CloudOps Engineer
Elvin Arias Soto
"Passing that [CCNA] exam triggered a chain of events I could never have predicted. First, I was a student, then a teacher, then a Cisco instructor, and I eventually became a Cisco VIP."
CloudOps Engineer
Elvin Arias Soto
"Passing that [CCNA] exam triggered a chain of events I could never have predicted. First, I was a student, then a teacher, then a Cisco instructor, and I eventually became a Cisco VIP."
CloudOps Engineer
Elvin Arias Soto
"Passing that [CCNA] exam triggered a chain of events I could never have predicted. First, I was a student, then a teacher, then a Cisco instructor, and I eventually became a Cisco VIP."
About Elvin
Certifications
CCNA
CCDP
CCDA
CCNP
CCIE
Location
Dublin, Ireland
Hobbies
Going to places in Ireland to walk
How it all began
As a numbers guy, I decided to study economics. But I didn’t enjoy it. Then a friend convinced me to join him at the Institute of Technology. They offered an associate degree that was essentially a degree in Cisco technology. While there, the institute made us a terrific offer. They’d give us a voucher for the CCNA exam, and if we passed, they would send us to a larger university, with a scholarship, to finish our engineering degrees. Passing that exam triggered a chain of events I could never have predicted. First, I was a student, then a teacher, then a Cisco instructor, and I eventually became a Cisco VIP.
Certifications can improve your ability to do your job
I work for Amazon where I do a little bit of everything—automation, architecture, operations, deployment, Amazon Web Services. I basically work at the edge of the network where I scale the infrastructure. I do have smaller tasks that I do daily, but I dedicate half of my time to the bigger projects. I'm a highly technical and very detailed person, so I do like working on everything. I get the best of both worlds—I solve day-to-day problems and I also help chart the course of our company’s future.
What does having a Cisco Certification mean to you?
“Getting certified changed my life, literally. It helped me advance professionally, but it has also had an impact on my personal life as well.”
Certification isn’t merely about getting a better job or a bigger salary. Certifications opened up a world of infinite possibilities. I’ve been able to work for some well-known companies, in different countries, and to earn the respect of my peers in the profession.
That's a big thing. I’ve met a lot of relevant people in the industry who have mentored to me. I’ve made new friends. I even had the chance to work for Cisco itself, which was a dream come true.
“Getting certified changed my life, literally. It helped me advance professionally, but it has also had an impact on my personal life as well.”
Certification isn’t merely about getting a better job or a bigger salary. Certifications opened up a world of infinite possibilities. I’ve been able to work for some well-known companies, in different countries, and to earn the respect of my peers in the profession.
That's a big thing. I’ve met a lot of relevant people in the industry who have mentored to me. I’ve made new friends. I even had the chance to work for Cisco itself, which was a dream come true.
What would you tell your younger self?
“Don't be afraid of making mistakes. You can accomplish so much by challenging yourself. But if you are afraid to fail, you won’t push yourself. You won’t discover new interests. And you won’t build a rewarding career. Take a few risks, and if they don’t work out, learn from the experience and become even better.”
What would you tell a friend?
“Go for it. I would say go through any program, or study on your own, whatever works for you. But definitely earn that first certification, because once you do, opportunities will find you. Learn the fundamentals to develop a solid technical foundation, then pursue the other certifications that interest you most. You can get certified for collaboration, routing and switching, service provider, or enterprise. You mix in automation or other software skills. There is so much to learn and so many paths you can take.”
Elvin's career path
CURRENT ROLE
CloudOps Engineer
CloudOps Engineers design, plan and implement cloud-based software into other operations of an organization. They streamline operations to make them easy to manage.
PREVIOUS ROLES
Cisco NetAcademy Trainer
Elvin’s certification path
MOST RECENT CERTIFICATION
CCIE Service Provider
The CCIE Service Provider Certification is an Expert -level certification that covers core technology areas and validates your end-to-end lifecycle skills in complex service provider networking, from planning and design to operating and optimizing.
OTHER CISCO CERTIFICATIONS
CCNA
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification is the first step toward a career in IT Networking. The CCNA exam covers networking fundamentals, IP services, security fundamentals, automation and programmability.
CCNA Service Provider
CCDP
CCDA
CCNP Enterprise
CCNP Routing and Switching
CCNP Service Provider
CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure
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"I’ve gained more knowledge and different skill sets. I’ve opened myself up for more opportunities. And it’s a validation of me and what I’ve learned."
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