Cisco training is intended for individuals who wish to work with routers and network switches. Routers are what connect networks of computers over the internet or dedicated lines. It’s advisable that your first course should be CCNA. It’s not advisable to launch directly into the CCNP as it is very advanced – and you really need experience before you take this on.
As routers are connected to networks, it’s essential to know how networks operate, or you will have difficulties with the training and not be able to understand the work. Find a training programme that teaches the basics (CompTIA is ideal) prior to starting your CCNA.
You should get a tailored course that takes you on a progressive path to ensure you’ve got the appropriate skills and abilities before starting your training in Cisco skills.
A skilled and practiced consultant (vs a salesman) will cover in some detail your current experience level and abilities. This is vital for working out your starting level of study.
In some circumstances, the starting point of study for someone experienced in some areas is often hugely dissimilar to someone without.
Commencing with a basic PC skills module first can be the best way to commence your computer program, depending on your current skill level.
Getting into your first IT role can be a little easier with a Job Placement Assistance program. Don’t get caught up in this feature – it’s easy for training companies to overplay it. The fact of the matter is, the still growing need for IT personnel in Britain is what will make you attractive to employers.
Bring your CV up to date as soon as possible however – look to your training company for advice on how to do this. Don’t wait until you’ve graduated or passed any exams.
Getting your CV considered is better than being rejected. Many junior positions are given to people (sometimes when they’ve only just got going.)
The most efficient companies to help you find a job are generally independent and specialised local recruitment services. Because they only get paid when they place you, they’re perhaps more focused on results.
A big frustration of some course providers is how hard trainees are prepared to work to pass exams, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the role they’ve studied for. Don’t give up when the best is yet to come.
Commercial certification is now, most definitely, starting to replace the more academic tracks into the IT sector – why then should this be?
Vendor-based training (as it’s known in the industry) is far more specialised and product-specific. The IT sector has acknowledged that such specialised knowledge is necessary to handle an increasingly more technical marketplace. Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe are the dominant players.
In a nutshell, the learning just focuses on what’s actually required. Actually, it’s not quite as pared down as that, but principally the objective has to be to master the precisely demanded skill-sets (with some necessary background) – without going into too much detail in every other area (as academia often does).
Put yourself in the employer’s position – and you needed to take on someone with a very particular skill-set. What is easier: Wade your way through reams of different degrees and college qualifications from various applicants, trying to establish what they know and what commercial skills have been attained, or pick out specific commercial accreditations that exactly fulfil your criteria, and make your short-list from that. The interview is then more about the person and how they’ll fit in – rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
Considering how a program is ‘delivered’ to you isn’t always given the appropriate level of importance. How many stages do they break the program into? And in what sequence and how fast does each element come?
You may think that it makes sense (with most training taking 1-3 years for a full commercial certification,) that a training provider will issue one module at a time, until you’ve passed all the exams. But:
With thought, many trainees understand that their training company’s ’standard’ path of training isn’t the easiest way for them. You may find that varying the order of study will be far more suitable. And what happens if they don’t finish within their exact timetable?
The ideal solution is to have all the training materials couriered to you immediately; the complete package! This way, nothing can happen down the line which could affect your capability of finishing.
(C) Jason Kendall. Navigate to LearningLolly.com for clear career advice on Cisco CCNA Training Courses and Cisco Certification Courses.
