29 Jul 1999
The youngest Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert (CCIE) in the UK has revealed the qualification was so tough he suffered a stress-related illness for several weeks after finishing the exams.
At just 23, Phil Griffiths is the youngest CCIE in Europe, if not the world. The difficulty of the course is legendary with just 288 qualified CCIEs in the UK and 3,500 worldwide.
Discussing his experiences of the course which he undertook as part of training provider GeoTrain's NetGun Academy, he said: "The exam is incredibly tough, you are placed under so much pressure, the examiners constantly question you and try to distract you from the exam and waste time. There is always someone looking over your shoulder and occasionally they'll chuckle, even if nothing is wrong. After I'd finished I had a stress-related rash for weeks."
Despite the tough time he had on the course, Griffiths was glad he persisted with the qualification."It's one hell of a qualification to have, I have loads of prospects and my salary has doubled," he said.
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