Monday, October 16, 2023
HomeCloud ComputingIntroducing the Tech Advocate Staff

Introducing the Tech Advocate Staff


Belief is tough. It may well take a very long time to construct and simply moments to break. On an interpersonal stage, it usually entails somewhat little bit of give-and-take. However on a private stage, belief is with the ability to consider in somebody with out hesitation. So, what is belief? For me, it means I do know somebody is telling the reality and their phrase is dependable. Cisco and the individuals who work right here have completed loads to make sure you know we’ve got your pursuits at coronary heart. That’s the place our Technical Advocate Staff is available in.

You may be questioning what technical advocacy is. Properly… it’s what it says on the field: A crew of technical advocates made up of tech professionals who advocate for know-how and the tech neighborhood. We’re the technical neighborhood’s finest pal, serving to them undertake know-how and navigate their studying journeys. Learn on to find out about what the Tech Advocate Staff inside Cisco Studying & Certifications does, who we’re, the place to seek out us, and the way we’re targeted on supporting you to go farther in tech.

What does the Tech Advocate Staff do?

We technical advocates signify our neighborhood, clients, and companions, by ensuring their wants are being communicated and met. It’s about greater than that, although. We additionally see to it that the technical enablement content material we create is efficient and helpful. To be frank, we’re a bunch of nerds who take pleasure in tinkering with tech, and who additionally occur to have the within scoop on all issues tech, studying, and certifications at Cisco. And we’ve got the technical chops to evangelise, train, and lead the tech neighborhood to succeed.

Who’re the Tech Advocates of Cisco Studying & Certifications?

If you cope with the Studying and Certifications Tech Advocate crew, you’re coping with folks like me—specialists, positively — however folks who’ve your finest pursuits in thoughts. It is a good time to introduce the members of the Tech Advocate Staff, Tony Roman and Jason Belk, and myself. I’ve requested them to let you realize some issues about them in their very own phrases. Hold studying to get to know the folks behind the blogs, webinars, coaching movies, shows, and extra tech studying content material of all types.

Tony Roman, Technical Advocate

Tony Roman, Technical Advocate, Cisco Learning and Certifications headshot
Tony Roman, Technical Advocate

I’ve over 20 years of IT expertise, from System Administration to Software program Engineering, with a heavy concentrate on DevOps, Automation, and Software program Improvement within the final 10 years.

Lately, I’ve come to understand how a lot I take pleasure in serving to folks be taught new expertise. There’s nothing extra satisfying than serving to folks perceive the know-how that in the end helps them of their careers.

Usually, I name myself a maker, with strengths in design, pottery, woodworking, 3D printing, electronics, and mechanical engineering. If it pursuits me, I work to determine it out. All these come collectively to assist my residence automation passion (whereas some would possibly take into account it an obsession). I additionally strongly consider in dwelling my life with a concentrate on well being, health, and restoration.

You might have seen me on webinars, like this CCNA Ask Me Something | CCNA Prep Reside Webinar, presenting at Cisco Reside 2022 Las Vegas, the place I mentioned how IT groups can bridge the hole between software program and infrastructure within the Design Considering Workshop: Upskilling Your Workforce to Construct the IT Staff for the Future, or right here on the Cisco Studying Weblog — like Git for Community Engineers Collection – The Fundamentals.

Jason Belk, Lead Technical Advocate 

Jason Belk, Lead Technical Advocate in Cisco Learning and Certifications headshot
Jason Belk, Lead Technical Advocate

My space of experience is community automation. I’ve a background engaged on the Cisco IT Community Operations crew in addition to a small consulting start-up, serving to others get began in automation.

I got here to be on the Tech Advocacy Staff as a result of I’m enthusiastic about studying, serving to cut back the barrier to entry within the trade, and making the lives of oldsters in IT simpler by means of schooling. I understand how arduous it may be to interrupt into IT and need to assist make it simpler for others.

In my private life, I take pleasure in household time with my spouse, our two-year-old daughter, and our black lab, Piper. We like spending time open air round Reno since we stay near Lake Tahoe. I additionally play a little bit of Magic the Gathering (the buying and selling card sport) and have even helped guest-host a podcast on MTG from one of many podcasts I hearken to.

Try my Ansible webinar collection on the Cisco Studying Community, in addition to my current session at Cisco Reside 2022 Las Vegas:

Kareem Iskander, Lead Technical Advocate

Kareem Iskander, Lead Technical Advocate, Cisco Learning & Certifications headshot
Kareem Iskander, Lead Technical Advocate

That’s me! I’ve been working in know-how for 14 or 15 years now. I began my Cisco profession as a software program developer. In reality, I used to be one of many preliminary developer advocates inside DevNet.

Exterior of my skilled life, I take pleasure in home-brewing beer and watching soccer (or soccer, should you’re fallacious). I’m a Liverpool fan, however I’ll throw on no matter Premier League crew is taking part in. However what does any of this should do with something? The reply is easy: Belief. 

Collectively, the three of us act as a voice for you. You’ll be able to belief that after we go to bat for you, we’re talking as specialists. With greater than half a century of shared expertise between us, we all know the best way to navigate each tech at massive and the workings of Cisco. Every of us has labored individually to construct ourselves as acknowledged specialists and develop our credibility. Moreover, our skilled lives have introduced us to a spot the place we’re viewing these items from the angle of the Studying and Certification content material we assist produce.

As Jason mentioned in his bio, the barrier to entry in tech is excessive. Lowering that barrier is one thing we’re all targeted on as a crew, and dealing with our neighborhood is how we accomplish that objective. If you wish to develop in tech, it may be arduous to even determine the place the start line is, what you might want to accomplish to maneuver on, and what you might want to be taught. A part of how I tackle this downside is by studying the issues I’m asking others to do firsthand. It provides me an understanding of the fabric and an understanding of what college students are going by means of once they try it themselves. Advocating for a neighborhood is finest completed if you find yourself an energetic a part of that neighborhood. 

Get related and keep within the know

Now that I’ve spoken at size about neighborhood, it’s time to be part of it. Now we have varied studying communities out there for no matter certification you’re pursuing, we produce content material for YouTube and webinars, and the members of the Tech Advocate Staff are energetic on social media.  

And along with the Tech Advocate Staff, Cisco is stuffed with different voices you’ll be able to belief. A few of the folks I look to are Yusuf Bhaiji (@YusufBhaiji), Hank Preston (@hfpreston), John Capobianco (@John_Capobianco), and Matt Saunders (@citylifematt). Look out for weblog and neighborhood posts by them and observe them on social media. 

Another factor earlier than you go…

Need to know one among my favourite issues that I get to do as a senior tech advocate? Snack! Properly, Snack Minute, really…

Snack Minute Introduced by Cisco U. is a weekly present protecting buzzy tech matters—issues like networking, automation, and cloud. I host the present with my colleague, Matt DeNapoli, and we frequently carry on educated company to partake in every dialogue. It’s greater than only a dialogue amongst techies, although. We carry these buzzy tech matters to life with real-time demos. Each episode is a brand new, distinctive alternative to see us roll up our sleeves and get hands-on with highly effective applied sciences.

And it will get higher. All of this occurs in underneath quarter-hour. It’s an effective way to check the waters of latest applied sciences and discover what’s doable with the proper expertise. In spite of everything, generally you simply desire a style earlier than you decide to the total meal. It’s an enormous menu.

 

Watch new Snack Minute episodes each Tuesday at midday Pacific Time,

 

Can’t wait? Fulfill your craving to be taught: Browse current Snack Minute episodes to seek out the right snack now. (Whilst you’re there, subscribe and activate notifications for alerts as new episodes are added.)

 


Be part of the Cisco Studying Community immediately without spending a dime.

Comply with Cisco Studying & Certifications

Twitter | Fb | LinkedIn | Instagram
Use #CiscoCert to affix the dialog.

 

Share:





Supply hyperlink

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -
Google search engine

Most Popular

Recent Comments