Congratulations Erick Sanchez CCIE# 41314 (R&S)!
“Just don’t mess up!” This is the advice I received from Marko the night before my lab attempt. “Just don’t mess up”…This seems simple enough but we all know how difficult and emotional this journey can be. So of course when Marko says “don’t mess up”, everything I have done to this point begins to replay in my head. All the hours of labbing, all of the blogs, all the videos, and of course all the days spent in Marko’s class. No pressure… Just don’t mess up! It is at this point that I realized I am ready. If this is the only advice Marko has for me then it’s all about me, and staying out of my own way and I did just that! I am officially CCIE# 41314 and I couldn’t have done this without Marko and his approach.
A standard practice in many, perhaps most courses is the instructor review. Most people don’t have the time to really sit down and put thought behind the review as this is always brought up last minute while students are running out the door to catch a flight or get back to their lab prep. Since I am now a CCIE and I have nothing else to do, I wanted to take this opportunity to point out Marko’s capabilities as an instructor and give a little insight to his classes.
When I first started this journey just like most people I researched for weeks. Trying to decide where I was going to invest my money. I decided to make a list of the 4 most important components I needed to help me achieve my number.
Knowledge – Obviously Marko is extremely knowledgeable not only in the areas on the CCIE RS blueprint but with multiple vendors. This broad knowledge allows him to highlight the differences between vendors and helps identify ones understanding. I was impressed by the interest he shows to acquire more knowledge and leverage it in his instruction. I have not seen a situation he could not navigate. Marko answered any questions regarding each subject we covered. I am really impressed by his depth of knowledge.
Hard Work and Enthusiasm – Marko is very hard working and his enthusiasm for networking is apparent in his classes. As far as instructors go Marko is well qualified, dynamic and enthusiastic to ensure that his students get quality answers and understanding. Thus I can state with absolute certainty that Marko is an exceptional instructor.
Communication Skills – Marko has very good communication skills. He is able to explain the subject in a simple and systematic way, which will provide any student with a confident understanding about the topic. As with most candidates there were topics covered that I initially had no prior experience with, but his approach and lectures solidified my understanding and brought me up to the speed in my studies.
Patience – Marko shows enormously great patience and will make anybody comfortable in the subject at hand. As stated earlier, Marko has spent many hours with us to explain various lab techniques, which made me thorough with my lab approach. He is not only friendly but also is gauging our needs as CCIE candidates. He displays a genuine concern for the advancement of his students and as a mentor he freely shares his knowledge and experience and helps us to be confident in our journey.
All students have had classes that go very well and some that were simply terrible. Personally I attribute great classes to the strength of the lesson or instructor and that is why I can say with great certainty that Marko is one on the best instructors and mentors I ever had and I strongly believe given the opportunity other candidates will feel the same way. I hope this feedback will help influence potential candidates decisions to team up with Marko.
Marko, Thank you again… I couldn’t have done this without you! Erick Sanchez CCIE# 41314 (R&S)