TechHouse570

Like they say better late than never! & This piece definitely describes that haha. You know with St. Patrick’s Day past us & Easter approaching quickly. It’s important we celebrate what those holidays really mean to us, & what things to be lucky for as well! For me I’m the luckiest guy in the world for having a great family, great blessings & greater opportunities & growth happening in the industry.

For those that don’t know I’m actually Irish & Lithuanian making St Patty’s Day a little more special to me. I used to celebrate with my mom every year, we’d all dress in green, eat a special dinner. Its those memories that I now get to share with my children & it’s incredible to watch them partake in those same traditions I did as a kid! Same with Easter I know that bunny is going to hop on over to our house to fill it with candy, & so much more for my children! Also hoping that same bunny brings a bigger rack for all my gear & new PowerEdge Servers but hey one can hope!

With the weather beginning to get into spring mode I’m so excited for not only the outdoor stuff me & my kids get to do. But all the other fun Tech projects we have lined up! From putting the finishing touches on the Minecraft server, to building our first machine & more It’s me who’s got the four-leaf clover & magic eggs on my side these holidays! But sometimes those things aren’t what we need to succeed in IT. More often than not it can be said the opportunities were given reflect not only our hard work, but the luck we create for ourselves. So, whether it’s a certification, new job or personal challenge. Remember you decide how it plays out. Unless you see a rainbow leading you to that reward than chase after it!

Best Regards,

Girard

About a few months back I got to sit down with Chris- Dedman Rollet in what was one of first of my many collaboration pieces. Getting to interact on another level with some of the best professionals in this industry, I’m even more fortunate to call them good friends. I had the incredible opportunity to do it again! This time with a passionate & driven individual by the name of Charles Uneze!

Charles as been an incredible presence and huge asset in the All About The Journey discord community & continues to shine in his quest for completing not only his CCNA, but making that transition into Network Engineering. His relentless pursuit to further his skills, obtain more knowledge & ply his craft in our industry without question makes him a true gem in the community. He’s also shares his journey through Lost In Networking! Where he provides not only his insights, but his current path & new technologies he’s adding to his arsenal.

What I found most interesting about his blog is he takes a much different approach than we’ve seen before in holding what he calls Study Tactics! A series based in a conversation style format, with some of the industry’s top professionals. He looks into different study methods, what works & what doesn’t? And always brings such an awesome spirit you don’t want the conversation to end! They say all roads lead to somewhere & this month mine led me to the Study Tactics hot seat! I highly advise if you haven’t already to check our sit down & his blog for more incredible content from the man himself. Until next time stay safe everyone!

Best Regards,

Girard

 Two things that bring me more joy than I can even describe, my love of IT & the love of my family! We spend so much time perfecting our craft, studying for our exams sometimes we can lose within a second our track of time. But it’s those moments were not studying, we spend our most valuable time with our loved ones or significant others.

For this post I wanted to do something different, and that was sit down with the love of my life, Natalie! I’ve mentioned my family in many of posts, but with love in the air for Valentines Day I wanted to sit down with the woman who does so much it can’t even be put into words. My core switch that keeps our infrastructure together, the queen of the castle, mother of our tiny VM’s that run around here with their demands & so much more! So, I wanted to share some of my world with her ask her some fun questions and get her priceless responses ha-ha! She even had a few for me. I hope you guys enjoy them as much as I loved asking them!

G: Ok babe! First question, I’m gonna give you ten words and I want to know what they mean to you!?

Switch- Boxes in my rack, you put wires into it

Router- Keeps internet going

Firewall- Stops viruses/malware from coming in

Powershell- That thing you script on

Workstation- The station where you work

VMware- The thing you build virtual machines on

Ansible- That’s a virus protection program…haha

Microsoft– Software on a machine

Automation- The act of simplifying things so there’s less steps

Cisco- World leading technology company

G: What advice would you give to someone dating/ married to an IT professional?

N: You have to have patience, even if you don’t understand what it is they do. Its showing that you care, knowing that it means so much to them to study/lab & be successful.

G: What’s the best part of being with someone in IT?

N: You always have multiple solutions to any problem!

N: How do you balance your work/love life?

G: I feel with everything you have to give 200%! Prioritize your study/lab time & your family time accordingly

N: What part about your job you love the most?

G: I love getting to learn new technologies, expanding my skillset in many ways & solving new challenges everyday!

N: So, you always tell people when you know you know about our love story, How did I know that this was going to be my career path?

G: When I was younger I had a few Dell desktops in my basement, and I couldn’t get one to work. So, I started tearing them apart to figure out the hardware, etc. Once I got it working the rest was history, I knew I loved technology, solving problems and wanted to continue on this path!

Getting to spend time with my best friend & writing this was definitely incredible, it’s just another little reminder of why I choose her. For the same reasons I’m sure most of us choose our other halves. They bring out the better in you, challenge you in ways you didn’t think possible. And most importantly support us in some of our greatest obstacles we may face. So to my wife, my love my everything thank you for sharing in something that gives me such accomplishment & means so much to me. And to everyone who’s read this or will, Happy Valentine’s Day from us to all of you!

Best Regards,

Girard & Natalie

Just like the packets that transfer to their destinations, we travel in similar paths! On our IT Journey no matter what we face we overcome all odds to come out the other side stronger & more driven individuals than before. I mentioned a while back about an incredible discord group dedicated to guiding IT Professionals all over on their own journey, the struggles they may face and more. One individual I’ve had the distinct honor and privilege in getting to know is someone not just professionally, but personally I’m fortunate to call a good friend. He’s someone who as of last year came into the industry and has been on the fast track of growing his skills, and honing his craft every step of the way, that man is Chris Dedman-Rollet!

His story is one of the most incredible stories’ I’ve heard as his journey into becoming an IT Professional didn’t even start in IT!? Starting as a butcher and working for over 12 years in that profession. Chris made the exciting jump to the world of IT and hasn’t looked back since. He has taken the IT world by storm! From his first appearance on DevNet day where he showcased his automation skills! To his most recent achievement last year in being named one of the finalists in Cisco’s IT Blog Awards! I had the honor to chat with him one on one on some of the similarities and differences in our IT Journey’s, and had a few questions for him on what some of his secrets were to success.

    What motivated you to get into IT? And why Networking specifically?

Chris: I worked 12 years as a butcher in my home country and hated it so much. Every day I worked from 4 a.m. to at least 4 p.m. When you spend so much time in an environment you hate you understand the importance of doing something you love, waking up every morning for work shouldn’t be a painful thing to do. I had the opportunity to enroll in community college in California for free, as a new immigrant to the country, this is a perfect opportunity for me, I have no money and my English was not that good last year. First, I had two options and tried two workshops to see what the classes were, it was child development and Cisco CCNA training. Because I started learning programming at the end of 2019, thanks to my Sr. Software Engineer wife, my heart was more for Cisco then.

    What are some good strategies you’re using when preparing for your CCNA?

Chris: What I think work for me is that I am reading the Official Cert. Guide from Cisco Press, each example that the book gives, I try it with packet tracer or my Cisco switch that I won on the Discord server (I unfortunately don’t have money for buying more equipment, but I truly think that real gear are very useful, not only for the cert. but for real world experience to put on your resume when, like me, don’t have previous background) I am using the companion website available with Cisco Press for chapter review and practice test. I recently started to use Anki Flashcards, available for free with Android. I really think labbing what you are learning is the best way to learn.

    A big part of your learning is Automation, what tools are you learning & utilizing, what ones would you like to learn in the future?

Chris: I am learning Python for Automation. My first project in Python has been to automate my puppy training. I created an algorithm that reminds me every 2 hours to take her out, because I am studying a lot, I do not always have my eyes on the clock, it was a pretty good first project for me, and a first self-accomplishment in programming. I learned to use the library speech recognition from google (still not mastering it but I will get there eventually) and create a kind of digital assistant, and made a speech translation, you speak in English and it does translate in French what you just said. It’s not perfect yet but I’m working on it. I would like to learn more about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, I do love robot and would love to create my own one, this one is a kid dream, but like I like to say, live your dream, don’t dream your life 😀

I will have to learn Ansible for Network Automation and would like to learn Java or JavaScript.

    What’s been the scariest part of this journey for you?

Chris: I dropped off school pretty early, and never studied anything between the age of 14 and 27. I know only one field (butcher), it was pretty scary to me to start something that I never did. You know at school I was there but not very there. I used to play a lot of video games and my mind was not very in the class, that is why I failed back in the day. The US is where I reborn, back to school for studying English, I recently passed my GED (first exam that I succeed), now studying for my CCNA in a language that I don’t totally master yet, this is pretty scary for me, I afraid of failure, even if I know that it is necessary for grow.

    Where do you see yourself in IT in the next 5-10 years? What goals in the industry outside of certifications are you looking to achieve?

Chris: I would love to work for Cisco, I love the company mindset and the people who’re working there are pretty amazing. Besides, I love space. It would be an honor for me if in 10 years I can work for a space agency. My goal in the industry outside certifications, I would love to help a maximum of people. I know starting something new is pretty difficult, being self-taught is a skill that not everyone has, it is difficult to stay on track when you don’t have a plan or do not have a mentor. I want to help like everyone help me in the discord server IAATJ. 

    What advice would you give to up-and-coming IT Professionals looking to get into the industry?

Chris: It is a pretty complicated field, but if you dedicate enough time in your study, find a community with which you can grow and ask questions when you have some. Do not isolate yourself, you have no idea how helpful our community did help me since I started. You do not have to buy every book, subscribe to every study website (who is ridiculously expensive by the way). I think education should not cost an arm and a leg, but do not forget, the easy way is never the good way. Whatever you are doing in your life, if it is too easy, that probably means you are doing something wrong and I think it is truer in IT.

Getting to chat with Chris is always awesome, being a new face in the industry he gives you such a different & fresh perspective on everything. What he’s looking to accomplish and what methods he’s designed to help ensure his rise to becoming an engineer are no doubt something you don’t want to miss out on! I’m not gonna lie though I didn’t just ask him about some of his secrets, I also shared some of my own vast experience with him I’ve had on my own path. So how did the rest of our conversation go? Check out his incredible blog and other amazing content to follow his journey and find out!, and as always good luck to everyone on your paths i’ll see you down the road.

Best Regards,

Girard

In our careers we’ve grown as professionals, from Network/System Administrators, to Engineers, to even Solutions Architects of some type. But for a majority of us we’ve all started at the same place. The one place where we would learn where in our IT paths we would choose to go next, where the fundamentals and that foundation would begin and also where our methods to troubleshooting would grow, that place is the Help Desk.

While having a reputation of its own, the help desk has forever served as an essential starting point in one’s career. It prepares you not just in a technical aspect, but in a customer facing role as well. There are many opinions on the subject but there’s one that I believe holds true. Regardless of your role in the industry, were all in some way going to be customer facing! Whether we know it or not we interact within so many people daily that’s it’s imperative to have good personal skills and be patient in resolving the issues at hand! Here are some key tips to navigating the help desk!

Have You Tried Turning It On & Off

As crazy as it may sound that does resolve some of the problems haha! More often than not an update can get hung, printer throws an error or something minor that a simple restart can resolve. But before resorting to that try to troubleshoot the issue to make sure you haven’t overlooked any other issues that could be causing the problem.

Resolve Matters In A Diligent & Timely Manner

When tickets come in, they come in waves! And that’s normal depending on if you’re in a high-volume environment. You may see anywhere from 30 to 60 tickets come in within an hr or two and if you do don’t panic! Its ok you can handle this! Pace yourself and go through each one to see what’s major and what’s not. One of the tips I used early on in my career, was to organize. First and foremost, if there were any High priority tickets that would come in I would resolve them first as within most organizations they need to be addressed ASAP. After that I would go to the medium level ones, tickets such as password resets, no internet, etc. ones I know I could knock out within minutes. Finally, any setups they would be my last focus unless it was a high priority one I would do them last then I could focus on them without having to worry about leaving the other tickets sit!

Have An Arsenal Of Tools At Your Disposal

In any IT role I think we can all agree that having your Toolbox loaded with resources is a must. Now earlier on I reviewed some incredible tools to have in your arsenal which I suggest checking out! But having a dedicated toolset will help your troubleshooting methods further along & will assist in bringing the problems to light to resolve them.

Miscommunication Will Happen

We do our best as professionals to help the users describe in detail what issues they’re facing, or experiencing. But like always we have huge breakdown in communications. Someone may panic and claim they’ve gotten a virus! When in reality its adware that pops up with junk. Wrong language and miscommunication as always been an issue with dealing with tickets. But it’s not something that can’t be solved. Work with the end user on best practices and let them know moving forward how to create a proper ticket? Or even the correct wording can go a long way in getting to a solution faster!

Start With The Most Simple Issue & Work Towards The Hardest

I mentioned earlier sometimes a simple restart can resolve certain simple glitches. But many times, we need to troubleshoot and in doing so always start with the simplest things first. For example, one of the most common issues is “I have no internet” So many people check the cable first thing! Verify it has a link light, etc. Now there’s no wrong starting point, everyone troubleshoots differently. One thing though I’ve done is before checking any hardware, verify the driver is even there or not disabled. ipconfig /release, /renew, & flushdns you should try to pull a new IP. Sometimes an update can cause issues, newer driver isn’t working are some of the common issues you’ll see.

Another issue is my machine is slow, now there’s millions of things that cause this problem going into them would be an endless black hole! But some common practices to always check are is the drive full. More often than not the more we store things, the more it fills. So, defragging & cleaning up the drive must happen regularly. Also checking the virtual memory resources is another good place to look.

Help desk is essential in giving you groundwork for your IT future no matter where it takes you. It’s a humbling and at times challenging experience to say the least. But it’s needed to ground even the most seasoned professional, spending hours solving a problem & more are building blocks to what can be a very promising career. This is your opportunity if you haven’t yet to get that start in IT, are you ready to build your path?

Best Regards,

Girard

We finally made it! The year 2021 has arrived at last! We know how to prepare to be our best, we also have some different strategies to reach our goals. What else could we possibly need? We need new challenges, new ways to push ourselves harder than we ever have and start this year off on a strong note! There’re many ways we can expand our minds and our toolsets in 2021!

Learn New Language

With automation being more in demand than ever, we need to equip ourselves with entirely new tools to automate more task at every level of IT infrastructure. From Ansible, Python, PowerShell & Postman to name a few. Scripting languages have become the new way of life for us, and in taking that needed plunge to adapt a new skill were preparing ourselves for continued success in the industry!

Focus More On Mental Health

We work tireless hours, projects and on call schedules along with our day to day lives. In creating new routines and schedules for 2021, keep your health at the forefront of that list. It’s imperative we remember to take some times for ourselves & spend it the way we know how with loved ones, family & friends.

Take More Risks!

For any of us change, can be a daunting task. But in IT change is needed in order for us to move forward! We thrive on it, depend on it & our existence to adapting to new technologies is a must. So, this year let’s take that next leap, apply for that position you’re unsure of. Fail a few times to get back up and be successful, in the end you’ll see more often than not the risk is always worth the reward.

Best Regards,

Girard

2020 has been a year of challenges to say the least, we’ve faced an unprecedented pandemic unlike anything we’ve ever seen. A time of uncertainty, and more so challenges both personally and professionally that’s had IT Professionals all over putting in countless hours of hard work and dedication in keeping everyone connected through these uncertain times. But through all of it, I want to say not only thank you to everyone in this industry but also on the frontline everywhere. Thank you for putting in endless and tiring hours in keeping all of us around the world safe and cared for.

But through these dark times there are without a doubt so many things that I’m personally thankful & grateful for throughout this year. Even with everything happening in our world, I found this year to be a year of huge events in so many ways! To start I knew I wanted to help others throughout the IT community & give back. So, I began my journey to helping others by joining the Cisco Learning Network in sharing my knowledge & giving to those getting into this incredible industry. I’ve connected with so many different individuals on different paths it’s been amazing in every way. So much that I was fortunate enough to have been nominated with the CLN Rookie Of The Year Spotlight Award!

The Birth Of TH570

I’ve always felt everyone has a story to tell, and more importantly everyone has a journey that they’re on especially in this industry. I knew I wanted to share my stories, my path but I wasn’t sure how I could? That was until I found the blog that put it into clear perspective to me. Through reading about A.J. and his IT journey it dawned on me right there! I realized that I could share my journey, my struggles, and more in helping those unsure of their path in this industry. I created TechHouse570 to share those experiences, the tools & technologies that we use and challenges we may face every day on our paths. Sharing my journey throughout this year has been an experience unlike any other. And from the bottom of my heart I want to thank everyone of you that has read my blog, or even looked at it once lol. 2020 was just the beginning, but you better believe were just getting started and gearing up for 2021 and a ton of new things I can’t wait to share with you all!

Being On The Journey

Preparing for an IT Career can be one thing, studying for a certification, learning and developing a plan is entirely different one. But know you’re not alone, I joined the It’s All About The Journey discord to further my learning and network with some amazing professionals. But as I write this I’m lucky to say they’ve become more than just friends, I consider them family. People who in an instant you would do anything for, they’ve helped me in so many ways on my journey and continue to. They’re the most inspiring individual’s I’ve ever met. And if you haven’t no matter where you are on your IT path you should become part of this amazing group and see for yourself what I’ve been fortunate to know throughout this entire year.

New Opportunities

If writing for my own blog wasn’t incredible enough, I’ve been fortunate to now also write for Skyline ATS . I wrote my first of many pieces for them and I can’t wait to share even more of my experiences, knowledge and strategies in preparing for exams and even in your career! I’m forever grateful to John Mark Ivey for the opportunity!

So What’s Next in 2021…

In closing out 2020, there’s been so many things to look back on and even in them the things I’m grateful for come not just professionally but personally as well. My family is such a huge part of my success. Through their love, understanding and patience. They motivate me in ways that are indescribable. For me all the articles, awards, opportunities are blessings beyond words. But I’ve felt that in any industry, those things come from your drive, your dedication and endless commitment to perfecting your craft. And for that I want to thank all of you, through your stories, your journey’s and so much more. I want you to know how you all inspire me to be better, push harder and keeping going.

It’s also why I want all of you to be the first to know one of my biggest announcements going into 2021 is that the TechHouse570 family is expanding with our 5^th child! Me and my wife were both surprised! But were incredibly excited and I’m excited to get to share this news first with all of you! I hope you all have a Happy Holidays, Great New Year and be thankful for one another. Let’s get ready to bring in 2021!

Best Regards,

Girard