How Tina Caldarone Boosted Her Skills, Confidence & Salary With CCNA Certification

InfoSec Institute alum Tina Caldarone is a Systems Engineer at Cisco. She works out of the Cisco Chicago office, where she advises partner engineers on Cisco security products and helps drive strategic initiatives at the company.

We sat down with Tina to learn about her career in security and why she chose InfoSec Institute to help her prepare for the coveted Cisco Certified Network Associate Security (CCNA Security) certification.

Why Did You Pursue CCNA Certification?

Tina: Being a 31-year-old female systems engineer in a male-dominated industry is tough. Even though I have the same title and education as many of my colleagues, not holding the same certifications limited me. Earning my CCNA helped me level the playing field and advance my career.

Why Did You Enroll in the CCNA Training Boot Camp?

Tina: Getting certified quickly was important to me, so I looked for the fastest and most effective training provider. Even though I’m an engineer, I felt I had some catching up to do before I sat for the exams. I didn’t go to school for computer science, and the certification prep books are huge. I felt the CCNA Boot Camp was the best way to learn quickly and pass the exams. It was also a good way to make connections with others in the industry.

Did You Find Your InfoSec Institute Boot Camp Beneficial?

Tina: Yes, I learned so much more than I thought I would. I expected the course to mostly focus on how to take the tests — kind of like SAT prep in high school. It was so much more. I am a sales engineer, so I don’t often get into the weeds with Cisco products. The CCNA Boot Camp helped me fill in the gaps with the technical knowledge I needed.  

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