The CCNA is your entry level for training in Cisco. This will enable you to deal with the maintenance and installation of routers. Fundamentally, the internet is based upon huge numbers of routers, and commercial ventures that have several locations utilise them to connect their computer networks.
The sort of jobs available with this qualification mean it’s likely you’ll end up working for national or international companies that have multiple departments and sites but need their computer networks to talk to each other. Or, you may move on to working for an internet service provider. Jobs requiring these skills are plentiful and well remunerated.
Having the right skills and knowledge in advance of starting your Cisco CCNA course skills is crucial. Therefore, it’s probably necessary to speak to an advisor who can fill you in on any gaps you may have.
It’s incontrovertible, the Information Technology (IT) sector shows excellent opportunities. Yet, to arm ourselves with the correct information, what sort of questions should we pose, and which are the most important factors?
Looking at the myriad of choice out there, it’s not really surprising that most potential newcomers to the industry don’t really understand the best career path they should even pursue. Flicking through long lists of different and confusing job titles is just a waste of time. Surely, most of us have no idea what our own family members do for a living - let alone understand the subtleties of any specific IT role. Arriving at an informed answer can only grow via a careful investigation of many varying areas:
* The type of personality you have and interests - what work-oriented areas you like and dislike.
* Are you driven to get qualified because of a precise reason - for instance, are you pushing to work at home (working for yourself?)?
* Any personal or home needs that guide you?
* Understanding what typical career roles and markets are - plus how they’re different to each other.
* You will need to take in what is different for each area of training.
To be honest, you’ll find the only real way to research these matters is through a chat with an experienced advisor who has experience of IT (as well as it’s commercial needs.)
The classroom style of learning we remember from school, utilising reference manuals and books, is often a huge slog for most of us. If you’re nodding as you read this, check out study materials that are on-screen and interactive. If we’re able to study while utilising as many senses as possible, our results will often be quite spectacular.
Top of the range study programs now offer interactive CD and DVD ROM’s. By watching and listening to instructors on video tutorials you’ll learn your subject through the expert demonstrations. Then it’s time to test your knowledge by using practice-lab’s. Each company you’re contemplating should be able to show you some samples of their courseware. You’re looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and interactive areas to practice in.
Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where obtainable, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - you don’t want to be reliant on a quality and continuous internet connection.
Most trainers will only offer office hours or extended office hours support; very few go late in the evening or at weekends. Avoid those companies who use messaging services ‘out-of-hours’ - with the call-back coming in during the next ‘working’ day. It’s no use when you’re stuck on a problem and want support there and then.
As long as you look hard, you will find the top providers that offer direct-access support at all times - even in the middle of the night. Never settle for less than you need and deserve. Direct-access round-the-clock support is really your only option when it comes to technical learning. It’s possible you don’t intend to study late evenings; but for the majority of us however, we’re working at the time when most support is available.
Only consider study paths which move onto commercially accepted qualifications. There’s an endless list of small companies suggesting ‘in-house’ certificates which aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on when you start your job-search. From an employer’s viewpoint, only the big-boys like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA (for instance) will get you short-listed. Nothing else will cut the mustard.
Think about the facts below carefully if you’re inclined to think the sales ploy of ‘guaranteeing’ exams sounds like a benefit to the student:
In this day and age, we are a tad more knowledgeable about sales gimmicks - and usually we grasp that we are actually being charged for it (it’s not a freebie because they like us so much!) Should you seriously need to qualify first ‘go’, then the most successful route is to pay for each exam as you go, prioritise it appropriately and give the task sufficient application.
Doesn’t it make more sense to find the best exam deal or offer at the time, not to pay any mark-up to a training college, and to do it in a local testing office - instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call? A lot of extra profit is secured by many companies that take the exam money up-front. For various reasons, many students don’t take their exams and so the company is quids-in. Astoundingly enough, there are companies around that depend on students not taking their exams - as that’s where a lot of their profit comes from. The majority of companies will insist that you take mock exams first and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you’ve proven conclusively that you can pass - making an ‘exam guarantee’ just about worthless.
VUE and Prometric examinations are around 112 pounds in Britain at the time of writing. What’s the point of paying huge ‘Exam Guarantee’ costs (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) - when the best course materials, the right level of support and commitment, effort and practice with quality exam preparation systems are the factors that really get you through.
Many people question why qualifications from colleges and universities are being overtaken by more commercial certificates? The IT sector is of the opinion that for mastery of skill sets for commercial use, official accreditation from the likes of Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA often is more effective in the commercial field - saving time and money. Many degrees, for example, become confusing because of a lot of loosely associated study - and a syllabus that’s too generalised. This holds a student back from getting enough core and in-depth understanding on a specific area.
If an employer is aware what work they need doing, then all it takes is an advert for someone with a specific qualification. The syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and don’t change between schools (like academia frequently can and does).
Massive developments are flooding technology in the near future - and it only gets more exciting every day. Computer technology and connections through the internet will dramatically affect our lifestyles in the near future; incredibly so.
Should receiving a good salary be around the top on your scale of wants, you will appreciate the fact that the regular income for most men and women in IT is significantly higher than salaries in much of the rest of industry. Due to the technological sector increasing at an unprecedented rate, it’s likely that the search for qualified professionals will flourish for a good while yet.

By: Jason Kendall

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