by Jason Kendall
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.
Routers connect to networks, so it’s necessary to know how networks function, or you will be out of your depth with the course and not be able to understand the work. Seek out a program that features the basics on networks (CompTIA is a good one) before you start the CCNA.
Having the skills and correct mind-set before getting going on the Cisco CCNA is crucial. Therefore, discuss the requirements expected of you with someone who will be able to help you.
Getting to the right career development option is fraught with stress - so which areas should we be checking out and which questions do we need to seek the answer to?
The market provides a plethora of work available in the IT industry. Picking the right one out of this complexity is a mammoth decision. How can we possibly grasp what is involved in a particular job if we’ve never been there? We normally don’t know someone who does that actual job anyway. To attack this, we need to discuss several core topics:
* 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?)?
* Have you thought about salary vs the travel required?
* 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 bypass the barrage of jargon, and find the best path to success, have an informal meeting with an industry-experienced advisor; an individual who will cover the commercial realities and truth while explaining each certification.
The old fashioned style of teaching, using textbooks and whiteboards, is often a huge slog for most of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, look for learning programmes that are on-screen and interactive. Where we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, then we normally see dramatically better results.
Top of the range study programs now offer self-contained CD or DVD materials. Instructor-led tutorials will mean you’ll learn your subject through the demonstrations and explanations. Then you test your knowledge by interacting with the software and practicing yourself. It’s very important to see examples of the study materials provided by the company you’re considering. They have to utilise full motion videos of instructors demonstrating the topic with lab’s to practice the skills in.
Seek out disc based courseware (On CD or DVD) if possible. You’re then protected from broadband ‘downtime’ or slow-speeds.
Proper support is incredibly important - find a program that includes 24×7 access, as anything less will frustrate you and could impede your ability to learn. Don’t buy training that only supports students with an out-sourced call-centre message system outside of normal office hours. Companies will try to talk you round from this line of reasoning. But, no matter how they put it - you want support at the appropriate time - not when it’s convenient for them.
The very best programs opt for an online access round-the-clock facility utilising a variety of support centres over many time-zones. You will have an easy to use interface that seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate irrespective of the time of day: Support on demand. You can’t afford to accept anything less. 24×7 support is the only kind that ever makes the grade when it comes to computer-based training. It’s possible you don’t intend to study late evenings; usually though, we’re out at work at the time when most support is available.
Every program under consideration has to build towards a nationally (or globally) recognised certification as an end-result - and not some unimportant ‘in-house’ plaque for your wall. All the major IT organisations like Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe each have internationally renowned proficiency courses. These heavyweights will give some sparkle to your CV.
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:
Clearly it’s not free - you’re still footing the bill for it - it’s just been wrapped up in the price of the package. If it’s important to you to pass in one, then you should pay for one exam at a time, give it the necessary attention and be ready for the task.
Look for the very best offer you can when you take the exam, and keep hold of your own money. You’ll then be able to select where you sit the exam - so you can choose somewhere closer to home. Huge profits are netted by many training colleges that incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. Many students don’t take them for one reason or another but no refunds are given. Believe it or not, there are training companies who actually bank on it - as that’s very profitable for them. The majority of organisations will insist on pre-tests and prohibit you from re-taking an exam until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass - which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.
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.
We’re often asked why academic qualifications are now falling behind more commercial certificates? Key company training (in industry terminology) is far more effective and specialised. The IT sector has become aware that such specialised knowledge is necessary to cope with an acceleratingly technical commercial environment. Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA are the key players in this arena. Of course, a necessary amount of associated information has to be learned, but core specifics in the particular job function gives a commercially trained student a massive advantage.
Think about if you were the employer - and your company needed a person with some very particular skills. What is easier: Trawl through reams of different degrees and college qualifications from hopeful applicants, trying to establish what they know and which workplace skills they’ve acquired, or choose a specific set of accreditations that precisely match your needs, and make your short-list from that. The interview is then more about the person and how they’ll fit in - instead of long discussions on technical suitability.
Many individuals don’t comprehend what information technology can do for us. It’s electrifying, revolutionary, and means you’re doing your bit in the gigantic wave of technology that will change our world over the next few decades. We’re only just starting to see just how technology will define our world. Computers and the web will significantly alter the way we see and interrelate with the rest of the world over the next few years.
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.
About the Author:
With 2 Decades experience, author Jason Kendall, battles for cheaper, quality interactive training in the UK. To find out more on
Cisco CCNA, visit LearningLolly
Cisco Training.