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๐ŸŽฏ Two Paths, One Goal: Level Up in Tech

THE_LOG_FILES#SHOW LOG

IN TODAYS EMAIL:

  • CCNA Exam Breakdown โ€” What to Study & Why

  • ๐Ÿ›’ My Amazon Store: Everything I Use & Recommend

  • Motivation: Build Your Own Lane โ€” Freelancing as a Network Engineer

CERTIFICATIONS & SKILLS TO WATCH:

CCNA Exam Breakdown โ€” What to Study & Why

๐ŸŽฏ Whatโ€™s inside:

If youโ€™re studying for the CCNA, this post is your roadmap. I break down each topic on the exam and give you a clear strategy on how to prepare smarter โ€” not harder.

๐Ÿงพ What Youโ€™ll Learn:

๐Ÿ“Œ Print the exam topics.

Your study starts here. Get the official list from Ciscoโ€™s website and use it to guide your prep.

๐Ÿ“š Choose your study tools.

Pick your books, lab tools (like Packet Tracer), and practice exams.

๐Ÿง  Understand the exam language.

The CCNA topics use words like:

  • Describe / Explain โ†’ Use flashcards or study groups to lock in concepts.

  • Compare โ†’ Focus on differences/similarities (e.g., TCP vs UDP). Labs help.

  • Configure โ†’ This means lab it out. Practice until itโ€™s second nature.

  • Interpret โ†’ Know your show commands. Recognize output and logs.

  • Troubleshoot / Identify โ†’ Expect broken configs. Your only real prep here: labbing. And yes โ€” labbing again.

๐Ÿ’ก Pro Tip:

Not sure what to prioritize? Start with anything labeled โ€œconfigureโ€ โ€” those are high-yield lab questions.

๐Ÿ“ข Call to Action:

๐Ÿ‘‰ Found this helpful? Share it with a friend studying for their CCNA.

Start learning AI in 2025

Keeping up with AI is hard โ€“ we get it!

Thatโ€™s why over 1M professionals read Superhuman AI to stay ahead.

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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:

๐Ÿ›’ My Amazon Store: Everything I Use & Recommend

Whether youโ€™re studying for certs, building your setup, or launching your content โ€” this is where I get my tools. If I use it, itโ€™s in there. ๐Ÿ’ฏ

๐Ÿ”Œ For IT Certs & Studying:

โ€ข Official Cert Guides: CCNA, Security+, Network+

โ€ข CompTIA book picks

๐ŸŽ™๏ธ For Podcasting & Content Creation:

โ€ข My microphone setup

โ€ข Tripod & ring light

โ€ข Camera mount + desk arm

โ€ข Productivity tools: planner, calendar, whiteboard wall stickers

๐Ÿ“˜ Career & Business Growth Books:

โ€ข Managed Services in a Month โ€“ Karl Palachuk

โ€ข The 10X Rule โ€“ Grant Cardone

โ€ข So Good They Canโ€™t Ignore You โ€“ Cal Newport

โ€ข Deep Work โ€“ Cal Newport

โ€ข Show Your Work โ€“ Austin Kleon

โ€ข Start With Why โ€“ Simon Sinek

RECENT EPISODE:

Motivation: Build Your Own Lane โ€” Freelancing as a Network Engineer

Todayโ€™s episode comes straight from a listener:

โ€œDo you have any advice on becoming a freelance network engineer โ€” and is it possible within a year?โ€

Short answer: Yes โ€” if you move with intention.

Letโ€™s break down the game plan. ๐Ÿ‘‡

๐Ÿง  What Youโ€™ll Learn:

โœ… Side hustle or full business? Decide your path early

โœ… Why an LLC can boost your focus (and protect you)

โœ… How to pick your services + set your rates

โœ… Where Iโ€™d look for clients: Upwork, FieldNation, Fiverr

โœ… The smart way to shift into an MSP model for recurring income

โœ… ๐Ÿ“˜ Book pick: Managed Services in a Month by Karl Palachuk (link below)

๐Ÿ“š Resources Mentioned:

๐Ÿ”— Managed Services in a Month โ€“ Karl Palachuk