Ukraine – Head Training Center of Ukrtelecom
Ivan Stepanenko
Student and System Administrator
I graduated from college a couple of years ago, and for some time I couldn’t find a job that would satisfy me. I changed places of employment several times because every time I saw that I was qualified for higher-paid work.
One day when I was looking through Internet sites dedicated to career opportunities, I learned about a chance to enhance my qualifications through Cisco courses and to obtain a Cisco career certification. Of course I had heard about Cisco and Cisco certifications before, but I could never afford to attend those commercial training centers. This time was different - the announcement said that Head Training Center of Ukrtelecom provided a significant discount. I still couldn’t believe it was possible. I thought it would be unforgivable to miss such a chance.
This is how I entered the Cisco courses. From the very beginning I saw a high level of teaching and expertise. The program’s approach to studying proved to be comprehensive. The training was not restricted to hardware only, we also worked with software emulators and I could even download such an emulator from the Cisco website. The studying strategy was also at the highest level. The course was comprised of lectures, practical trainings and discussions. At lectures we were taught the theoretical bases. We had an opportunity to gain a practical experience in compliance with theory at the practical trainings. Discussions were dedicated to analyzing complicated and non-standard situations that inevitably arise from time to time with practical work.
I was especially surprised by Cisco’s continuous feedback. At the end of each semester we filled out inquiry forms which helped Cisco to record and measure which of the program’s educational aspects were particularly successful. I appreciate Cisco’s determination to maintain close contact with their students. I’d also like to point out that fair gender politics were carried out in the program.
After passing the CCNA certification exam, I obtained my Cisco career certification. The next step was to look for a new job that corresponded to my modern level. I didn’t have to search long. I applied for the first job advertisement that I could find and the attempt was crowned with success. Now I see that I rose to a higher career level due to the knowledge I gained from Cisco courses. This involves a substantial promotion, salary increase and a better long-range outlook for the future.
I am very grateful to Cisco Systems and to the International Telecommunication Union for this program. It helped me and many other people to make a significant step in our careers.