As we approach the end of 2023, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the achievements and milestones that have shaped my professional year. From personal and professional growth to exciting new projects, the journey has been nothing short of fulfilling.

This year has been great in terms of learning and professional development. I am proud that I could re-certify all my certifications that have not only enriched my knowledge but have also opened up new opportunities in my career. My dedication to continuous learning has led me to explore numerous (new) courses, providing a well-rounded understanding of the ever-evolving landscape in my field. Juniper did an AMAZING Job by making sure that the courses were up-to-date with the latest trends and tech developments. I can now also say that I have been sitting in every course officially available (trust me, not an easy task) and the AATP was a HUGE help. It allowed me to strengthen my knowledge, meet new folks, and share new ideas and concepts – exactly what I was hoping to achieve with this.

Certifications are (in my opinion) still the BEST WAY to show what you are capable of as they allow a third party (customer, employer, etc.) to quickly verify your skill level without having to test this themselves. Sadly, more and more folks seem to disagree, letting certs expire – but don’t worry, that’s not impacting me at all. I believe in this value and I will continue to re-certify (and even certify higher) as I believe in this system. Also, the certs are needed to even be considered for bigger, impactful, or public sector projects – something that a lot of folks lately seem to forget about… As the level of knowledge of new colleagues starting in IT sadly constantly seems to drop (at least from what I see every day) and true Experts are rarer than ever, Certifications are the probably single most important measurements. Most are hard to achieve (trust me, I know what I’m talking about) but that’s what makes them so valuable. I seriously hope they stay on that difficulty and that the difficulty will not be dropped to a minimum (like schools, driving tests, and such) where at some point everybody is certified, nullifying the value completely.

Some folks asked me about this so I wrote down some Numbers (my journey 2023):
Active Certifications: 22
Training-Courses visited: 16
Hours spent on learning (after hours):
Roughly 780!
That’s 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, but probably way more since I also labbed on the weekends due to my JNCIE prep studies.

One of the most exciting developments in 2023 has been the transition into the role of Lead Architect for our Juniper Enterprise Team. This role brings with it increased responsibilities and the chance to contribute to innovative projects. I am thankful for the trust placed in me and am eager to make a positive impact in this leadership position. I can proudly say that I’m finally working at a place that feels like „home“. A significant part of my professional journey this year has been the privilege of working closer than ever with Juniper. The collaborative mindset and the opportunity to work with the most talented professionals have been key in my personal and professional growth. I look forward to continuing this journey in 2024

And let me tell you: I’m just getting started 😉

2024 will be full of exciting projects and hopefully, 2! new JNCIE Titles

I can’t wait to see you all next year. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all of you!