When Ahmed was laid-off from his job as a furnace operator in the heat treatment industry, he realized that his experience in industry counted for little. He knew he needed a new challenge.
“The idea of starting from scratch was scary, but I decided to change careers.”
Change and grow
Born in Yemen to an American father, Ahmed Nassor moved to the U.S. after high school, intending to study for a biomedical engineering degree. After starting a family, he realized this was not financially possible, so he took a job in manufacturing.
“I was working in the heat treatment industry as a furnace operator,” he began. “And then one day they decided to close the company. I found myself a father of three without a job, health insurance, and a lot of the bells. At that moment, I realized that the years I spent in that field had gone to waste.”
Ahmed knew he needed a career in a more resilient industry, but that would mean something completely new for him. “The idea of starting from scratch was scary, but I decided to change careers,” he says.
Finding Cisco Networking Academy
He knew he wanted a career that would challenge him and allow him to learn and grow. After talking with some friends, Ahmed decided to attend the Cisco Networking Academy at Henry Ford College, where he flourished—earning a CCNA within six months of completing the Academy course.
After graduating, Henry Ford College referred him to KLA Laboratories, where he began working as a Customer Engineer in a data center working on layer 1 routers and switches, going on to work as an engineer focusing on Voice Over IP. Now he is an Internet of Things Engineer, working mostly on industrial networks. Wanting to advance his networking knowledge, Ahmed embarked on the more advanced CCNP course, combining classes at Henry Ford College and self-study, all while working for KLA Labs.
He’s now renewing his CCNP certification and studying Cisco Software-Designed Access.
“KLA gave me the opportunity to explore a networking career and enhance my growth and knowledge through exposure to different types of networks, from enterprise to small business, and different specialties like Routing and Switching, Voice, Wireless, and IoT,” he says.
Despite having moved countries, Ahmed says his family in Yemen are very proud of him for his achievements.
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