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<div>So so true Cam, this is VERY solid advise!<br>

<br>

<div>Kindest Regards,</div>

Nathan Brookfield

<div><br>

<div>Chief Executive Officer</div>

<div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Simtronic Technologies Pty Ltd</span></div>

<div><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br>

</span></div>

<div>Web: <a href="http://simtronic.com.au">http://simtronic.com.au</a></div>

<div>Phone: 1300 592 330</div>

<div>Fax: (02) 4749 4950</div>

</div>

</div>

<div><br>

On 22 Dec 2014, at 09:32, Cameron Ferdinands <<a href="mailto:cameron@jferdinands.com">cameron@jferdinands.com</a>> wrote:<br>

<br>

</div>

<div><span>+1 to Macca.</span><br>

<span></span><br>

<span>I'll share my experience as someone getting started in this industry.</span><br>

<span>Since I think we have a lot in common.</span><br>

<span></span><br>

<span>I originally started in the PIPE NOC, and was extremely lucky to be</span><br>

<span>hired and reported to some great people (Chris Pollock & Alex West).</span><br>

<span>Customer service is what will get you into the industry, and a</span><br>

<span>willingness to learn and extreme paranoia for making mistakes on the</span><br>

<span>network will keep you in a job (causing outages is not a great way to</span><br>

<span>get started).</span><br>

<span></span><br>

<span>Make sure to meet as many people as possible, as you will work with</span><br>

<span>these people for years and years to come (It's a small industry).</span><br>

<span>Attitude is infectious.</span><br>

<span></span><br>

<span>My biggest piece of advice? Self-learning and a motivation will do</span><br>

<span>more then a TAFE/Uni degree will ever do. The smartest people I've met</span><br>

<span>in Networking have all been self taught. Make sure you remember that</span><br>

<span>when you go for your first interview.</span><br>

<span></span><br>

<span><plug></span><br>

<span></span><br>

<span><a href="http://Amazon.com">Amazon.com</a> is hiring for Network Engineers in Sydney! If you are</span><br>

<span>interested in working on one of the biggest networks in the world</span><br>

<span>please let me know!</span><br>

<span><a href="http://www.amazon.jobs/jobs/269255/-amazon-web-services-network-engineer">http://www.amazon.jobs/jobs/269255/-amazon-web-services-network-engineer</a></span><br>

<span></span><br>

<span></plug></span><br>

<span></span><br>

<span>We promise not to ask you questions like "What you would do if you</span><br>

<span>were stuck in a blender, underwater, with square-man hole covers made</span><br>

<span>of pennies and if you were the size of the empire state building. How</span><br>

<span>would you escape?"</span><br>

<span></span><br>

<span></span><br>

<span>On 21 December 2014 at 18:13, McDonald Richards</span><br>

<span><<a href="mailto:mcdonald.richards@gmail.com">mcdonald.richards@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><br>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Customer service skills will get you further in the networking industry than</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>you can imagine. Don't be ashamed to work on the front lines even though you</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>have a piece of paper. It is an invaluable experience that will pay off</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>exponentially in your later career as well. If you're in customer service</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>somewhere that grows talent from within and you have the aptitude, you will</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>be noticed. This period of your career is not forever.</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Aim to use your combined customer service and technical skills to land a job</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>in a NOC. One where you are empowered to do as much as you can to fix</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>something. Ask everyone everything and learn as much as you can. The people</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>you start work with have seen and fixed a lot more things than you even if</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>you think you are smarter. Take advantage of their experience. If you can't</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>figure something out and someone else fixes it, ask them how they did it.</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Try to understand what you missed.</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Read all the things. Then read some more.</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Good luck.</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Macca</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>On Sat, Dec 20, 2014 at 10:10 AM, <<a href="mailto:r_jones@netspace.net.au">r_jones@netspace.net.au</a>> wrote:</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Hi guys. I've been perusing the list on and off for a fair few months now,</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>and this is my first time posting here (or to any mailing list at all!</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Forums have spoiled us kids it seems), so please forgive me if my posting</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>technique/etiquette is not quite right, or even if this question is not</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>quite the scope of the list, and I'll try not to prattle on too much, but</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>here goes...</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>I'm 21, fresh out of a 12 month TAFE Networking Diploma that... could have</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>ended better than it did, if I'm honest. Have had a few personal issues and</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>some rather nasty illness this year, and budget and equipment cuts to my</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>campus towards the end of the year only made things worse. I simply ran out</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>of time.</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Anyway, I'm also studying a CCNA which I am about halfway through and am</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>plugging away at at home, however my resume is quite still bare, having</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>never had a job anywhere in I.T. before, and I'm trying to get my foot in</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>the door. It has been suggested by a few people, some of them rather</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>respectable in their fields, that I look at work experience or volunteering</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>just so I can fill my resume up with *something*, and so I can gain some</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>experience as well since it seems that even entry level mop pushing jobs</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>require 6 months of mop pushing experience. Where do you start?</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>But that seems to be the question wherever I turn - where do I start? How</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>do I get my foot in the door? How do I know if that's the door I should be</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>putting my foot into? Where is the door? Etc, etc.</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>So I figure, based on previous advice, that I should look at work</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>experience or volunteering my time to gain some experience. But this still</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>presents that pesky question for me - where do I start? And another</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>standout, what companies would allow work experience kids? I realize very</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>well that not everyone is thrilled with the idea of a kid waltzing into</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>their company for a couple of weeks, finding out how everything works in the</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>pursuit of eventual employment somewhere, and this I accept, but hey, we all</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>have to start somewhere, I guess.</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>If you're still with me (I apologize for the length of this post), I think</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>now is the time to explain the fields I'm most interested in and why.</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>In three (or nine) words: I love networks. I love infrastructure. I love</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>datacenters.</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>To be a bit more verbose, I love the very concept of it. How the internet</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>itself functions at a basic level, how complex and intricate network and</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>telecommunications infrastructure can be, is always something that has</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>fascinated me. I want to be at the heart of it, and yet I'm also one for</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>details. From the NOCs to the last mile, I love it all. Perhaps I'm</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>idealizing too much, but if you were to ask me what I see myself doing in 5</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>or 10 years, this paragraph is pretty much it. I love helping to set up LAN</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>parties when I get the opportunity to do so (the infrastructure is actually</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>quite impressive to my untrained eyes. 10Gb trunks to edge switches and 40Gb</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>stacks between core switches - a lot of data gets shuffled around at LANs!)</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>To be honest, I'm not even quite sure what the job description of what I</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>eventually want to do is. But, as you can probably tell, I like big things.</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>But I like to pay attention to the small things, too. I love the idea of</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>overseeing the operation of datacenters or enterprise networks or</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>telecommunications infrastructure, but also analysing and troubleshooting</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>when things go wrong. Finding out what went wrong, why it went wrong,</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>devising the most elegant way to fix the problem, and making sure it doesn't</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>go wrong again. Call it morbid, but I love analysing outages (as much as I</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>can with publicly available information) and knowing what went wrong, why,</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>what was done to correct the problem and perhaps even what (if any)</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>preventative measures were employed to prevent it from happening again.</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>I think you get the idea at this point!</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>I think I've droned on quite enough, but I would love to hear any and all</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>of your suggestions as to how/where I could get my foot in the door of the</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>networking scene, because while I would be interested in roles like</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>sysadmin, networking seems to be where my heart is set, and always has been,</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>really.</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>If pertinent, I'm more than happy to link my current resume, as bare as it</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>may be, but I did notice that the AusNOG charter said no attachments, so I'm</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>not totally sure how the best way to go about this would be.</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Thanks for your considerable time! I look forward to hearing what you guys</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>have to say! It's been a pleasure to read this mailing list when I can, I</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>just hope my babbling doesn't impact on the pleasure of other readers too</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>much. :)</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Thanks again,</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>Rory.</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>_______________________________________________</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span>AusNOG mailing list</span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span><a href="mailto:AusNOG@lists.ausnog.net">AusNOG@lists.ausnog.net</a></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span><a href="http://lists.ausnog.net/mailman/listinfo/ausnog">http://lists.ausnog.net/mailman/listinfo/ausnog</a></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite">

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>_______________________________________________</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span>AusNOG mailing list</span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span><a href="mailto:AusNOG@lists.ausnog.net">AusNOG@lists.ausnog.net</a></span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span><a href="http://lists.ausnog.net/mailman/listinfo/ausnog">http://lists.ausnog.net/mailman/listinfo/ausnog</a></span><br>

</blockquote>

<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>

</blockquote>

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