Training in Cisco is designed for people who want to learn about routers and switches. Routers connect networks of computers over the internet or dedicated lines. It\’s a good idea that you should start with your CCNA. Don\’t be tempted to go straight for a CCNP as it\’s a considerable step up – and you really need experience to have a go at this.
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.
Getting your Cisco CCNA is perfectly sufficient to start with; don\’t be cajoled into attempting your CCNP. Once you\’ve got a few years experience behind you, you will have a feel for whether you need to train up to this level. If so, your experience will serve as the background you require to take on your CCNP – which is quite a hard qualification to acquire – and mustn\’t be entered into casually.
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.
Look for training where you can access help at all hours of the day and night (irrespective of whether it\’s the wee hours on Sunday morning!) Ensure you get 24×7 direct access to mentors and instructors, and not a message system as this will slow you down – parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back at a convenient time for them.
The very best programs opt for a web-based round-the-clock system utilising a variety of support centres over many time-zones. You will have an environment which switches seamlessly to the best choice of centres any time of the day or night: Support when it\’s needed.
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.
Considering the amount of options that are available, there\’s no surprise that nearly all newcomers to the industry get stuck choosing the job they will follow.
Perusing a list of odd-sounding and meaningless job titles is no use whatsoever. The vast majority of us have no concept what our own family members do for a living – let alone understand the subtleties of any specific IT role.
To get through to the essence of this, we need to discuss a variety of definitive areas:
* Personalities play an important part – what things get your juices flowing, and what are the areas that put a frown on your face.
* What time-frame are you looking at for your training?
* How highly do you rate salary – is it the most important thing, or is job satisfaction higher up on your priority-list?
* Because there are so many different sectors to gain certifications for in the IT industry – you will have to gain a basic understanding of what separates them.
* You\’ll also need to think hard about what kind of effort and commitment you\’re going to give to your education.
To be honest, it\’s obvious that the only real way to investigate these matters tends to be through a good talk with an advisor or professional who has years of experience in IT (as well as it\’s commercial requirements.)
A question; why should we consider commercial qualifications as opposed to traditional academic qualifications gained through schools, colleges or universities?
As we require increasingly more effective technological know-how, the IT sector has moved to the specialised core-skills learning only available through the vendors themselves – in other words companies such as Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA. This frequently provides reductions in both cost and time.
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.
What if you were an employer – and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What is easier: Trawl through loads of academic qualifications from several applicants, trying to establish what they know and which vocational skills they\’ve acquired, or choose particular accreditations that specifically match what you\’re looking for, and make your short-list from that. Your interviews are then about personal suitability – rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
A study programme must provide a nationally accepted exam as an end-result – and not some unimportant \’in-house\’ diploma – fit only for filing away and forgetting.
Only nationally recognised certification from the likes of Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA and Adobe will be useful to a future employer.
Copyright 2009 S. Edwards. Look at PHP Training or CareerChangeIdea.co.uk/mcca.html.
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