Certified Computer Professional Interview: Chris Bryant
Founder, The Bryant Advantage Training Company
Published 7/26/2004
By Anne Martinez
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GoCertify: What related work experience do you have?
Chris Bryant: I worked for a local contracting firm for several years. SyCom Technologies, which gave me some great work experience working with Cisco VPNs, different routers and switches, and a lot of troubleshooting experience. SyCom was very supportive of my pursuit of the CCIE, and I'm very grateful to them.
GoCertify: I believe you earned your certifications primarily through self-study, so what led you to start your own training company and offer instructor-led classes?
Chris Bryant: I've wanted to be a technical instructor for years. Nothing excites me more than explaining a concept to a student and watching their eyes light up when they "get it".
I wanted to offer students a different kind of training experience. I wanted to create a course that not only covered the exam objectives, but let the students build their own network and really learn what they need to know to be successful out in the field - a course that truly combines theory with real-world experience. I would hear of (and see) CCNA courses where students would share a single switch and it would drive me nuts.
Binary Math is a huge part of the exam now, and the days where you could memorize a chart to pass the CCNA are gone. Cisco asks questions involving subnetting from many different angles, and I'm finding this is where many CCNA candidates fall short. I make it a point to ensure that my students truly understand Binary Math. Again, it's a situation where there are some very tense students before that lecture begins :: laughing ::, but within an hour, they're nailing the questions.
In my Prep Courses, the students have their own full pod of Cisco routing equipment, they learn the theory, and then they build their own network under my guidance. They have an opportunity to learn their fundamentals from someone who knows what it's like to get started, someone who's worked their way from the CCNA to the CCIE, and also knows what they need to be successful in the field. I wrote the labs for my Prep Course, and my students get more hands-on experience and real-world knowledge that they simply cannot get anywhere else.
GoCertify: Besides classes, what other study tools does your company offer?
Chris Bryant: I pride myself on offering unique study tools for the CCNA and CCNP, and my CCNA Flash Cards are such an item. My Flash Cards come in a book where the pages are perforated, so they're ready to be taken right out of the book. I've sold them to CCNA students all over the world, and it's a very popular item. They have a question on the front and the answer and an explanation on the back.
GoCertify: What is your favorite form of certification preparation and why?
Chris Bryant: Hands-on experience. It's the best way to prepare for exams, no exceptions. With the lower cost of used Cisco equipment today, every CCNA and CCNP candidate should be putting together their own practice lab.
GoCertify: What is your LEAST favorite form of certification preparation and why?
Chris Bryant: I don't have a particular form that I dislike; everyone has different learning styles. Just make sure you get some real experience on routers in there somewhere.
GoCertify: What words of advice do you have for people who are considering earning a new certification right now?
Chris Bryant: First, don't listen to people who tell you that certifications aren't worth the work, or that demean your current certifications. I've noticed over the years that there will always be people who are threatened by certified professionals. Ignore them. Keep your head down, and keep working.
Simply put, there is no other field in the world that rewards individual ambition, sacrifice, and work ethic like Information Technology, and certifications are an important part of that. Cisco certifications have been a vital force in helping me achieve my professional and personal dreams, and that's why I'm thrilled that my organization helps others who are getting started on that same path. Professional certifications have boosted my career to new heights, and they can do the same for you.
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