2011/11/21 <valdis.kletni...@vt.edu> > On Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:40:08 EST, Tyler Haske said: > > > I'm looking for a mentor who can help me focus my career so eventually I > > wind up working at one of the Tier I ISPs as a senior tech. I want to > > handle the big pipes that hold everyone's data. > > OK, so I'm not a mentor from a Tier-1, and I don't directly monkey with > routers > as part of $DAYJOB. But anyhow... :) > > With great power comes great responsibility. Be prepared for high stress > levels. ;) > > Also, keep in mind that unless you're insanely brilliant, three things > will happen > before you get experienced enough to be a senior tech at a Tier 1: > > 1) You will have grey hair (at least some). > > Not at all required.. Although you may grow a few belt loops and maybe ruin a marriage or two trying to get there early. Also, don't forget to read, cert guides, config guides, websites, RFC's. Grey hair and wisdom aren't mutually inclusive.
> 3) You'll have learned that handling a big pipe at a Tier 1 isn't all > there is > to running a network - and in fact, quite often the Really Cool Toys are > elsewhere. Sure, they may have the fastest line cards, but they're going > to > tend to lag on feature sets just because you *don't* want to deploy > cutting-edge code if you're a Tier-1. Totally agree. I touch alot of routers some of them close to what Tier-1 would use. I also have a few friends that work in large ISP's. I'd say their ultimate goal is to touch a little as possible which is usually as unglamorous as it sounds. Also, alot of things are scripted so much of what you touch may not be as fun. > As an example, AS1312 deployed IPv6 over > a decade before some of the Tier 1's could even *spell* it (find out why > 6bone > existed - it's instructive history). I'm sure that MPLS didn't make its > first > appearance in TIer-1 core nets either. And the list goes on.. (Hint - > where > did the Tier 1's get the IPv6/MPLS/whatever experienced engineers to guide > their deployment? :) > Also, how many junior and mid-level guys leave a Tier I for a network where they can touch things and then come back as experts. Also, the intermediate job tends to pay for certs and training which is a plus.
