Be ready to be curious to learn new things and adapt to a changing environment

Automation engineer

Micheline Murphy

"There’s a whole universe out there. Once you get a foundational grounding in IT so you can understand what’s going on, stick your head up, look around, and see what interests you. Figure out what you want to do and go get that shiny."

How it all began


It pays to learn and get certified

It pays to learn and get certified

For me, working in IT was a 180-degree switch. I was a trial lawyer for 16 years and felt that I had done and tried nearly everything. I was having a conversation with my husband, who works in IT, and I asked him, “What do you think I should do?” He said, “You should do what I do. I think you’d be really good at it.” I took that to heart and started looking into what makes IT go ‘round. I was literally asking, “I don’t know what a router is. What do you mean by a switch?” So, I basically started my tech journey as an IT learner.

Along the way, I met this great community in Cisco Learning Network (CLN). I wrote about a dozen articles on the CLN about data center networking. As I kept creating content, I realized that it was showcasing my ability to break down something complex into something simple and digestible. Eventually somebody said, “Hey, I could use those skills.” It made my transition from a volunteer to getting paid.

It pays to learn and get certified

When I decided to switch careers and pursue certifications, I did lots of research as to what the certifications were in the IT industry. So, I started my studies knowing which certifications I wanted to get. I started with the curriculum for CCNA and thought it was intellectually challenging in a way that law hadn’t been for me for a very long time. I just kept going and I got the certificate that I set out to get. Then I got a few more certs. By that time, I had gotten to the point where I thought, “I have all these certifications. I contribute valuable content to the CLN. Now I need to get a job and do this for money.”

Eventually, I was referred to a hiring manager who had read some of my articles on the CLN. He decided that we didn’t even need to talk about my technical expertise. He just wanted to make sure I was a fit on his team. That was how I had the interview for my very first paid IT job.

About Micheline

Certifications

CCNA
CCNP Data Center
CCNP Enterprise

Location

Seattle, WA

Hobbies

Biking
Hiking
Boating

What does having a Cisco Certification mean to you?

"I derive a great deal of pride from having these certs. Certifications are a box I can stand on in front of the room and be the expert. They help me to stand up with confidence and authority."

The recognition and the common value of the certs was what was important to me because I was just coming into the industry. If you say somebody has a CCNA or CCNP that's short for a certain level of expertise. If you say somebody has a CCIE, we all know that person has a high level of expertise. I wanted to be able to shortcut the conversation with the hiring managers by saying, I have a CCNP in XYZ, just to get the door open. I wasn’t relying on them to guarantee me a job. But I was relying on the cert to guarantee me an opportunity.


Micheline Murphy

What would you tell your younger self?

Everybody falls down at one point in time. To think that as an IT professional you will always know the answer is setting yourself up for failure. It’s setting yourself up for the inability to grow. As long as you accept that and you go into the mindset that you're still learning, it's fun.

What would you tell a friend?

Become certified because it boosts your credibility. It gives you opportunities to apply for jobs. You could be in retail, fashion, cars, coffee, airplanes, or whatever. They all have an IT infrastructure and need IT. If you’re looking to join IT as a new career, think outside the box. It’s not the old IT anymore.

Read more certification success stories

Mira Eilenstein

"Cisco certifications are food for my brain. Cisco is known to have difficult exams. I could pass an exam from some unknown vendor, but it wouldn't help me. Plus, just having a Cisco certification opens doors."

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CCNA, CyberOps Associate, DevNet Associate, CCNP Security

Elvin Arias Soto

"Getting certified changed my life, literally. It helped me advance professionally, but it has also had an impact on my personal life as well."

CloudOps engineer
CCNA, CCDP, CCDA, CCNP, CCIE

Mukul Manikandan

"The certification experience gave me a lot of the knowledge that I needed for the fundamentals that I didn’t get from my undergrad. The certifications took over and gave me all the necessary background I needed."

Automation engineer
CCNA, CCNP Enterprise, CCNA Security, DevNet Associate


Share your Cisco Certification Success Story

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