If you’re looking for Cisco training and you haven’t worked with routers before, what you need is a CCNA. This training course was created to instruct people with a commercial knowledge of routers. Commercial ventures that have several locations use routers to connect their various different networks of computers to keep in contact with each other. The Internet is also built up of hundreds of thousands of routers.
As routers are connected to networks, look for a program that features the basics on networks – perhaps Network+ and A+, prior to starting your CCNA course. You must have an understanding of the basics before getting going with Cisco or you’ll probably struggle. Once qualified and looking for work, companies will expect good networking skills alongside your CCNA.
Getting your Cisco CCNA is the right level to aim for; don’t let some salesperson talk you into starting with the CCNP. With experience, you can decide whether you need to train up to this level. If you decide to become more qualified, your experience will serve as the background you need to tackle the CCNP – which is quite a hard qualification to acquire – and mustn’t be entered into casually.
Trainees looking at this market can be very practical by nature, and won’t enjoy sitting at a desk in class, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If you identify with this, try the newer style of interactive study, where you can learn everything on-screen. Years of research and study has repeatedly verified that an ‘involved’ approach to study, where we utilise all our senses, is proven to produce longer-lasting and deeper memory retention.
Interactive audio-visual materials with demonstrations and practice sessions will beat books every time. And you’ll actually enjoy doing them. All companies should willingly take you through some samples of their training materials. You’re looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and a wide selection of interactive elements.
It’s usually bad advice to go for purely on-line training. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across most broadband providers, you should always obtain actual CD or DVD ROM’s.
Searching for your first position in IT sometimes feels easier to handle if you’re offered a Job Placement Assistance facility. In reality it isn’t so complicated as you might think to land the right work – assuming you’re well trained and qualified; because there’s still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.
CV and Interview advice and support might be provided (if not, see one of our sites for help). Make sure you bring your CV right up to date today – don’t wait until you’ve finished your exams! Quite frequently, you’ll secure your initial job whilst you’re still studying (even when you’ve just left first base). If you haven’t updated your CV to say what you’re studying (and it isn’t in the hands of someone with jobs to offer) then you’re not even going to be known about! Most often, a specialist locally based employment service (who will get paid by the employer when they’ve placed you) is going to give you a better service than a sector of a centralised training facility. Also of course they should be familiar with the local industry and employment needs.
In a nutshell, as long as you focus the same level of energy into landing a job as into training, you won’t find it too challenging. A number of students strangely spend hundreds of hours on their learning program and then call a halt once qualified and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.
One crafty way that training companies make more money is via an ‘exam inclusive’ package and offering an exam guarantee. It looks impressive, but is it really:
Thankfully, today we have to be a tad more knowledgeable about sales gimmicks – and generally we cotton on to the fact that we’re actually paying for it – it’s not because they’re so generous they want to give something away! Qualifying on the first ‘go’ is what everyone wants to do. Taking your exams progressively in order and funding them as you go puts you in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt – you prepare appropriately and are aware of the costs involved.
Why pay the college up-front for exams? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you’re ready, instead of paying a premium – and do it locally – rather than possibly hours away from your area. A surprising number of unscrupulous training companies net a great deal of profit by getting in the money for exams at the start of the course and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. Don’t forget, with most ‘Exam Guarantees’ – the company controls how often and when you can do your re-takes. They’ll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied.
Average exam fees were 112 pounds or thereabouts last year through VUE or Pro-metric centres in the UK. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra to have ‘Exam Guarantees’, when it’s obvious that the most successful method is consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software.
Remember: the training course or a certification isn’t what this is about; the career that you’re getting the training for is. Too many training companies put too much weight in the qualification itself. It’s an awful thing, but a great many students commence training that sounds spectacular from the prospectus, but which provides a job that doesn’t satisfy. Try talking to typical university students to see what we mean.
Make sure you investigate your feelings on career progression and earning potential, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. You need to know what (if any) sacrifices you’ll need to make for a particular role, which qualifications they want you to have and how to develop your experience. The best advice for students is to chat with an experienced industry advisor before deciding on their study path. This is essential to ensure it features what is required for the chosen career path.
The best type of training package will have Microsoft (or key company) exam preparation packages. Don’t go for training programs relying on unofficial exam preparation questions. The type of questions asked is often somewhat different – and this leads to huge confusion when it comes to taking the real exam. Be sure to request some practice exams in order to verify your comprehension at all times. Practice or ‘mock’ exams log the information in your brain – so the actual exam is much easier.
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