The CCNA is the way to go for training in Cisco. This teaches you how to work on maintaining and installing routers and network switches. Fundamentally, the internet is based upon huge numbers of routers, and commercial ventures who have several locations utilise them to allow their networks to keep in touch.
Routers are linked to networks, therefore it is necessary to have an understanding of the operation of networks, or you'll struggle with the program and not be able to understand the work. Seek out a program that teaches the basics (for example CompTIA) before you start the CCNA.
Achieving CCNA is where you need to be aiming - don't be pushed into attempting your CCNP for now. After gaining experience in the working environment, you'll know if it's relevant for you to have this next level up. If it is, you'll have significantly improved your chances of success - because you'll know so much more by then.
Make sure that all your certifications are current and also valid commercially - don't bother with programs that only give in-house certificates.
Unless the accreditation comes from a company like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco, then chances are it will be commercially useless - because no-one will recognise it.
Commencing with the understanding that we need to find the market that sounds most inviting first, before we're able to weigh up what development program meets that requirement, how can we choose the correct route?
Working through long lists of different and confusing job titles is a complete waste of time. The majority of us don't even know what our own family members do for a living - so we're in the dark as to the ins and outs of a specific IT job.
To attack this, we need to discuss a number of core topics:
* Your personality type as well as your interests - what kind of work-related things please or frustrate you.
* Why you're looking at getting involved with computing - maybe you'd like to achieve a life-long goal like being your own boss for example.
* What scale of importance is the salary - is it of prime importance, or do you place job satisfaction higher up on the priority-scale?
* Many students don't properly consider the level of commitment involved to attain their desired level.
* The level of commitment and effort you're prepared to put into your training.
In actuality, you'll find the only real way to research these matters tends to be through a good talk with an experienced advisor that has years of experience in the IT industry (and specifically it's commercial needs.)
Have a conversation with a proficient advisor and they'll regale you with many terrible tales of how students have been duped by salespeople. Only deal with an experienced industry advisor who asks some in-depth questions to find out what's appropriate to you - not for their pay-packet! You must establish the right starting point of study for you.
Occasionally, the training start-point for a trainee with a little experience is often massively different to the student with none.
For students beginning IT exams and training for the first time, you might like to start out slowly, starting with some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first. Usually this is packaged with any study program.
A sneaky way that training providers make more money is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. This sounds impressive, but is it really:
Certainly it's not free - you're still being charged for it - the price has simply been included in the whole thing.
If it's important to you to get a first time pass, you must fund each exam as you take it, prioritise it appropriately and apply yourself as required.
Sit the exam as locally as possible and don't pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you're ready.
Paying in advance for examination fees (which also includes interest if you've taken out a loan) is bad financial management. Why fill a company's coffers with extra money of yours simply to help their cash-flow! There are those who hope that you won't get round to taking them - so they get to keep the extra funds.
It's worth noting that exam re-takes via training course providers with an 'Exam Guarantee' are tightly controlled. You'll be required to sit pre-tests to make sure they think you're going to pass.
Exams taken at local centres are in the region of 112 pounds in Britain at the time of writing. Why pay exorbitant 'Exam Guarantee' fees (most often hidden in the package) - when the best course materials, the right level of support and study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.
Routers are linked to networks, therefore it is necessary to have an understanding of the operation of networks, or you'll struggle with the program and not be able to understand the work. Seek out a program that teaches the basics (for example CompTIA) before you start the CCNA.
Achieving CCNA is where you need to be aiming - don't be pushed into attempting your CCNP for now. After gaining experience in the working environment, you'll know if it's relevant for you to have this next level up. If it is, you'll have significantly improved your chances of success - because you'll know so much more by then.
Make sure that all your certifications are current and also valid commercially - don't bother with programs that only give in-house certificates.
Unless the accreditation comes from a company like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco, then chances are it will be commercially useless - because no-one will recognise it.
Commencing with the understanding that we need to find the market that sounds most inviting first, before we're able to weigh up what development program meets that requirement, how can we choose the correct route?
Working through long lists of different and confusing job titles is a complete waste of time. The majority of us don't even know what our own family members do for a living - so we're in the dark as to the ins and outs of a specific IT job.
To attack this, we need to discuss a number of core topics:
* Your personality type as well as your interests - what kind of work-related things please or frustrate you.
* Why you're looking at getting involved with computing - maybe you'd like to achieve a life-long goal like being your own boss for example.
* What scale of importance is the salary - is it of prime importance, or do you place job satisfaction higher up on the priority-scale?
* Many students don't properly consider the level of commitment involved to attain their desired level.
* The level of commitment and effort you're prepared to put into your training.
In actuality, you'll find the only real way to research these matters tends to be through a good talk with an experienced advisor that has years of experience in the IT industry (and specifically it's commercial needs.)
Have a conversation with a proficient advisor and they'll regale you with many terrible tales of how students have been duped by salespeople. Only deal with an experienced industry advisor who asks some in-depth questions to find out what's appropriate to you - not for their pay-packet! You must establish the right starting point of study for you.
Occasionally, the training start-point for a trainee with a little experience is often massively different to the student with none.
For students beginning IT exams and training for the first time, you might like to start out slowly, starting with some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first. Usually this is packaged with any study program.
A sneaky way that training providers make more money is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. This sounds impressive, but is it really:
Certainly it's not free - you're still being charged for it - the price has simply been included in the whole thing.
If it's important to you to get a first time pass, you must fund each exam as you take it, prioritise it appropriately and apply yourself as required.
Sit the exam as locally as possible and don't pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you're ready.
Paying in advance for examination fees (which also includes interest if you've taken out a loan) is bad financial management. Why fill a company's coffers with extra money of yours simply to help their cash-flow! There are those who hope that you won't get round to taking them - so they get to keep the extra funds.
It's worth noting that exam re-takes via training course providers with an 'Exam Guarantee' are tightly controlled. You'll be required to sit pre-tests to make sure they think you're going to pass.
Exams taken at local centres are in the region of 112 pounds in Britain at the time of writing. Why pay exorbitant 'Exam Guarantee' fees (most often hidden in the package) - when the best course materials, the right level of support and study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.
About the Author:
(C) S. Edwards 2009. Hop over to www.AdultRetrainingCourses.co.uk or New Career Options.
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