Oh I am in the middle of them...
If you walk in to Jr level or higher position please know these:
Difference between VLAN and subnet and VTP
Difference between a router and switch and when to use them
What is ARP and explain how traffic makes it from A to B ( so many "CCNPs" dont know this...)
How do you locate a device in your network if given an IP address
What is the difference between a trunk port and access port (cisco land) or non-tagged and multi tagged ports (Everyone else)
What is a LAG or Ether/Port-channel (cisco land). What protocol is used for this.
Explain the untaged vlan in this.
:developers:
Hrmmm... VTP is proprietary to my knowledge.. but a fair question if walking into a Cisco shop. I wouldn't even run it personally (I think even Cisco recommended configuring all switch in transparent mode?), though I haven't played with VTPv3. I'd probably break that off as a different question from the diff between a VLAN and subnet...
I think Juniper? doesn't have the concept of a "native" VLAN... at least not directly - think you have to explicitly configure it. It's been too long I don't remember.
There are two negotiation protocols out there for LAGs ;).
Those are some good general knowledge questions though.
Some more general knowledge questions I also like to ask:
- If I have a 10G interface, and I add another 10G interface to create a port-channel, did I just double my bandwidth? Why or why not?
- I need to create an OSPF adjacency across a VLAN trunk. Is this possible? Why or why not?
- Explain buffering in a switch.
- What VLANs do routed interfaces on a switch get assigned to? << I like this one a lot. You get a lot of "Deer-in-the-headlights" looks from that because it just sounds weird.... though I'm not sure if this is specific to a few vendors.
- Bonus just for S&G: What is Cisco's Shared Spanning Tree Protocol and what is it's purpose? << I didn't find out about this until I started digging into interoperability between vendor's protocols.
I don't know why I chose to respond to this post this way.... must be the Norco I'm on...
Anyway, yes, you would expect them to know these things... I think the tough part is though in order to even have a decent shot at getting a job in even a Jr. spot it's like you have to have a CCNP. That puts a lot of pressure on folks to get it knocked out quickly and in turn, possibly not having all the "real world" experience a CCNP should have. I'll definitely say I fell into that boat. I'm just really glad I worked at a Web Security company that involved looking at a lot of packet captures which helped a LOT with understanding how things like that worked, or were supposed to work anyway....
If you're applying for a security job, please know about recent security breaches and what allowed them to happen.
Also know how to prove it's not the firewall.
@AspiringNetworker
Nope all good and valid responses. With me Im not looking for a test answer but what you just provided, a discussion on the subject.
With the past couple rounds of interviews my boss and I decided to shift from a round-robin fire of pointed questions to an open-ended whiteboard session. This keeps the candidate relaxed and fuels more discussion. Which leads to deeper visibility in what they know. The interview is based around asking them to design a network on the whiteboard with a handful of specs. Very open ended and then we throw in questions as we go. Either side of the table can take a subject as deep or shallow as they want.
Quote from: that1guy15 on September 15, 2015, 08:49:52 PM
@AspiringNetworker
Nope all good and valid responses. With me Im not looking for a test answer but what you just provided, a discussion on the subject.
With the past couple rounds of interviews my boss and I decided to shift from a round-robin fire of pointed questions to an open-ended whiteboard session. This keeps the candidate relaxed and fuels more discussion. Which leads to deeper visibility in what they know. The interview is based around asking them to design a network on the whiteboard with a handful of specs. Very open ended and then we throw in questions as we go. Either side of the table can take a subject as deep or shallow as they want.
Came across a really good article on this recently that cites some research done on the efficacy of various interview techniques. tl;dr of it is unstructured interviews are bad and work-sample tests and structured interviews are good.
http://www.wired.com/2015/04/hire-like-google/
We check to see if they can spell TCP/IP. If not, the interview ends then and there.
"Can you spell TCP/IP?"
"Uhh... T..."
"Good."
"Ummm... R?"
"That'll be all for now. Your recruiter will contact you later about next steps. Thanks for coming by."
"Did I get the job?"
"Your recruiter will let you know about next steps. Let me escort you out."
"Wait! The second letter! It's Q! No - it's W!"
"OK, please stop grabbing the table base, or I'll have to call security."
Quote from: that1guy15 on September 15, 2015, 08:49:52 PM
With the past couple rounds of interviews my boss and I decided to shift from a round-robin fire of pointed questions to an open-ended whiteboard session. This keeps the candidate relaxed and fuels more discussion. Which leads to deeper visibility in what they know. The interview is based around asking them to design a network on the whiteboard with a handful of specs. Very open ended and then we throw in questions as we go. Either side of the table can take a subject as deep or shallow as they want.
As someone that has sat on the other side of the table in the last couple years I completely agree with this form of interviewing candidates. In our industry I think the "20 questions" approach just doesn't work.
@deadwebb haha if you are that hard up for talent maybe I should move to Texas. I hear jobs there pay a whole lot more than in Indiana lol.
I've been giving this alot of thought as of recent. my knowledge is a mile wide and an inch deep, Although I have a CCNP. I really don't use the technology too much. my current tasks take me working through a wide variety of industry products that I need not touch every day. I may not configure a router or switch for some number of weeks while I am knee deep in in other non-cisco related networking tasks. same for working with Cisco products while I forget how to use the other industry products.
so what I've been pondering, is that although network knowledge is good, but it's all pretty much based on some sort of standard. Book knowledge is good, but the ability to evaluate and understand traffic flows in the network is more important than any book smarts. Understanding what devices an application communicates with, the policy based routing, why they are configured and where things are routed to, how the reverse proxy works, and why it is needed, etc. I think takes on more importance than knowing how to configure LAG groups on Cisco equipment, or knowing how to tell the native VLAN, or why spanning tree roots are always your oldest slowest switch on the network by default. Things that can be Googled easily.
Reason I've been pondering this is because I just turned 50, make a good salary in networking,and have a few years left on my contract. I'm scared $hitless, that when the time comes for me to find a new contract in a few years, That I will be overlooked because I can't retain all the details and spout them out during an interview, and some young noob with the book knowledge and half the salary requirements will get the jobs, and I will be forced into early retirement with a lifestyle that I can no longer afford. The other solution is to remain relevant, making sure that I have knowledge in some modern technologies and can remain desirable in the workforce. But I think that may lock me into a specific technology
So the result of my pondering, where every other technology question answer would be like, yes I used that, I've done that like 8 years ago, and I don't the commands anymore. I don't know how well it would fly in an interview but my take would be more like..In this day and age, with technology so available. makes the ability to google the configuration commands quite easy, the experience I can provide is knowledge of why such configurations are needed, provide alternative solutions, to have and retain knowledge of the network, traffic flows, and applications that the rely on the network to provide the needed services... ( or something like that).
To build on Ristau's comments, I know I got my current job at age 45, with only a few months of *recent* network experience and 7 years of generalist IT from 1995-2002, because I was:
* Likable
* Able to show that I know about due diligence, business communication patterns, and other grown-up topics that the kids just don't get
* Able to show that I can troubleshoot my way out of a paper bag, with or without scissors
* Told them that if there was anything new to learn, I was the guy to learn it (See how fast I got my CCNP? That's how fast I learn in real life!)
The biggest key? Likability. There were four other candidates with more experience, but one started an argument in the tech interview and then there were three...
As an oldster, I know that the commands being used today are going to be slightly modified tomorrow and then EVERYONE will be using their Google-Fu to put a config on a switch. Demonstrating that I *can* learn and that I'm eager about being the guy that has to ramp up the fastest on stuff was a big plus.
But, at the end of the day... Likability is king.
Quote from: deanwebb on September 16, 2015, 08:51:45 AM
To build on Ristau's comments, I know I got my current job at age 45, with only a few months of *recent* network experience and 7 years of generalist IT from 1995-2002, because I was:
* Likable
* Able to show that I know about due diligence, business communication patterns, and other grown-up topics that the kids just don't get
* Able to show that I can troubleshoot my way out of a paper bag, with or without scissors
* Told them that if there was anything new to learn, I was the guy to learn it (See how fast I got my CCNP? That's how fast I learn in real life!)
The biggest key? Likability. There were four other candidates with more experience, but one started an argument in the tech interview and then there were three...
As an oldster, I know that the commands being used today are going to be slightly modified tomorrow and then EVERYONE will be using their Google-Fu to put a config on a switch. Demonstrating that I *can* learn and that I'm eager about being the guy that has to ramp up the fastest on stuff was a big plus.
But, at the end of the day... Likability is king.
This this this this this.......
As I've said on a previous post, I didn't get hired at my current job because I was an expert who knows all. I knew enough and displayed a tenacity for learning more, and I was personable. Like the former VP who interviewed me said, "I tell my guys one simple thing - don't hire assholes." He also said, "I'll invite an SE to dinner with my family sometimes. If you can't avoid being awkward at dinner, I'm sure as hell not going to put you in front of a customer."
I'll never forget those statements. If you're personable (likeable), and show a desire to learn and grow, lack of current skill set usually becomes a non-issue - at least with people interviewing you that know what they're doing. Unfortunately it won't help you if you're interviewing with some HR recruiter reading off a checklist of questions and doesn't have a clue about networking at all.
Also, yes that1guy15 - open ended questions are the best in my opinion as well. My last interview was like that and it was actually enjoyable. It also showed me right off the bat that the company I was interviewing for was legit.
I remember a previous interview where someone asked what the ethertype was for something... I forget. After admitting that I didn't know, I asked them what it was. They said, "I don't remember - just curious if you knew!" Ridiculous. There were two instances of that in the same interview!
Quote from: ristau5741 on September 16, 2015, 08:30:30 AM
Reason I've been pondering this is because I just turned 50, make a good salary in networking,and have a few years left on my contract. I'm scared $hitless, that when the time comes for me to find a new contract in a few years, That I will be overlooked because I can't retain all the details and spout them out during an interview, and some young noob with the book knowledge and half the salary requirements will get the jobs, and I will be forced into early retirement with a lifestyle that I can no longer afford. The other solution is to remain relevant, making sure that I have knowledge in some modern technologies and can remain desirable in the workforce. But I think that may lock me into a specific technology
I *kinda* know what you mean... and it's even tougher now because I don't think you can really specialize so much anymore.. things are becoming more and more converged.
Quote from: AspiringNetworker on September 16, 2015, 10:22:47 AM
I remember a previous interview where someone asked what the ethertype was for something... I forget. After admitting that I didn't know, I asked them what it was. They said, "I don't remember - just curious if you knew!" Ridiculous. There were two instances of that in the same interview!
Heh that's gold. :)
Quote from: AnthonyC on September 17, 2015, 08:00:27 PM
Quote from: AspiringNetworker on September 16, 2015, 10:22:47 AM
I remember a previous interview where someone asked what the ethertype was for something... I forget. After admitting that I didn't know, I asked them what it was. They said, "I don't remember - just curious if you knew!" Ridiculous. There were two instances of that in the same interview!
Heh that's gold. :)
Right? Who does that?
I think its not even worth asking people technical questions as they can be completely book smart and that is it.
Generally, I will do a phone interview with them and see where they are at. Why they are leaving etc etc.
I will then do a in person interview and try to grasp what their environment is like then try to ask them what happens if you do this that or this and see how they think. That is really the best way to find someone who can think and not just copy something into a router and call it a day. So when it breaks they have to escalate to you because they cannot think on top of their head.
Quote from: burnyd on September 18, 2015, 05:07:50 PM
I think its not even worth asking people technical questions as they can be completely book smart and that is it.
Generally, I will do a phone interview with them and see where they are at. Why they are leaving etc etc.
I will then do a in person interview and try to grasp what their environment is like then try to ask them what happens if you do this that or this and see how they think. That is really the best way to find someone who can think and not just copy something into a router and call it a day. So when it breaks they have to escalate to you because they cannot think on top of their head.
+1
Oh - hey man did you send me an email the other day? I saw something in my junk folder from you that seemed weird, but way too close-to-home to not be from you so figured I'd ask... sorry forgot about it in the crazy schedule I've had lately.
Quote from: burnyd on September 18, 2015, 05:07:50 PM
I think its not even worth asking people technical questions as they can be completely book smart and that is it.
Generally, I will do a phone interview with them and see where they are at. Why they are leaving etc etc.
I will then do a in person interview and try to grasp what their environment is like then try to ask them what happens if you do this that or this and see how they think. That is really the best way to find someone who can think and not just copy something into a router and call it a day. So when it breaks they have to escalate to you because they cannot think on top of their head.
I agree with this.
I also like to do whiteboard sessions and ask how they would design/route/whatever in scenario XYZ with the view of there are no correct answers, but looking more for their justification. You would be amazed at the number of mid-high level candidates that look confused when you ask them for an alternative or ask them to change the design to eliminate X. The classic is asking a candidate to design a dual WAN site - half of candidates only seem to know a design where the HSRP default GW is on the WAN routers. When I ask for drawbacks to this design, what happens when I want to flick some traffic to a WAN link on router 2 whilst router 1's link is still up, etc. they look at me blankly. Some don't even know the existence of alternatives (VRRP, GLBP), or what happens if the core switches are a stack. Don't usually need to go into what happens if its VSS vs Nexuss 5/7k ROFL
In my last last position I remembered interviewing a senior ISP engineer, he could not answer the classic 'why do I need MPLS' scenario of two eBGP routes with a non BGP router in between (I would have accepted a GRE tunnel or pseudowire or even a new BGP enabled VRF as an answer but senior SP engineer I was expecting MPLS chops.... in any event he couldn't even identify the problem of the non BGP router not having any BGP routes, yes I explicitly even signposted it saying 'no redistribution from BGP to OSPF' and drawing it on the whiteboard and circling it LOL).
I can barely spell BGP, let alone MPLS, so I apply for security jobs. :D
But I'm now on the asking side of the table, and I get to talk with lots of guys from India for positions that we have there. Most of them are very good at following a script for level 1 support, but it's a rare applicant that shows an ability to vary from the script.
BTW, working at a major global means that you MUST know how to speak English well enough to be understood, which can be a hurdle for native speakers that forget how not everyone else in the room is a native speaker.
I once set in on an interview for a candidate that was applying for a senior level sysadmin position. The guy had an impressive resume that included over 10 years of Windows server administration. Sadly he bombed the interview because when asked what a GC was he said he didn't know and then when asked a question about Exchange he said he didn't have much experience with networking. If he was applying for a jr level job right out of school with no experience I could understand but jeez. I mean really how can you have 10 years experience in the Windows server world and not know what those two things are.
As I mentioned before I love the idea of doing real world scenarios on a whiteboard in an interview or similar. If you do this then make sure the person doing the interview knows his stuff lol. I was in an interview for a job a little over a year ago that I really thought sounded interesting. The company was one I was really interested in working for too. Anyway during the interview they asked if it was ok to do a whiteboard session and I said sure. Now keep in mind this was an interview for a senior level position. We spent the next half hour with the interviewer drawing very basic stuff on the whiteboard that wouldn't stump a geeksquad tech. Literally one of the things on the board was he wrote 192.168.10.0/24 and 172.16.0.0/30. Then asked me to write the subnet masks for these networks and the usable IP range. They offered me the job and I turned it down even though the salary was out of this world good. I found out later (I knew the guy they ended up hiring) that their only senior engineer had quit suddenly and I was being interviewed as his replacement. The guy doing the interview was a junior engineer that had only a couple years experience, but he was the most seasoned junior they had to assist with the interview process.
I saw those ranges and instinctively thought, "RFC 1918!"
Made me feel good.
Quote from: Nerm on September 21, 2015, 07:14:23 AM
As I mentioned before I love the idea of doing real world scenarios on a whiteboard in an interview or similar. If you do this then make sure the person doing the interview knows his stuff lol. I was in an interview for a job a little over a year ago that I really thought sounded interesting. The company was one I was really interested in working for too. Anyway during the interview they asked if it was ok to do a whiteboard session and I said sure. Now keep in mind this was an interview for a senior level position. We spent the next half hour with the interviewer drawing very basic stuff on the whiteboard that wouldn't stump a geeksquad tech. Literally one of the things on the board was he wrote 192.168.10.0/24 and 172.16.0.0/30. Then asked me to write the subnet masks for these networks and the usable IP range. They offered me the job and I turned it down even though the salary was out of this world good. I found out later (I knew the guy they ended up hiring) that their only senior engineer had quit suddenly and I was being interviewed as his replacement. The guy doing the interview was a junior engineer that had only a couple years experience, but he was the most seasoned junior they had to assist with the interview process.
I have always been a fan of asking your VAR to assist with the interview in these types of situations. Assuming the VAR is solid.
Quote from: Nerm on September 21, 2015, 07:14:23 AM
I found out later (I knew the guy they ended up hiring) that their only senior engineer had quit suddenly and I was being interviewed as his replacement. The guy doing the interview was a junior engineer that had only a couple years experience, but he was the most seasoned junior they had to assist with the interview process.
That's real world #$@# right there unfortunately... I remember back in the day when we were going to be interviewing a guy for a position and since I had the most "Cisco knowledge", they wanted me to sit in on the interview. I looked at his resume and was like, "How the hell can I interview this guy? He's been doing networking for 8+ years and I haven't worked in an actual networking job a single day of my life!"
Well.. turns out I didn't have much to worry about because it was like a, "What NOT to do during an interview." He came in a Cisco-logo'd long-sleeve dress shirt. Ten minutes into the interview, I got kinda fed up and asked, "Are your certifications current?" - to which the answer was no on almost all of them that he had listed (without marking them as expired, by the way). From that point I stopped asking questions and let the rest of the guys ask their questions - definitely recommended a flat-out "No" on hiring that guy. Not even so much for his lack of, or unsharpened, skill set as much as it was his modus operandi to put on a facade and not put in the work. I mean the guy couldn't even explain why a certain ACL wouldn't work given a hypothetical scenario of using WCCP to redirect traffic to a proxy (order of operations, permit/deny, easy kind of stuff that we often ran into with customers in technical support). A CCNA or hell, maybe even a Network+ could do that (Mine's expired - don't remember if they covered ACLs in that cert).
Quote from: that1guy15 on September 15, 2015, 05:59:37 PM
Oh I am in the middle of them...
If you walk in to Jr level or higher position please know these:
Difference between VLAN and subnet and VTP
Difference between a router and switch and when to use them
What is ARP and explain how traffic makes it from A to B ( so many "CCNPs" dont know this...)
How do you locate a device in your network if given an IP address
What is the difference between a trunk port and access port (cisco land) or non-tagged and multi tagged ports (Everyone else)
What is a LAG or Ether/Port-channel (cisco land). What protocol is used for this.
Explain the untaged vlan in this.
:developers:
You hiring for any remote engineering jobs? 8) 8)
Quote from: AspiringNetworker on September 21, 2015, 10:24:38 AM
(Mine's expired - don't remember if they covered ACLs in that cert).
HAHAHAHAHA I see you even listed it as expired in your signature.
They seriously need to stop ripping people off with the CompTIA crap.
Quote from: wintermute000 on September 24, 2015, 01:45:20 AM
Quote from: AspiringNetworker on September 21, 2015, 10:24:38 AM
(Mine's expired - don't remember if they covered ACLs in that cert).
HAHAHAHAHA I see you even listed it as expired in your signature.
They seriously need to stop ripping people off with the CompTIA crap.
That was my first "networking" cert and was a good segway into the content. Way too expensive though, and completely worthless in the market :)
I agree that the Comptia certs are lacking and overpriced but I disagree that they are completely worthless. They are actually good for getting your foot in the door for an interview at a smaller company like the one I work for. Now for larger companies like what you guys work at then yes they probably would be useless for getting in the door there but people just getting started in the industry have a lot more choices than just large companies. Here I would take someone with a Net+ and Server+ and no degree or a non-IT degree over a guy with an IT degree and no certs.
Okay, it has its value as an entry-level cert, and it's a good introduction to some of the topics, but what I meant is that there's no demand on the job market.
I'm A+ and N+ for life btw 8)
My A+ was free as part of my curriculum in Navy IT A School so it wasn't a bad deal but I didn't have a choice about getting it either. It hasn't helped me much since I got into networking but back in the day when I was doing more desktop/server stuff it was listed on plenty of job reqs as nice to have, one place I worked at had it as a requirement. Nowadays the jobs I'm looking at want CCNA and/or CCNP.
Quote from: wintermute000 on September 24, 2015, 01:45:20 AM
Quote from: AspiringNetworker on September 21, 2015, 10:24:38 AM
(Mine's expired - don't remember if they covered ACLs in that cert).
HAHAHAHAHA I see you even listed it as expired in your signature.
They seriously need to stop ripping people off with the CompTIA crap.
Well it started off as a joke. I have/had a lot of certs, though I'm honestly going to let a lot of them lapse because they do me ZERO good right now and it's not worth the time/money to re-cert them.
Anyway, now, I guess it's not a joke. ;)
Oh, and yes, it is quite the ripoff. When the Gov't jobs started requiring Sec+, they jacked up the prices like over 100 bucks.. I think its like 275 or 375 now... ridiculous. The exam is a joke - as are most CompTIA exams... ok strong language but in comparison to other exames it's true. It's multiple choice memorization, and you can mark questions for review and come back to them later. It's a very simple strategy for any CompTIA exam:
1. Get ExamCram book
2. Memorize
3. Sit down for test
4. Mark any questions you don't immediately know the answer to for review
5. Do the questions you do know the answer to, then go back and hit the ones you marked for review
6. Profit (questionable)
I don't think I've ever, ever even come close to failing a CompTIA exam... no offense to others who may have...
Quote from: SimonV on September 24, 2015, 07:58:39 AM
Okay, it has its value as an entry-level cert, and it's a good introduction to some of the topics, but what I meant is that there's no demand on the job market.
I'm A+ and N+ for life btw 8)
You sure about that? I thought the same thing, then I got a notification that my A/N/Sec were being moved to the new program, and have recently expired.
Quote from: routerdork on September 24, 2015, 09:09:55 AM
My A+ was free as part of my curriculum in Navy IT A School so it wasn't a bad deal but I didn't have a choice about getting it either. It hasn't helped me much since I got into networking but back in the day when I was doing more desktop/server stuff it was listed on plenty of job reqs as nice to have, one place I worked at had it as a requirement. Nowadays the jobs I'm looking at want CCNA and/or CCNP.
Yeah A+ is purely desktop support IMO. I stopped even listing it as a cert on job websites and such because I kept getting spam about $10/hr desktop support jobs.
Quote from: AspiringNetworker on September 24, 2015, 10:21:23 AM
Quote from: wintermute000 on September 24, 2015, 01:45:20 AM
Quote from: AspiringNetworker on September 21, 2015, 10:24:38 AM
(Mine's expired - don't remember if they covered ACLs in that cert).
HAHAHAHAHA I see you even listed it as expired in your signature.
They seriously need to stop ripping people off with the CompTIA crap.
Well it started off as a joke. I have/had a lot of certs, though I'm honestly going to let a lot of them lapse because they do me ZERO good right now and it's not worth the time/money to re-cert them.
Anyway, now, I guess it's not a joke. ;)
Oh, and yes, it is quite the ripoff. When the Gov't jobs started requiring Sec+, they jacked up the prices like over 100 bucks.. I think its like 275 or 375 now... ridiculous. The exam is a joke - as are most CompTIA exams... ok strong language but in comparison to other exames it's true. It's multiple choice memorization, and you can mark questions for review and come back to them later. It's a very simple strategy for any CompTIA exam:
1. Get ExamCram book
2. Memorize
3. Sit down for test
4. Mark any questions you don't immediately know the answer to for review
5. Do the questions you do know the answer to, then go back and hit the ones you marked for review
6. Profit (questionable)
I don't think I've ever, ever even come close to failing a CompTIA exam... no offense to others who may have...
We don't joke around here. :banana:
Quote from: AspiringNetworker on September 24, 2015, 10:26:39 AM
You sure about that? I thought the same thing, then I got a notification that my A/N/Sec were being moved to the new program, and have recently expired.
Think so, I remember it being a big deal on the certification forums a few years back. People even rushed to get their exams done.
QuoteThose certified in 2010 or earlier are considered "certified for life," but these individuals can enroll in the CompTIA Continuing Education Program to show they are versed in the latest skills and technologies. It is optional unless mandated by an employer. For example, enrollment is required for those using a CompTIA certification for compliance with the Department of Defense 8570 IA Directive.
http://certification.comptia.org/news/2012/11/29/Deadline_for_Certified_for_Life_Candidates_to_Enroll_in_Continuing_Education_Dec_31.aspx
Think I did mine in
2008 or 2009 (edit: 2010). Even when I'm retired, I'll tell the grandkids I'm Network+
Apparently it's called Good-for-Life. I've updated my certs as such
https://certification.comptia.org/stayCertified/good-for-life-certification-holders
There is no expiration on the IBM Firewall Expert that I picked up back in 1997.
There is, however, an expiration on the IBM firewalls... still, if you've got Windows NT in your environment, it'll get the job done.
Quote from: SimonV on September 24, 2015, 10:43:04 AM
Apparently it's called Good-for-Life. I've updated my certs as such
https://certification.comptia.org/stayCertified/good-for-life-certification-holders
That seems kinda silly. "Ok, thanks for enrolling, here's your GFL cert. However, your CE cert expires in three years anyway. So any job requiring the CE cert you won't qualify for and you'll have to recert anyway."
Plus, if I'm a knowledgeable employer who cares about his company, I'm pretty sure I'm going to want you to have the CE cert to show you've kept up to date.
I really don't get the point of lifetime certs anymore... everyone knows that in IT tech changes so often that a cert from six years ago means almost nothing now. The recertification process is probably the only part of the whole greedy cert treadmill process I actually agree with.
Lifetime certs make sorta sense if they're tied to a product VERSION.
e.g. Palo Alto certs are lifetime, but they're specifically linked to the version.
e.g. I have the PCNSE6 which clearly is for PAN-OS 6.x. To certify on PAN-OS 7.x, I have to take a PCNSE7. Guess who did their Palo cert in the month that 7.x came out. yay for me! :joy: