“What Do You Need?” How a Simple Question Changed One Engineer’s Cisco Career

The useful part

I missed by a small margin, and somehow that made it even harder to accept. I could tell myself that maybe this goal was not for me, or I could try again. They did not ask, "Why are you failing?" Instead, they asked, "What do you need?" That question changed my career.

How it works

• They believed real growth happens when learning, hands-on work, and real-world exposure come together.
• I carried that belief with me when I decided to pursue a full-time master's degree in networks technology and management while continuing to work.
• I attended college during the day, worked night shifts, and slept only a few hours in between.
• I did not know how or when it would happen, but I kept that vision with me, even when I got job in different city and I was crouched on the floor in a cold aisle of a data center, cabling Cisco Nexus switches.
• Recently, I took that growth to a new level by certifying my expertise in Data Center infrastructure, adding the CCIE Data Center to my existing CCIE SP and CCDE.

What to take from it

Even then, my managers and mentors encouraged me to pursue my CCIE, lead projects, and apply my learning in real customer environments. Leaders encouraged me, mentors guided me, and the environment surrounding me made it safe to try again. My journey is shaped by the three E's — education, experience, and exposure — lessons I learned firsthand while helping my parents manage their business alongside my schooling.

Example or evidence

• It challenged me to build design thinking, business alignment, an innovative mindset and presentation skills.
• I'm excited to apply this expertise to the AI-driven future we're building here at Cisco.
• English (United States) (en-US) -- DEFAULT Microsoft Mark.

Details worth keeping

--> "What Do You Need?" The Question That Changed My Cisco Career. I had worked hard and invested years in preparation. When you are very close and still do not make it, it hurts differently.

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