Graduate Students 2020

“highly trained network administrator with in-depth experience in setting up, diagnosing, and maintaining business networks and firewalls in 2020”

16 replies
  1. Macie Zhang
    Macie Zhang says:

    My name is Macie and I’m in one of Hamid’s security class since September 2019 in BCIT. Hamid taught us Forigate and Palo Alto firewalls with hands-on labs, also using Nessus to get to know to vulnerabilities in the network, Splunk, FortiSiem, and more.
    As a student, I’m very grateful that Hamid is our security instructor in CISA. I was having issues with the labs and sometimes I have to stay up to 4 to 5 PM, and Hamid has guided me to solve the problems. I’m very appreciative for all the extra help outside of class hours. It’s only been 2 semesters but I’m sure Hamid is one of our best instructors in CISA:).

  2. Kerry Tavas
    Kerry Tavas says:

    There’s no doubt in my mind that Hamid Talebi is one of the best instructors at BCIT. Not only did he use his expertise as a Programmer, Network Engineer and Cybersecurity Expert to develop an easy to understand version of the Network Security courses that were offered during the fall 2019 semester and winter 2020 semester; but he also transformed a rather boring course into an interactive one. Instead of focusing on endless lectures, he devoted 85% of the time to hands-on training (labs) which in my opinion is a better way of learning. To make it more interesting, he added games and group presentation as well. Aside from the traditional practice of hardening switches and routers; he also introduced us to Fortinet Fortigate Firewall, Palo Alto NextGen Firewall, FortiSIEM, and Splunk. Having exposure to these products certainly give us an edge against the thousands of newly grads who are also looking to start a career in the IT industry this year. In fact, our class (BCIT-CISA Class of 2020) became the 1st recipient of the Palo Alto Firewall Configuration (EDU-120) Certificate. He also went above and beyond his role as an instructor by setting up an info session about creating an effective resume. Oh and did I mention that he is also a successful author? Yes, he is. Despite his successes, he remains grounded and approachable. I never felt intimidated to ask for his help to complete the labs on-time. Hamid definitely has a lot more to offer and I believe that we will hear more from him. I am grateful that he became one of my instructors at BCIT.

  3. Brent Plottel
    Brent Plottel says:

    Hamid Talebi is one of the best teachers I had during my time at BCIT. Hamid leveraged his expertise in Programming, Linux, Networking, and Cybersecurity to help students go above and beyond his course description. Hamid always focused on hands-on practice and real-world scenarios that make his students prepared for a work environment. Hamid is great with people and was always a pleasure to joke with or be around. During my time with Hamid in the CISA program, I learned extensive knowledge in Palo-Alto and Fortinet firewalls among other invaluable skills. Hamid is a master of making lectures and learning exercises fun and engaging for students. Students in Hamid’s class were always engaged and eager to learn and achieve their full potential. In conclusion, I have nothing but good things to say about Hamid Talebi and am thankful I was able to learn from him during my time at BCIT.

  4. Rachel Vu
    Rachel Vu says:

    It was such an honor to be one of Hamid’s students. Hamid is by far one of my favorite instructors at BCIT. He was able to create an incredibly positive, engaging learning environment and I never felt intimated to ask him for help with the lab assignments or even with my job interviews. Hamid has inspired me to not only grow my expertise but also to always stay focused and move forward. I’m very grateful for all the hands-on labs and all the useful industry tips that Hamid has brought to us this year. You’re a very hardworking and amazing instructor, Hamid! I wish you all the best and I hope our paths will cross again in the near future 🙂

  5. Jeffery Buter
    Jeffery Buter says:

    Hamid is truely one of the best instructors I’ve had during this 2 year program. Hamid always tries to create the best classroom environment, always aiming to make it practical, fun, and engaging. I remember clearly in 3rd semester i was really behind on classroom labs that Hamid pulled me aside and asked me whats going on? and if i needed help. I chose to stay after school until 6pm multiple times just to work on the missing classroom labs and Hamid was supporting me the entire way.

  6. Jason Ho
    Jason Ho says:

    Hamid is by far one of the best mentor and instructor I’ve had during this 2 year CISA program @ BCIT. Hamid is always encouraging us and providing us with very useful hands-on practice labs and real world examples. Helping us out with resume and cover letter to further our career. I’m very thankful to have him as my instructor and i was able to learn a lot from him during my time @ BCIT.

  7. Patrick Lam
    Patrick Lam says:

    Hamid’s security classes were one of my favourites in the program. He is very approachable and supportive in your learning and your future. The content of the class, which seemed a bit overwhelming at first, was made much more digestible through his concise lectures and hands-on labs.

    Everything we learned in lectures and configured in the labs have been relevant and proved to be extremely helpful, especially in job interviews and in the workplace. In addition, Hamid has went above and beyond; he provided tips about the industry and helped with resumes, job interviews, and obtaining certifications.

    Hamid is an excellent teacher and a wonderful person. He cares about the success of his students, any prospective or upcoming students entering the program will be in good hands with Hamid’s classes.

  8. Jimin Kim
    Jimin Kim says:

    Hamid is the greatest instructor I had in CISA program. I really respect his passion and sense of duty in his job. He is genuinely committed to lead students in the right way with his own labs and resources which are most related and used in real field. I could find his effort and devotion as an instructor in his Youtube channel and blog which have great resources.

    One of the important tips that Hamid always mentioned is “Create your own environment and practice”. The GNS3 network software emulator he introduced is very useful software to build and simulate practical scenarios. His lectures and labs will make more sense when you create, configure, and troubleshoot from scratch with GNS3.
    It might sound difficult to understand the concept of application of security to network but you shouldn’t worry about it, because Hamid is a friendly instructor who takes care of his students with his full support.He is always researching to make his classes more fun and memorable with lots of activities, such as Kahoot.^_^ This was actually very helpful in refreshing memories and fun to play with classmates.

    It was great to meet Hamid throughout this program, and I hope you can make great memories with him too! ^_^

  9. Manvir Singh
    Manvir Singh says:

    Couldn’t have asked for a better instructor. Always available to help, and welling to get students the tools they need for success. I’m very thankful Hamid went out of his way and made an agreement with Palo Alto to be able to issue his students certs. Hamid is an amazing instructor always looking out for his students. I wish you the best, and keep up the great work.

  10. Gian Ocampo
    Gian Ocampo says:

    Hamid was the best instructor I could’ve asked for. He inspired me to achieve my dreams in the future. I’m very thankful that he even helped me and guided me during the job interview process which helped me land a job before the semester ended. I wish you all the best and I will definitely give you a visit to thank you in person once the pandemic is over.

  11. Tim Holmes
    Tim Holmes says:

    Hamids knowledge and passion for security was the reason I went from being disinterested with security to now enjoying and investigating it more and more in my new position.
    Thanks for all the help, top notch educator, very knowledgeable and extremely passionate about all things security.
    Thanks again.

  12. Carlo Fernandez
    Carlo Fernandez says:

    Hamid is an incredibly capable instructor. He has a friendly personality and a positive attitude. It would be an understatement to say he is the best instructor CISA has to offer. I would always look forward to his class, because I knew he was there not just to teach us valuable cybersecurity skills, but also to help us succeed in our future careers.

    Hamid’s genius comes not from what he taught us, but the way he taught us. He truly wanted to connect with us and help us prepare for a successful career in IT. He would actively adapt and change his teaching style every single class.

    I believe that his ability to listen to his students and treat them as capable adults is what sets him apart from a regular BCIT instructor. He’s extremely flexible and is always encouraging feedback.

    On top of everything, I always felt comfortable coming to him for advice or help with personal projects, in or outside of class. Whether I was working on my resume or home network, he would always agree to help with a smile on his face. I hope next year’s students have the same experience I did in his class.

    If my word isn’t enough, let the numbers speak for themselves. I achieved the absolute highest grades of my BCIT career in his Winter 2020 class.

    Hamid is an absolute proper lad, legend behaviour day in and day out. 10/10.

  13. Tom Read
    Tom Read says:

    Hamid always put a lot of unbiased care into every student. His teaching style was really great for me and many other students. A large portion of the course was hands-on lab work. It didn’t start that way, but Hamid quickly adapted from his first term strategy and the course became excellent very quickly. He put’s in a tremendous amount of work and it shows. Thank you, Hamid! You are one of the best instructors I’ve had. Cheers

  14. Sunny Parmar
    Sunny Parmar says:

    Hamid is one of the best instructors I’ve had to date. He’s extremely knowledgeable and extremely helpful. You’ll never see Hamid get angry, he always taught with a smile on his face and made class enjoyable each and every day (you even get to play some fun mini learning games at the start of class). If you ever have any trouble, you shouldn’t shy away from asking Hamid for help/advice. When it comes to technical difficulties, it always amazed me how quickly Hamid could get to the root of your problem and understand where you may have made an error or overlooked something. It really goes to show just how knowledgeable Hamid is, and I have the utmost respect for him. He even went out of his way to find job postings for his students to apply to in the security field. You really get the sense that Hamid genuinely cares about his students, and wants each and every one of them to succeed moving forward. It was an absolute pleasure to be one of his students. Thank you for everything that you did for us Hamid!!

  15. Joe Sun
    Joe Sun says:

    If I were to describe or paint you a picture of Hamid as an instructor, this reply section or my canvas would not be able to contain the amount of positive feedback I have. As a former pupil of Hamd’s Advanced Enterprise Security class at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, I can say that not only was Hamid’s class a great balance of theory and technical training, it was also a fun and supportive learning environment where no question is a bad question. Hamid’s dedicated teaching was strengthened as well with his ability to incorporate certification training from vendors such as Palo Alto to help his students have the opportunity to gain a leading step towards obtaining a post-graduation position in the industry. Not only was Hamid a great teacher, but he was also a great friend and mentor providing us his past experiences and tips as a lesson to help us succeed in our careers as well as in our own personal growth. In Hamid’s class, the only way you can fail is by not taking his course in the first place!

  16. Lewis Saludo
    Lewis Saludo says:

    Hamid is one of the greatest instructor we ever had. He motivates his students positively and supports them in every way he can. Taking time to look for a students strength and nurture that skills with his lessons. He is accomplished and leveraged his skills in Network Security, Programming and Job Hunting to help his students. He taught me so much practical, theory and showed everybody that they have something to contribute, great mentor and friend. Thank you for the time you spent with us.

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