Should you be aspiring to become Cisco accredited, but you’ve no practical experience with switches and routers, we’d recommend taking the Cisco CCNA qualification. This teaches you the knowledge you need to understand routers. The world wide web is built up of many routers, and big organisations with multiple departments and sites also use them to allow their networks of computers to communicate.
Jobs that use this qualification mean it’s likely you’ll end up working for large commercial ventures that have several different sites but need their computer networks to talk to each other. On the other hand, you might end up joining an internet service provider. These jobs are well paid and in demand.
If routers are a new thing for you, then studying up to CCNA is definitely sufficient – you’re not yet ready for your CCNP. After gaining experience in the working environment, you will have a feel for if it’s appropriate for you to go to the level of CCNP.
Commercially accredited qualifications are now, very visibly, already replacing the older academic routes into IT – but why has this come about?
With university education costs spiralling out of control, together with the industry’s general opinion that key company training is often far more commercially relevant, we have seen a great increase in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA accredited training programmes that create knowledgeable employees at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time.
Essentially, only that which is required is learned. Actually, it’s not quite as pared down as that, but the principle remains that students need to cover the precise skills needed (including a degree of required background) – without trying to cram in everything else – in the way that academic establishments often do.
The bottom line is: Authorised IT qualifications give employers exactly what they’re looking for – it says what you do in the title: i.e. I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network’. Consequently employers can look at their needs and what certifications are required to fulfil that.
Many trainers will only offer support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; very few go late in the evening or at weekends.
Don’t buy certification programs which can only support trainees through a call-centre messaging service after 6-9pm in the evening and during weekends. Training schools will try to talk you round from this line of reasoning. But, no matter how they put it – support is required when it’s required – not as-and-when it’s suitable for their staff.
The very best training providers have many support offices from around the world. Online access provides the interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, at any time you choose, help is at hand, without any problems or delays.
Never make the mistake of compromise when you’re looking for the right support service. The vast majority of would-be IT professionals that drop-out or fail, would have had a different experience if they’d got the right support package in the first place.
One area often overlooked by those weighing up a particular programme is the issue of ‘training segmentation’. This is essentially the method used to break up the program for delivery to you, which can make a dramatic difference to what you end up with.
Individual deliveries for each training module piece by piece, as you pass each exam is the usual method of releasing your program. This sounds sensible, but you might like to consider this:
Students often discover that the company’s ’standard’ path of training isn’t as suitable as another. Sometimes, a slightly different order suits them better. Could it cause problems if you don’t get everything done at the pace they expect?
To be honest, the perfect answer is to have their ideal ‘order’ of training laid out, but to receive all the materials up-front. You then have everything in the event you don’t complete everything within their ideal time-table.
Several companies supply a practical Job Placement Assistance program, to help you get your first job. In reality it’s not as difficult as you may be led to believe to get a job – assuming you’re well trained and qualified; employers in this country need your skills.
Advice and support about getting interviews and your CV might be provided (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). It’s essential that you bring your CV right up to date right away – don’t leave it till you pass the exams!
Various junior support roles have been offered to trainees who are still studying and haven’t got any qualifications yet. This will at least get you on your way.
The most efficient companies to help you land that job are most often specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. Because they only get paid when they place you, they’re perhaps more focused on results.
A good number of men and women, so it seems, conscientiously work through their course materials (for years sometimes), and then just stop instead of looking for the right position. Sell yourself… Work hard to let employers know about you. A job isn’t just going to bump into you.
Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Pop over to cisco-training-in.co.uk or CCNA Training Courses.