Recommended Books

In this post, I'll take some time to mention the books necessary to brush your concepts. For R&S, I would highly recommend the following.

1) CCIE Routing And Switching Exam Certification Guide Third Edition
2) Routing TCP/IP Volume I
3) Routing TCP/IP Volume II
4) Cisco LAN Switching
5) Cisco QoS certification Guide
6) Developing IP Multicast Networks
7) Cisco Self-Study: Implementing Cisco IPv6 Networks

I have started reading (1), I am yet to buy the rest, which I will as I complete (1).
Internetwork Expert provides a more complete recommended reading list. However, depending on your proficiency, you may choose to purchase those books covering concepts you need to understand further. I havent decided on which book I'd choose for MPLS.

The hard part ofcourse is reading, dedicating the necessary hours. It's definitely not easy preparing while having a full time job. However, if you're working in a related field you may be able to quickly absorb things (this is where your industry experience comes in handy).

Genesis

I am currently preparing for my CCIE (R&S). Unlike a lot of other networking professionals out there, I havent had a lot of industry experience, although I an beginning to absorb quite a lot in my current role.

The first question that came to my mind when I began preparing for the CCIE was, why should I even think about doing it now, when I havent had a lot of industry exposure. To me, its more like there is no right time because even with a lot of industry experience it still requires one to follow a structured approach. Chances are more likely that we're exposed to certain concepts more often than others. Please note that I am not downplaying the value of industry experience, all I striving for is to inspire those people who probably like me havent had a lot industry experience but have the drive and passion to go through what it takes to become one.

I have a good grasp of the concepts through my engineering background, certifications and I am continuing to build on it, which I believe is the first step. I'd like to quote Brian Dennis from Internetwork Expert "understand the technology", its more like know why you are doing what you are doing. Once you're thorough with your concepts, move onto practicing the technology through workbooks and crazy scenarios from your head.

In my next post, I'll go through the materials that I am using and will use in my preparation.