Training in Cisco is intended for individuals who need to know all about routers and network switches. Routers are what connect computer networks via dedicated lines or the internet. It’s likely that you should first attempt your CCNA. It’s not advisable to launch directly into a CCNP as it is very advanced – and you really need experience to have a go at this.
The kind of jobs requiring this type of qualification mean it’s likely you’ll end up working for large companies that are spread out geographically but need to keep in touch. On the other hand, you might end up being employed by an internet service provider. Jobs requiring these skills are plentiful and well remunerated.
Qualifying up to the CCNA level is perfectly sufficient to start with; don’t be cajoled into attempting your CCNP. Once you’ve got a few years experience behind you, you’ll know whether you need to train up to this level. If so, you will have developed the skills you need to tackle the CCNP – which is quite a hard qualification to acquire – and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Accredited simulation materials and exam preparation packages are crucial – and should definitely be sought from your training supplier.
Don’t fall foul of depending on unauthorised exam preparation systems. The type of questions asked is often somewhat different – and sometimes this can be a real headache in the actual examination.
‘Mock’ or practice exams can be enormously valuable as a resource to you – then when the time comes for you to take your actual exams, you don’t get phased.
The somewhat scary thought of finding your first IT job can be eased by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance programme. Often, this feature is bigged up too much, as it is genuinely quite straightforward for any focused and well taught person to find a job in this industry – because there’s a great need for trained staff.
CV and Interview advice and support is sometimes offered (if it isn’t, consult one of our sites). Ensure you polish up your CV right away – not when you’re ready to start work!
Having the possibility of an interview is more than not being regarded at all. A surprising amount of junior support jobs are bagged by people in the early stages of their course.
The best services to help get you placed are usually independent and specialised local recruitment services. As they will get paid by the employer when they’ve placed you, they’ll work that much harder to get a result.
Essentially, if you put the same amount of effort into securing your first job as into training, you’re not going to hit many challenges. A number of trainees bizarrely spend hundreds of hours on their learning program and then call a halt once certified and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.
Does job security truly exist anymore? Here in the UK, where industry can change its mind on a whim, we’d question whether it does.
It’s possible though to discover security at the market sector level, by looking for high demand areas, mixed with a shortage of skilled staff.
The computer industry skills deficit across the UK is standing at just over 26 percent, according to the latest e-Skills survey. Or, to put it differently, this shows that the UK can only locate 3 trained people for every 4 jobs available currently.
This single fact alone clearly demonstrates why the country urgently requires so many more workers to get trained and become part of the Information Technology market.
No better time or market conditions could exist for getting certified in this quickly growing and developing market.
Review the following facts carefully if you believe that old marketing ploy of ‘guaranteeing’ exams sounds like a benefit to the student:
Obviously it isn’t free – you’re still being charged for it – the price has simply been included in the whole thing.
If you want to qualify first ‘go’, then you should avoid exam guarantees and pay when entering exams, prioritise it appropriately and give the task sufficient application.
Don’t pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you take the exam, and hang on to your cash. You’ll also be able to choose where to take your exam – meaning you can choose a local testing centre.
Paying in advance for exams (plus interest – if you’re financing your study) is madness. Resist being talked into filling the training company’s account with extra money of yours just to give them a good cash-flow! Some will be pinning their hopes on the fact that you don’t even take them all – so they don’t need to pay for them.
Many training companies will require you to do mock exams and not allow you to re-take an exam until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass – which makes an ‘Exam Guarantee’ frankly useless.
Average exam fees were around the 112 pounds mark twelve months or so ago through Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So don’t be talked into shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds more to have ‘Exam Guarantees’, when common sense dictates that what’s really needed is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.
Copyright 2009 S. Edwards. Hop over to CLICK HERE or CCNACourseInfo.co.uk.
