If Cisco training is your aspiration, and you’ve not yet worked with routers or network switches, you should first attempt CCNA certification. This will provide you with knowledge and skills to work with routers. The internet is made up of hundreds of thousands of routers, and large commercial ventures with many locations also need routers to allow their networks to keep in touch.

The kind of jobs requiring this knowledge mean the chances are you’ll work for national or international companies that are spread out geographically but need their computer networks to talk to each other. Or, you may move on to joining an internet service provider. Both types of jobs command good salaries.

You should get a bespoke training program that will take you through a specific training path to make sure you have the correct skill set and knowledge prior to getting going with Cisco.

A lot of training companies only provide basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); very few go late in the evening or at weekends.

Beware of institutions who use call-centres ‘out-of-hours’ – with the call-back coming in during office hours. It’s no use when you’re stuck on a problem and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.

We recommend that you search for training programs that have multiple support offices across multiple time-zones. Each one should be integrated to give a single entry point together with access round-the-clock, when you want it, with no fuss.

Never make do with a lower level of service. Direct-access 24×7 support is the only way to go when it comes to IT study. Maybe late-evening study is not your thing; often though, we’re working when traditional support if offered.

Beginning with the idea that it makes sense to home-in on the employment that excites us first, before we can even mull over which development program fulfils our needs, how can we choose the right direction?

Because without any solid background in computing, how should we possibly understand what someone in a particular job does?

Arriving at a well-informed resolution really only appears from a methodical analysis of several shifting key points:

* The type of personality you have and interests – which work-centred jobs you love or hate.

* Do you want to get certified due to a specific motive – for instance, is it your goal to work at home (maybe self-employment?)?

* How highly do you rate salary – is it the most important thing, or is job satisfaction higher up on your priority-list?

* Understanding what the main IT roles and markets are – and what makes them different.

* You’ll also need to think hard about what kind of effort and commitment you’re going to give to your education.

When all is said and done, the only real way of understanding everything necessary is by means of a long chat with an experienced advisor that has enough background to give you the information required.

Commercial certification is now, undoubtedly, beginning to replace the traditional academic paths into IT – but why is this?

Corporate based study (to use industry-speak) is far more specialised and product-specific. Industry has realised that this level of specialised understanding is essential to meet the requirements of an increasingly more technical marketplace. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the dominant players.

Of course, an appropriate quantity of relevant additional information has to be covered, but focused specialised knowledge in the required areas gives a commercially trained person a distinct advantage.

Just like the advert used to say: ‘It does what it says on the label’. The company just needs to know where they have gaps, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. Then they’re assured that a potential employee can do exactly what’s required.

Be alert that all exams you’re studying for are recognised by industry and are up-to-date. Training companies own certificates are not normally useful in gaining employment.

All the major commercial players like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA all have nationally recognised proficiency programmes. Huge conglomerates such as these will make your CV stand-out.

(C) S. Edwards 2009. Visit HTML Classes or NewCareerCourses.co.uk/nncc.html.

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