Programs for Cisco Training Clarified

By Jason Kendall

The Cisco training is intended for individuals who want to learn about network switches and routers. Routers connect computer networks via dedicated lines or the internet. We'd recommend that initially you should go for your CCNA. Don't be tempted to go straight for a CCNP as it's a considerable step up - and you need to work up to it to have a go at this.

You may end up employed by an internet service provider or a big organisation that is spread out geographically but needs to keep in touch. This career path is very well paid and quite specialised.

Get on a specially designed course that takes you on a progressive path to ensure you have the correct skill set and abilities before getting going with Cisco.

A ridiculously large number of organisations only concern themselves with gaining a certificate, and completely avoid why you're doing this - which is a commercial career or job. Always start with where you want to get to - don't get hung-up on the training vehicle.

It's common, for instance, to obtain tremendous satisfaction from a year of studying and then find yourself trapped for decades in a tiresome job role, as an upshot of not doing some quality research at the beginning.

You must also consider your leanings around career development, earning potential, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. You need to know what industry expects from you, what qualifications are required and how to develop your experience.

We'd recommend you take advice from a professional advisor before you begin a particular training programme, so there's little doubt that the chosen route will give you the appropriate skill-set.

Locating job security in this economic down-turn is very unusual. Businesses will drop us out of the workforce with very little notice - as and when it suits them.

We're able though to find security at the market sector level, by probing for areas in high demand, tied with a shortage of skilled staff.

Recently, a national e-Skills study showed that more than 26 percent of all IT positions available remain unfilled because of an appallingly low number of trained staff. Meaning that for each four job positions available in Information Technology (IT), we've only got three properly trained pro's to fulfil that role.

This disturbing truth shows the urgent need for more appropriately trained computing professionals in the UK.

It's unlikely if a better time or market state of affairs could exist for gaining qualification for this swiftly emerging and blossoming business.

The way in which your courseware is broken down for you is often missed by many students. How many parts is the training broken down into? What is the order and how fast does each element come?

Training companies will normally offer some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and deliver each piece one-by-one as you finish each section. If you think this sound logical, then consider this:

It's not unusual for trainees to realise that the company's 'standard' path of training isn't as suitable as another. You may find that a different order of study is more expedient. Could it cause problems if you don't get everything done at the pace they expect?

To avoid any potential future issues, it's normal for most trainees to have all their training materials (which they've now paid for) couriered out in one package, all at the beginning. It's then up to you in what order and how fast or slow you'd like to work.

Throw out a salesman who just tells you what course you should do without a thorough investigation to better understand your current abilities as well as level of experience. Always check they have access to a generous range of products so they're actually equipped to provide you with what's right for you.

An important point to note is that, if you have some relevant work-experience or certification, then you can sometimes expect to pick-up at a different starting-point to a student who's starting from scratch.

Starting with a foundation module first can be the best way to start into your computer studies, depending on your current skill level. - 33394

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