Monday 4 March 2013

life update

Yes, I have neglected the blog for quite some time now, but only because Google+ had distracted me for the most part.

I have managed to loose approximately 5Kg of weight through eating (or should I say drinking) meal replacements, eating smaller portions, significantly reducing carbohydrates and exercising a bit more.

My stress levels are still high since I successfully completed my Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) on October, but thanks to my doctor and a renewed approach to work (ie. less caring) I'm able to cope a little bit better.

One of the biggest issues I am faced with right now is the frustration that comes with trying to pursue my chosen career.


I foresee a major delays in my current employer providing career progression due mostly to the radical changes to the business and sadly I must look elsewhere.

So, I have my CCNA as well as some practical experience from a previous job (before I got the qualification) as well as many hours of lab time on Cisco equipment and I know my way around IOS very well but most of the Network Engineer/Administrator roles I am applying for I am barely getting to interview stage.

I am wondering if part of the problem is that recruiters and employers don't seem to comprehend what is actually required to get a CCNA (there is a lot of lab time and one must fully understand the content to successfully pass) and they are mostly under the impression that the curriculum is purely theory-based, which is entirely untrue.

I have begun reaching out to my collective friends, colleagues, acquaintances and recruiters in the hopes that I can secure a new role that actually exploits my strong Cisco skills.

Lucky for me I can be quite stubborn, and I don't give up so easily.

There has been more social interaction with Google+ friends, and a little less with my old group of friends, but this is in part due to their obsession with Warhammer (tabletop) and the games that they all play are not the genre that I am interested in, which has my slightly concerned.

I'm also not sure what game in my libraries I want to play next as I often find that I am too tired to engross myself in some of them and as such find myself tending to avoid them.

This year is anything but interesting with all of the above and more, but hopefully I will be able to get back to enjoying myself like I used too.

- D