Security Basics: Life After CISSP?

["J Yoon" <supercool9000 () hotmail com>]

Well, I crammed for 2 weeks straight and just charged into the exam room. (I 
figured if I didn't do it this way, I'd be procrastinating for the rest of 
my life.) After drinking one too many of their complimentary coffee in order 
to stay awake, I walked out with a feeling of hyperactive caffeine high and 
utter confusion. A 6 hour torturous sitting-on-butt session on saturday 
morning isn't exactly what I would call 'fun'...
As with any exam, if you KNOW the material, you will not have much of a 
problem. However, I have to admit there were a good number of deceptive, if 
not difficult, trick questions. I won't reveal what was actually on the exam 
(due to the ISC2 policy), but to give you some clue, here's a similar 
example:
Q: What's a radio receiver?

a. it tunes into soundwave frequencies and provides music/news/weather in 
real time
b. it tunes into different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation and 
recreates sound
c. it receives radio signals by amplification of stimulated emission of 
radiation and recreates sound
d. it receives radio signals by modulated sound frequency amplification and 
recreates sound
Just immagine the choices they would give you if they are asking something 
like "What's the difference between (some protocol or system or method) and 
(another arcane protocol or system or method)"
You might be able to make an educated guess on a few questions... but I 
really can't see how anyone would be able to *CONSISTENTLY* make a correct 
guess if they are bombarded with seemingly-correct choices that diliberately 
throw them off the track.
You either KNOW it or you don't.
If you know it, you'll get it right... if not, lots o' luck to ya.

Anyway, a few days ago...  I got a RELIEVING notice in my inbox saying that 
I have passed!
Pardon my excitement, but it was almost as relieving as passing gas in the 
men's room after holding it in during a formal dinner date with a hot lady.
Well, anyway... The endorsement is already done and now I'm wondering if 
anything will be changed this year due to having one more credential next to 
my name.
I'd like to ask the experts:

1) What was the first thing you did after Officially becoming a CISSP?

2) Did your career take a turn or did it stay more or less the same?

3) What's the MOST lucrative field right now... and what additional certs 
beyond CISSP are required?
4) i don't want to leave my job just yet.. so a bonus or raise would be 
nice. Could you recommend a good negotiation strategy that i can use in 
conjunction with having the cissp cert?
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