Work, University and Cisco make a Winning Combination

Combining a job in IT with study in Computer Science is a great way to test your lab and classroom knowledge in the workplace. Of course, it can restrict your free time, so it is surprising that such a large number of university students manage to work, study – and take on additional classes in a Cisco Networking Academy, as well.

Netriders Winner, Fabian: “If you are interested in computer networks and how they work, the Cisco Networking Academy program is, maybe, the best learning program.”

One such hardworking student is Fabian Gampfer from the town of Willich, in Germany. “I am in the dual study program of Hewlett-Packard, which is a mix of working and studying. Normally, I study one semester for three months and work for three months after that,” he explains.

Gampfer chose to take a Computer Science degree, at the Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart, as a result of his life-long interest in computer networks. Once there, he enrolled in a Cisco CCNA course, which he subsequently passed. It was during his Networking Academy activities that he entered the 2011 NetRiders competition.

This year, the competition attracted over 2,000 students from over 400 academies in 46 countries. Gampfer was one of the final 17 to be selected to make the trip to Cisco Head Office in San Jose, California in January 2012.

His involvement in NetRiders shows his obvious commitment to the Networking Academy program – so what did he find the most interesting aspect of the CCNA Exploration course? “The hands-on activities with actual hardware, such as switches, routers and terminals,” he replies. “In my work, I use the skills I learned for trouble-shooting.” Clearly, Gampfer will have little, if any, trouble in his career, if he continues to show the high degree of dedication that has so far allowed him to achieve victory in NetRiders, whist succeeding both in the workplace and the classroom. 

Future Plans

Gampfer will start a Master’s degree in October, which will also be within Hewlett-Packard’s dual study program. “The Networking Academy and my Bachelor’s degree provided me with a good foundation in computer science. In my Master, I will concentrate on the business aspects of IT,” he explains.