Chintan Ranchhod
24
United Kingdom

From Online Gamer to Data and IP Engineer

“My father noticed an article in local paper advertising the Cisco Networking academy program course at one of the local universities. He encouraged me to look into it as he knew that I had an appetite for IT. So I joined and enjoyed it so much I never looked back.”

Chintan Ranchhod, 24, from the UK always knew that he wanted to work with networks. How he came to achieve his ambition shows just how enthusiasm, determination and the right course at the right time can make all the difference.

A keen online gamer and technology enthusiast, Chint left college aged 19 with UK A-Level qualifications in Film & Video and Photography. Ironically he now works as a Data & IP Engineer at Virgin Media (formally known as NTL: Telewest), the second largest communications company in UK.

From the early days of the Internet Chint used to play games such as Doom/Duke Nukem3d via a 9.6K modem connection. Internet technology continued to improve from 56K to ISDN and then eventually ADSL. By playing computer games, Chint began to get a sense of the potential power of the Internet: “While playing these games online, I was fascinated in how so many people from all over the world could play together simultaneously”.

“This is when I found the true power of the Internet realising that geographical barriers no longer exist. I always wanted to know how the internet worked since then and now I do thanks to the Cisco Networking Academy”.

His decisive first step from gamesman to IT professional came by chance, as he explains: ”My father noticed an article in local paper advertising the Cisco Systems Networking Academy program course at one of the local universities. He encouraged me to look into it as he knew that I had an appetite for IT. So I joined and enjoyed it so much that I have never looked back.“

While studying CCNA semesters one to four, he landed a part-time job with an IT consultancy. Chint impressed his employers with his knowledge and expertise, so they quickly offered him a full-time role as a service desk engineer. It was a demanding position, as part of a team looking after National Health Direct Service (The UK’s state-run online health service) across the UK.

Chint faced a difficult decision – to concentrate on his job, or the Networking Academy course. He decided he could do both. As he explains: “I was determined to continue my studies to CCNP level, so I managed to get company to give me day release.”

There were several obstacles, however. He had to make up the time spent on day release, course was self-funded, as well as travelling a 150 mile round trip each week in order to complete semesters five to eight and passing his exams to gain the CCNP qualification.

At the end of “a very tough year and a half,” Chint had completed all his CCNP courses at the ripe old age of twenty one. The search for the right job began.

He applied to various different companies and it wasn’t long before NTL called him and suggested a technical phone interview. Chint passed the first trial and was then faced with the next: a tough technical grilling from Neil Parker CCIE.

In the end, all Chint’s hard work paid off.

“They obviously liked me and employed me as part of a team to look after their very large ISP network,” he proudly recollects. So what was it he most enjoyed about the Networking Academy courses and what held his enthusiasm, despite all the hard work?

“Putting the theory into practice and doing the practical labs. Of course there where difficult times learning new routing and switching protocols but the practical aspect of the course is what makes it fun.”