listening.  Active listening will take the relationship a long way. Expect to make mistakes and expect to grow and mature through mentoring!

Criticism
Constructive criticism may be involved when helping an upstart navigate from point A to B. Criticism is not a bad thing if applied properly, but remember to avoid being harsh. Helping the recipient of the criticism realize the origins and then understand them is very important. But more important is that the protégé learns from the criticism. So ask questions, lots of questions to more fully understand the critical thinking behind any event or action requiring criticism.
Active listening is very important to understand the protégé's thinking.  Active listening will take the relationship a long way. Expect to make mistakes and expect to grow and mature through mentoring!

Get Personal
A mentor may observe some personal obstacle or pattern of behavior that is not based upon technology. Getting personal might be needed for the mentor to make his or her efforts effective. So, be prepared to deliver an example of work/life balance you or a peer employed successfully.  Helping the protégé become self-aware, independent, realize a purpose and experience success is the goal of any good mentor.  Active listening will take the relationship a long way. Expect to make mistakes and expect to grow and mature through mentoring!
Match Making
A good match is usually found in the less formal pairings. Forced mentoring does not often lead to a lasting mentor relationship. Anyone who is willing to try his hand at being a mentor has a good start, because time is so short for any successful IT professional.  We always have demands upon our time and it is precious. There is a cycle to mentoring which begins with building a relationship.  So don't dive into technology immediately, instead get to know each other. Talk shop after you have established a rapport and know a little bit about each other. Understanding the goal of your relationship is established during this first stage of mentoring.  Active listening will take the relationship a long way. Expect to make mistakes and expect to grow and mature through mentoring!
Road Map
Direction is a big second step. Make sure that you both understand and establish direction and the mentor's level of support. A motivated protégé is a good protégé, just don't get stuck doing all his work. Research and discovery are not the mentor's job.  Progress towards these established goals needs to have mile stones and a way to measure progress.  Make sure to establish some indicators of progress. If you need help establishing indicators then you need to have the dialogue with the protégé.  Active listening will take the relationship a long way. Expect to make mistakes and expect to grow and mature through mentoring!
Bye-Bye
Be prepared for the end. You may reach the point where the goals have been achieved and there is really nothing left to do. Be ready for this phase.  The length of time you have spent together may be short or long but the separation will have its own sentiment.  The reason for the pairing had a goal, and the thrill of victory has outrun the potential agony of defeat.  It can be rewarding to realize you have actually helped someone with her future.  Always, be an active listener. This is a great skill and it does not come easy to all of us. Learning to listen is something a protégé can teach you.  Active listening will take the relationship a long way. Expect to make mistakes and expect to grow and mature through mentoring!
Mentoring: The Movie
When we spend a lot of time talking, we often forget to listen.  You can hear a lot with your ears and you can hear a lot with your eyes.  Take time learning to listen.  If you do not reach the level of communications that are easy and comfortable, then examine your motivators. Look at the symptoms if things don’t feel right.  Hear with your eyes.  Do your suggestions go unheeded; do the efforts on your part seem to bear no fruit?  Are you the reason your protégé is still employed?  Will you need a mentor to be a good mentor?  No?  Why are you going through this?  If your motivation does not come from within then you have a tough row to hoe.  Is there a solution for that?  I won’t touch that question with a ten foot pole.
Oh, did I mention that active listening will take the relationship a long way. Expect to make mistakes and expect to grow and mature through mentoring!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

NO MORE HONEYS!

I really don’t think any CCIE should get married before I find them a job. This would fix problems like global warming, hunger, A.D.D., and finding places for geeks to pee. So here’s the deal. I will act as matchmaker for free to any CCIE who lets me find them a job. I mean, think about it: a great paying job and your own Honey! Really, what could be better? No charge, just sign on the dotted line.

You should know by now that I know everyone. I was dating Beyonce for a while. Her gal pals are still on the loose somewhere, after Destiny’s Child broke up. So, at least two of you lucky CCIEs will have screamers on your hands. Seriously, who else is offering a service like this? I don’t need any more Honeys telling my Geeks what to do, so let’s make a plan. When I call you, don’t make me ask if there is a Honey. Just tell me up front that Frau Blucher is listening. We will talk in code, and then when you go pee call me back. Honey does let you do that alone, right?

Friday, December 9, 2011

ITIL Advantages and Disadvantages

Note: The points are taken from articles all over the Internet. I decided to talk a little about ITIL because it seems to be a topic of interest of conversation between me and my IT peers these days.


The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a set of concepts developed by the UK government’s Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) to standardize IT management practices. Initially published in 1989, it has gone through a few iterations, namely ITIL v1, ITIL v2 and ITIL v3, its most recent version released in 2007. The current version is comprised of five volumes that focus on Service Management.

As with any type of guidelines, there are proponents and opponents who constantly argue about ITIL. The proponents argue that ITIL offers many cost saving measures, which in the current context of the recession makes enormous economic sense. It also helps to organize and manage IT departments. The biggest factor in its favor is that ITIL has been implemented in various parts of the world and has been proved to work.

That being said, it also has its own disadvantages. While ITIL does start to get everyone speaking the same language, its language/terminology is far from complete because it only handles a very small area of IT.


Parts of its language/terminology conflict with other parts of IT's understanding of that language, such as how software developers view "Release Management" and "Configuration Management". This means implementing ITIL to the letter will cause instant conflict with other teams that already have such solutions in place, as part of their own best practice frameworks.


Most people overcomplicate the implementation of ITIL. People and enterprises that lack experience in ITIL tend to implement it one discipline at a time, trying to "scope" its implementation and make it simple. Anyone that has experience in implementing ITIL will tell you that this will lead to far more problems than it will solve. Expenses will be high. Disciplines will be incomplete and in many cases not implemented. Rollouts will take many years. Rollouts will take a great level of time, money, and energy. Tools will be incompatible to each other. Tools will naturally be antiquated as you move from the 1st discipline you rollout to the Nth, which might be years later.

Nevertheless, even with all these disadvantages, to quite a number of people, ITIL remains an excellent management tool. The regular updates, worldwide acceptance and the sheer longevity of the concept are enough to outweigh all its disadvantages.

What do you think?

Friday, December 2, 2011

Whoa. Not Bloomington Again!

Sometimes in recruiting you can sit on the sidelines predict and watch a train wreck happen.  Then follow the steam to its origin and ask the source, “Why?”  Why there were over a dozen different firms chasing the same role and no one able to fill it?  Why in the same forums on LinkedIn were these same agencies stepping all over each other trying to beat each other to the same pool of talent and still unable to fill the positions?  There must have been dozens of capable candidates out there in this rush to turn every stone that were left in the lurch. 

Sanity?
In the past few months while this Three Stooges like rush to no good end, was taking place some good candidates were disused.  The red flag has been waved and still some of the madness continues.  I guess a few have not even gotten the word that this search was called off for a bit.  While this craziness was going on I followed the mayhem up stream and spoke with the companies that sent the flotsam of requirements downstream to the waiting hands of all the sub agencies, creating the turbulence.  I was asked to throw in and at first I gave it some consideration but decided that throwing in would only cast my team among the lot already thrashing about.  So I took a seat once again on the sideline and answered calls for my help with a, “Désolé No Habla Englez”. A smart move was made by Cisco to call off the hounds and start fresh.  Wow that was a good call.

Green Flag
So here we are starting again.  I was asked to play a role now because my team has earned some credibility by saying “het” when called on so many times before to help the agencies spinning their wheels.  Now I can say, yes these roles are for Cisco and yes if you were mishandled before my team will help you get thru the dizziness you might have been treated to.  Provide a professional dose of Dramamine to help you regain your composure and queue back up for real this time.

Here’s the scoop on the roles:

In Illinois;

PM: Contract to perm (red badge to blue) We need three of these.
Project Management experience in the deployment of leading edge technologies in a complex commercial environment.
Has completed significant part of formal Project Management training program. (Translation-PM Best Practices or PMI Training)
Has basic knowledge of routing, routing protocols, switching, internet and general network architecture.
Has leadership skills and experience working with large project teams and strategic account teams.
Has a working knowledge of the sales process including risk assessment and scoping.
Has a good understanding of the legal issues with contracts and has advanced negotiation and presentation skills.
Typically requires BS/BA degree or equivalent plus 4-5 years related experience in networking / telecommunications industry or min 4-5 years managing LAN and/or WAN network implementation and support PLUS 2-3 years in a Clearly defined Project Management role. Project plan and schedule creation, ability to balance multiple critical tasks.
Advanced Negotiation, Communication and presentation skills.
Ability to work independently in remote customer sites.

Responsibilities:

Manages medium to large or multiple small customer facing projects.
Creation of a project schedule and plan with financial, resource and material requirements.
Participates in the preparation of proposals and agreements.
Oversees project staff including project engineers, vendors, partners and subcontractors.
Manages the project from start to completion including the resolution of project issues.


NCE: Contract to perm (red badge to blue) We need 14 of these.
Expertise in Cisco UCC Technology (UCCE, CVP, IPIVR) and UC Platform required.
* CCIE Voice (LOL-Preferred but not required)
* Knowledgeable of Advanced Services Program model deliverables (we can explain this) and expectations. Be able to articulate value-add to Customer.
* Leading edge technology design assistance for primary accounts.
* Cross-functional contribution and impact with development engineering on product development and serviceability design.
* Excellent consulting and communication skills.
* Excellent Multi-Vertical Market Industry Education, Exposure and Experience. Leverages Vertical Market Industry analysis documentation.
* Continuously pursuing an accomplished expertise level for selected technology.
* Excellent understanding of customer network infrastructure business goals and objectives and apply this knowledge to influence customer and Cisco success.
* Excellent understanding of the customer Change Mgmt process and positive or negative impact towards achieving desired goals.
* Excellent understanding of customer overarching Governance, Standards, Policies and Practices.
* Excellent understanding of the customer formal/informal culture.
* Excellent time management skills. Able to manage required workload schedule, actively offer assistance to other team members or groups on selected emerging technologies.
* Strong understanding of all chosen current technologies and good understanding of emerging technologies.
* Excellent technical account management skills.
* Advanced technical project management skills.
* Strong technical presentation skills to all levels, especially to Cisco and customer senior management.
* Strong communications skills that must be both verbal and media based.
* Demonstrated team leadership.
* Travel Required


So welcome back to sanity and if you would like to work for a world class organization that has helped many geeks build their careers with some great enterprise expertise, you really need to put you trust in our team at CCIE Agent, Limited. 

Send resume to eman@ccieflyer.com and lets talk!

Monday, November 7, 2011

CCIE as CEO How Does it Work?

As the CCIE Agent to the world I have been asked by a lot of CCIEs to help them find career alternatives to their current situations. Some are employed in what appear to be great jobs because the companies are multi-national or just really big. Often CCIEs working for the really big companies are only interested in moves to other really big companies. What many CCIEs have learned though is this. Big does not mean stable or equal to job security. In the past four years I have been in the Cisco SRS program I have also been an accidental traveler on the economic tsunami that has surged over every shore and border. Yet starting out the new adventure with Cisco during this harsh period has taught me a few things. One lesson is, Big or Really Big Company does not equal Job Security, another lesson is the average Cisco Channel reseller between 35 and 100 employees has survived and many have actually thrived. The phenomenon has kept CCIE Agent, Limited growing. So I decided to take one of my clients to task in a very public way. Yeah I know it’s risky because the competition will try and call and candidates will go direct, all the things most recruiters are afraid of. BUT I am not a recruiter, remember? I am a career agent. This client is managed and owned by a CCIE and he serves in many capacities for his company as it grows.



  T
CCIE Flyer
     O………O……..

Eman - CCIE Agent
302-438-1681
CCIE Flyer, CCIE Jobs, CCIE Network
Cisco SRS Program Member
www.ccieflyer.com

Has the global search found you?

Monday, September 19, 2011

Narbik Kocharians CCIE Routing and Switching v4.0 Bootcamp 2012

Hello readers of my blog, some good news for those who are interested in a CCIE Routing and Switching bootcamp in South East Asia. I just had a chat with Narbik on him possibly coming over to Malaysia or somewhere nearby and I am glad to say he agreed. If we can get SEVEN new participants to this bootcamp, rest assured Narbik himself will pack his own er ... clothes and come teach us! :-) Please find the following details for your planning.


CCIE Routing and Switching v4.0 Bootcamp

You will have two options for this bootcamp.

1st option : 5-days bootcamp costing ONLY USD $2,800.00
2nd option : 12-days bootcamp costing ONLY USD $4,000.00

Venue : Cisco office in SINGAPORE
Tentative date : First quarter 2012 (the faster we have SEVEN confirmed participants the better)

Instructor : Narbik Kocharians (none other than the Cisco sensei himself)

Materials include: Bootcamp, light refreshments, workbooks/learning materials from BOTH Narbik's and the Cisco 360 ones, non-boring classes and occasional jokes so that you won't be bored :-).

I have done a five-days review on his bootcamp which can be found here if you are interested in getting a glimpse of what to expect from this bootcamp. Believe me on one thing, when Narbik teaches you, he REALLY teaches you.

So for those interested and wants to tentatively confirm their attendance, please send me a mail here with the subject "NARBIK KOCHARIANS SINGAPORE BOOTCAMP 2012" in capital letters and if possible mark the mail as "high importance".

I really want us who are dead serious to get their CCIEs or to just upgrade their knowledge to a CCIE-level take this rare opportunity so what are you waiting for? CCIE #3xxxx is for grabs :-)

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Thursday, July 14, 2011

What is the difference between an IP base image and an IP services image

Now you know why an IPBase 3560 can do inter-vlan routing when there are people who tells you that an IPBase image does not do layer 3 routing ...

What is the difference between an IP base image and an IP services image

VERSION 3

Resolution

The IP base is for the Standard Multilayer Software Image (SMI) switches, and the IP services image is for the Enhanced Standard Multilayer Software Image (EMI) switches in Cisco IOS  Software Release 12.2(25)SEB and later.
For the Catalyst 3750 and 3560 switches, Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(25)SEA and earlier referred to the image that provides Layer 2+ (L2) features and basic Layer 3 routing as the Standard Multilayer Image (SMI). The image that provides full Layer 3 routing and advanced services was referred to as the EMI.
The inter VLAN routing feature is supported on both IP base or SMI and IP services or EMI image Layer 3 switches. For Layer 2-only switches, you require a Layer 3 routing device with any of the previous images.
The IP Base feature set includes advanced quality of service (QoS), rate limiting, access control lists (ACLs), and basic static and Routing Information Protocol (RIP) functions. Dynamic IP routing protocols (Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), BGPv4, Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP)) are available only on the IP services image.
The IP Services image provides a richer set of enterprise-class features, which includes advanced hardware-based IP unicast and IP Multicast routing. Support for IPv6 Layer 3 switching in hardware is also available with the addition of the Advanced IP Services license to either the IP Base or the IP Services images. Both the IP base Image and the IP services image allow for Layer 3 and Layer 4 lookups for QoS and security.

Monday, June 13, 2011

10 IT positions ranked by prestige

Being a network engineer is fun at times when the network is up and running. But when the network fails for whatever reason or doesn't follow your every will and starts to bite at you for no reason, you tend to think otherwise. However in a world where you are able to do cool tricks like packet sniffing, packet analyzing, creating countless of loops here and there, there's so much fun to just not do networking!
This is what I have been doing a good 5 years of my life. Playing around with them cables, tying myself with them and also at times hanging myself with them trying to think I am some kick-ass Ninja with 9 lives or maybe trying to emulate Criss Angel or David Copperfield.
Believe it or not, some places that I have worked before were 1/4 of this picture. If my network rack at work were to be like this and I was the one who originally started the cabling, I will shoot myself to dead...
##### ##### ##### ##### ##### #####

This was taken from TechRepublic. They have some really kick-ass documents to learn and reflect on. Useful for fresh IT school grads and experienced professionals alike. By the way I am located at number 7. I think I need to start looking at non-IT careers in the near future haha ;-). FYI, I did had experience in most of those listed and frankly IT Manager should be no.1.

Takeaway: People often judge you by your job title — as unfair as that may be. Alan Norton ranks 10 IT job roles based on the degree of respect they command.
Humans have an innate desire to categorize everything from animals to social status. We do so because it is how our brains simplify and understand a complex world. People may categorize or stereotype you based solely on your job title — your prestige, or respect if you prefer, is determined by your position.
This class structure within IT is largely unspoken but real nonetheless

1: Systems analyst

The systems analyst is admired for his or her expertise in the multiple roles needed to build a successful system. They’re self-supervised and independent, and managers get out of their way and let them do their job. They are envied for their autonomy, high pay, and challenging work. They earn admiration for their high level of education, knowledge, and accomplishments. This unique combination puts the systems analyst at the top of the list.

2: Programmer

The programmer enters the room and a hush falls across the crowd. One person with awe and reverence showing on his face whispers in a respectful hush, “That’s the programmer who wrote the AI code!” Okay, programmers may not receive this amount of aggrandizement, but they are typically held in a special place of esteem. To the average person, programmers do nothing short of magic. They make the Web come to life with a multitude of useful applications. They create new and strange virtual worlds. They enable computers to do everything from gaming to running essential functions of business. And they do so with mysterious and enigmatic languages known to only those select few who are the keepers of the code.

3: DBA

If you have done any database work at all and are fortunate enough to have a database administrator, you will appreciate the workload that the DBA removes from your plate. A smart developer learns early on that a good, experienced DBA is critical to the successful completion of the project. Part art and part science, DBAs’ skills can have a significant impact on the performance of the systems they help develop and support.

4: Project lead

Project leads who get their hands dirty and help with all phases of the project lifecycle are respected for their technical as well as their management skills. The role is not given to newcomers. Only those with years of experience make it to project lead. This alone is enough to earn the high esteem of the other project team members.

5: System admin

Access rights granted by sysadmins are just a hurdle in the completion their peers’ tasks. Sadly, the other good work they do goes unnoticed, primarily because even IT professionals have no clue what else they are responsible for. And all it takes is one bad experience trying to get system access for a user to lose any admiration for all system administrators.

6: IT manager

Unlike other professions, where manager would be at the top of the list, IT managers are hurt by the perception that they don’t do the “real work.” IT managers earn respect for their advancement up the career ladder, but this is offset by their perceived lack of technical skills. It may be unfair ,but managers lack IT cred. In addition, employees believe that their managers may have a general idea of their work but lack a detailed understanding of exactly what they do.

7: Network admin

Mention the words network admin to most, and these are the thoughts that are likely running through their head: “Isn’t he the reason I can’t see Facebook and Twitter? Sure, I get a blazing fast connection to the Internet, but what good is that if I can’t get to Youtube? He’s probably reading my email too!” No love there, and the network admin gets no love for the network being up, either — only grief when it goes down.

8: Reporting specialist

When you get right down to it, the reporting specialist is nothing more than a glorified cleric, pulling data from the system, putting numbers into charts, and spitting out reams of paper in the process. If you have to deliver charts with bad numbers to your manager, you may need to use this time-honored phrase: “Don’t shoot me. I’m Just the messenger!”

9: Technician

Never appreciated until a hardware or system emergency occurs, the lowly technician becomes associated with bad circumstances. You know there’s trouble if the tech shows up. He or she may be given the moniker “hero for the day,” but more often than not, users just want technicians to fix their system and be on their way. The uninformed may compare the technician’s skills to the auto mechanic or the Maytag repairman. Usually in crisis mode, the high stress, low pay, and difficult hours typical of the technician do not garner much prestige.

10: Help desk analyst

Help desk analysts are the Rodney Dangerfields of the IT world. The people answering the phone on the help desk get no respect from clients or other IT professionals. They are expected to solve as many problems as possible at tier one but are not paid the wages befitting that level of technical expertise. When the phone rings, there is almost always an unhappy customer on the line. Help desk analysts take unwarranted verbal abuse for circumstances beyond their control and are rarely recognized for their efforts. Their performance is typically measured by the number of calls they take and complete per hour — not exactly a formula for friendly verbal banter, low stress, and thoughtful problem resolution. Respect? Even Rodney Dangerfield got more respect without the added stress.

The bottom line

Much of what I have written is totally unfair to the IT professional. Unfortunately, I believe it’s how many people perceive the IT roles I have listed — and perceptions can be difficult to overcome. While it is true that stereotypes and perceptions often predetermine prestige, it is equally true that prestige can be earned in the most mundane of jobs as well as lost by those in the most respected of jobs. Unlike the social classes of Victorian England, where right of birth was the sole determinant of one’s class, the working classes of IT are open to all who are talented enough and industrious enough to achieve them. The reporting specialist, or any other IT role for that matter, can be a stepping stone to a better paying position with higher prestige. For example, I turned my reporting position into a developer’s role by automating the weekly charts. If you are looking to climb the prestige ladder, you can do the same. You only need to be clever enough and wise enough to recognize and seize the opportunities that present themselves.
I am reminded of the old joke where the body parts get together to decide which is most important and therefore should lead. One of the morals of the story is that all of the body parts are important. If you have a job that is low on the prestige ladder, you should walk proudly with your head held high. You know how hard you work. You know the unique skills required to do your job. You know how important you are to the overall success of the company. Never let anyone, including me, tell you otherwise.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Great CCIE Sale 2011!

At CCIE Agent, Limited we believe that employers are paying too much for recruiting CCIEs.  So the reason we have been charging the lowest fees in the industry is to help CCIEs with their careers.  We have been very fortunate to have developed the largest network of CCIEs outside of Cisco Systems.  How this was done is simple.  Some good people doing good things for the CCIE community have been the key to our success.  There have been countless instances of support of CCIEs in times of trouble or in need of help who have turned the name Eman into a name synonymous with CCIE careers.  There has been CCIE Number association help, CCIE hostage support, CCIE mixers, Cisco Network Academy presentations, Cisco HR Talent Program presentations (where educating the hiring companies on the care and feeding of CCIEs is discussed), even the weird CCIE stuff and of course this CCIE sale!

No hiring manager should ever pay more than $10,000 as a fee for recruiting CCIEs.  As part of the Cisco SRS program our fees have been advertised through the Cisco Partner Talent Portal at 18%.  This reduced rate has been in place as part of the program that presents the best in class recruiting agencies to the Cisco resellers.  Still whenever they call we have been offering much better pricing options.  Since we find our services in great demand we have been offering better rates for over two years.  So we start offering our fees at 12% for general placement and CCIE recruitment and for those clients looking for a better price we have a $10k cap.  So do the math 20% from the competition or $10k?  An average CCIE salary is just over $120k per year so the question is, why pay $24,000 when $10k is better?  The network of CCIE we have developed now exceeds 12,000 globally and growing every day.  We have already done the work of attracting the best in the industry and specialize in the, “Passive Candidate” not found on the boards or job sites and we have a, “No Poaching” commitment with Cisco Systems as part of the SRS program agreement.  This is why a hiring manager should care about who they work with but why should a CCIE care?

Why should you care if you are a CCIE?  Well some employers will take the cost of the recruitment fee right out of your first year salary.  It’s true when you get contacted by a recruiter that has found you on the ether and they are trying to sell you on their great recruiting skills ask them what they charge their clients.  Nothing is off limits today so make sure you take this into consideration when allowing anyone to have access to your resume. Beware of automated sites where you blindly submit your resume for a posting this is a good way of losing control of your resume and you could bump into it where you least expect to, like your current employer!  Since everyone is trying now to recruit CCIEs it is hard to distinguish the good guys from the bad.  “Eman is still the only global CCIE Recruiter promoted by the Worldwide Channels of Cisco Systems and the SRS Program.”

Eman is personally responsible for many Cisco resellers achieving Solver and Gold reseller status through the placement of the key resources they need, CCIEs.  So if you are a CCIE, future CCIE or hiring manager interested in finding a CCIE with a free CCIE number give Eman a call 302-438-1681 or email me eman@ccieflyer.com

If you are a CCIE and want to spend some time discussing that career you have spent so much money and time on call Eman at 302-438-1681 or email me eman@ccieflyer.com. Don’t be fooled by imitators there is only one CCIE Agent and that is Eman!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

CCIE in the Witness Protection Program

Will the real CCIE #11841 Please Stand Up?

I guess we could be blowing this CCIE’s cover if we share with you the details of what he told his employer.  He said he was in the federal witness protection program and had to change his name.  There are many stories CCIEs share with us here at the CCIE Flyer and all of them are unique.  Here is a great tale of a CCIE on the run and seeking protection from his reputation and certification.   The story began in the hallowed halls of MIT a place he received a PHD in his youth.  He then selected to pursue a career in network engineering.  Along the way he got into trouble and was given protection by the FBI.  Normally about now in my story, I would be warning all you neophytes about the dangers of drugs and associating with nefarious types when not studying for the lab.  Not this time though, because it was all a lie.  Yup the CCDE, CCIE and PHD were all lies told in the interview and the plaques hanging in this guy’s cubicle. 

It started five years ago when a pharmaceutical company was seeking a CCIE for their team.  They were happy to find a CCIE who was willing to join their IT department.  This pharmaceutical giant had no requirement for a CCIE cert, but it is considered the gold standard and anyone with the cert makes recruiting the right skills easier.   So it was with much joy that the holder of the CCIE, CCDE and PHD was welcomed into the team.  After decorating his cubicle with his certifications and degrees he began working as a trusted resource.  But one day five years later in a casual conversation Kevin was asked about his CCDE.  “Where did you take the test?” a fellow CCIE inquired.  To this he responded RTP.  The questioning CCIE was surprised because as a CCIE he knew the CCDE exam is given in Chicago.  So Kevin’s CCIE number and name were finally reviewed using the Cisco certification verification tool.  To the surprise of all, he was not listed as a CCIE or CCDE.  Called into the office to discuss this find he confessed that his real name was Kevin Hunt CCIE #11841.  That name and number were confirmed and he went on to explain he had been working under his new name because he was under the protection of the FBI and in the federal witness protection program.

Liar FIRED!
Now that’s a story I want to hear myself!  It was not long ago that I had written about a fake CCIE in Africa.   Since then the fake CCIEs have remained at bay, at least from my requirements, but this one was brought to my attention by the recent hiring manager and Kevin Hunt CCIE #11841 himself.  After five years of successfully hoodwinking his employers this fake Kevin Hunt really blew their minds with the last story he told them.  The FBI witness protection program was a real doozy.  Making up that one was harder than passing the lab!  It might not be the easiest of certifications to earn but it is one of the easiest to verify.  Cisco has a verification tool people!  There are a lot of fakes in this world but the highest paid fakes in IT, follow the highest paid certification they can.  Sure they get interviewed and some can do a fare job of technical questions.  So my question is this, “Why?”  A pharmaceutical does not need to register a CCIE’s number, yet they give CCIEs good homes and pay.

So he is on the run now from the law in real life.  Identity theft is a felony fake Kevin and real Kevin has provided me with the actual filing and report to the authorities.  Now comes the cool part, the fake CCIE will end up in jail right?  Wrong!  He has not stopped, fake Kevin is still out there I just looked on LinkedIn and Facebook where he still claims to be CCIE #11841.  He also claims to be a PHD from MIT and I have a copy of his resume where it clearly states he graduated from The College of Charleston in South Carolina with a BS degree.  Maybe that’s where he learned how to BS?  I think he needs to get his money back because his BS is so thick it is painfully obvious.  The storm over the fake Kevin is so heavy now that three past employers and one co-worker all CCIEs are up in arms.  As I began this piece I had just two complainers now there are five knocking on my door.

The Fugitive
Is there no justice?  Maybe a raging mob storming the cube the liar is lying from would be a cool scene for a movie but the fact is he got his information from the Wall of Fame where he located a person with the same first name, Kevin, then began his job search as a CCIE.  The real Kevin Hunt was contacted by two of the fake Kevin’s …err ahh… fake CCIE’s past employers as they were trying to verify his CCIE number using the verification tool.  Funny thing is the LinkedIn profile does not list the previous employers that smoked him out and he still claims he has a Top Secret clearance and has been a successful CCIE and Senior Network engineer on many Department of Defense projects.  Oh it also states he has a degree from MIT.  Why would you hang that kind of achievement in an office cubicle anyway?

This from the real Kevin Hunt;
Below are 3 folks that have come across Mr. Kimbrell's shenanigans.  At least one of them works for a company that actually hired him.  If either of you know Mr. Feeny, you'll know he's as angered by this as any of us.
Following this email you will get an email with attached email communications with the below, as well as the police report I filed in February of 2008.
Of particular interest is that he told NWN that he dropped the name Hunt from his name legally because his father was put in prison for beating his mother and didn't want to carry his father's last name anymore.  The kindest thing I can say about this guy is that he's a damn poor use of carbon.

Regarding the article, I'd humbly ask that you state that you've been in contact with the "real Kevin Hunt CCIE #11841" and that I actually do exist and am not Kimbrell.  I own several successful companies, but a few bad decisions can cause any business owner to need to look for employment.  If I were a head hunter I'd have all resumes w/ #11841 sent to the bit bucket immediately...”

His real name kind of sounds like Richard Kimball the victim of the movie and TV show, “The Fugitive”.
This from LinkedIn:
Education and certification
• Masters of Science in Computer Science – MIT
• Project Management Professional – PMI
• CCIE – Cisco Certified Internetwork Engineer
• CCNA – CCNP – CCDA – CCDP - Cisco
• MTCS – Microsoft certified technology specialist
• MCM – Microsoft Certified Master
• MCA – Microsoft Certified Architect
• CCDP – Cisco Certified Design Professional

• RHCE – Red Hat Certified Engineer
• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

US Department of Homeland Security

Government Agency; Government Administration industry
January 2009 – Present (2 years 2 months)
Ops and support for DIA.
Manage team of 268 with 26 heads.
NACLC - Current
(TS) Top Secret clearance current 2010
(SCI) Sensitive Compartmented Information
(SCI) Single Scope Background Investigation
If you are going to lie about a certification at least get it right, “Cisco Certified Internetwork Engineer” (?) So here we tell the tale of a person living a lie and steeling another’s identity.
As Rod Serling might say, venture with me if you will into the Twilight Zone…….Du Du Da Dahhh
Well at the department of homeland security they were able to find Cat Stevens when searching for Osama Bin Laden, (don’t get me wrong I for one was really happy we found Cat Stevens, I mean I really did buy all his albums back in the 70s!) so it does not surprise me that they found the fake CCIE #11841 while looking for the real one.  It says on the fake’s LinkedIn profile that he works there now and has for the past year.
Resume still says, “Kevin Kimbrell – Hunt”

Everywhere else his name is minus the hyphenated Hunt.  That’s funny; Kevin Hunt CCIE #11841 has the same last name!  I’m confused….