If it’s Cisco training you’re after, but you’ve not yet worked with switches and routers, then you’ll need the CCNA training. This will give you skills for setting up and maintaining routers. The internet is made up of hundreds of thousands of routers, and large commercial ventures with several different sites also use them to keep their networks in touch.

Successfully achieving this qualification means you’ll probably end up working for large commercial ventures that have several locations, 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 qualifying up to the CCNA level is the right level to aim for - don’t be pushed into attempting your CCNP. Once you’ve worked for a few years, you will have a feel for if it’s appropriate for you to go to the level of CCNP.

We can all agree: There really is no such thing as personal job security available anymore; there’s only industry or sector security - as any company can remove anyone whenever it fits the business’ trade requirements. Now, we only experience security via a fast rising market, fuelled by a lack of trained workers. It’s this alone that creates the right environment for a secure market - a far better situation.

Taking a look at the IT sector, the most recent e-Skills investigation demonstrated a more than 26 percent skills deficit. To put it another way, this clearly demonstrates that the UK is only able to source 3 certified professionals for each 4 positions existing now. This distressing notion underpins the requirement for more appropriately qualified computer professionals across Great Britain. Because the IT sector is growing at such a speed, is there any other area of industry worth considering for your new career.

Arriving at a sensible career choice can be very hard - so which areas should we be checking out and what questions do we need to raise?

Don’t get hung-up, as a lot of students can, on the training process. Training is not an end in itself; you’re training to become commercially employable. Begin and continue with the end in mind. Avoid becoming one of those unfortunate students that choose a course that sounds really ‘interesting’ and ‘fun’ - and get to the final hurdle of an accreditation for a career they’ll never really get any satisfaction from.

Set targets for earning potential and what level of ambition fits you. Often, this changes what accreditations will be expected and what’ll be expected of you in your new role. Seek out help from an experienced industry professional who appreciates the market you’re interested in, and who can give you ‘A day in the life of’ understanding of what you’ll actually be doing on a day-to-day basis. It’d be sensible to discover if this is the right course of action for you before the training program is started. There’s really no point in beginning your training and then find you’ve taken the wrong route.

A lot of trainers will only provide support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; It’s rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Many only provide email support (too slow), and telephone support is usually to a call-centre which will make some notes and then email an advisor - who’ll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, at a suitable time to them. This is no good if you’re sitting there confused over an issue and can only study at specific times.

The best trainers utilise several support facilities around the globe in several time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, irrespective of the time you login, help is at hand, with no hassle or contact issues. Never compromise where support is concerned. Most students who throw in the towel, are in that situation because of support (or the lack of).

The age-old way of teaching, using textbooks and whiteboards, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, dig around for more practical courses which feature interactive and multimedia modules. If we’re able to get all of our senses involved in our learning, then the results are usually dramatically better.

Start a study-program in which you’ll get a host of CD or DVD ROM’s - you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, with the facility to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. You really need to look at examples of the study materials provided by the company you’re considering. You’ll want to see that they include video, demonstrations and various interactive elements.

Avoid training that is purely online. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where obtainable, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - you don’t want to be reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.

So, why might we choose qualifications from the commercial sector and not familiar academic qualifications taught at schools, colleges or universities? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs becoming a tall order for many, together with the IT sector’s recognition that vendor-based training often has more relevance in the commercial field, we’ve seen a great increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA accredited training routes that educate students for much less time and money. Essentially, the learning just focuses on what’s actually required. It’s slightly more broad than that, but the most important function is always to master the precisely demanded skill-sets (along with a certain amount of crucial background) - without attempting to cover a bit about every other area (as universities often do).

It’s a bit like the TV advert: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. Employers simply need to know what they need doing, and then match up the appropriate exam numbers as a requirement. Then they’re assured that a potential employee can do exactly what’s required.

A key training program will have accredited simulation materials and exam preparation packages. Sometimes people can get confused by trying to prepare themselves with questions that are not from authorised sources. It’s not uncommon that the phraseology can be quite different and you should be prepared for this. Ensure that you ask for exam preparation tools so you’ll be able to test your understanding along the way. Simulations of exams help to build your confidence - so the actual exam is much easier.

A service that many training companies provide is a programme of Job Placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you get your first commercial position. However sometimes people are too impressed with this facility, for it is genuinely quite straightforward for well qualified and focused men and women to get a job in IT - as there is such a shortage of trained staff.

CV and Interview advice and support should be offered (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). Ensure you polish up your CV straight away - don’t leave it till you pass the exams! Various junior support roles have been bagged by students who are in the process of training and have yet to take their exams. At the very least this will get you on your way. If you don’t want to travel too far to work, then you may well find that a local IT focused recruitment consultancy may be of more use than a centralised service, as they’re far more likely to know local employment needs.

Various men and women, it would appear, put a great deal of effort into their studies (sometimes for years), and just give up when it comes to looking for a job. Market yourself… Work hard to put yourself out there. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.

Tags: Online Colleges

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