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The CCNA certification is your entry level for training in Cisco. This will enable you to work on the maintenance and installation of routers. The internet is made up of many routers, and large companies who have various regional departments need them to connect their computer networks.

The sort of jobs available with this knowledge mean you’ll most probably work for national or international companies that have various different locations but still need contact. The other possibility is joining an internet service provider. Jobs requiring these skills are plentiful and well remunerated.

Should this be your first introduction to routers, then qualifying up to the CCNA level is more than enough – you’re not yet ready for your CCNP. With a few years experience behind you, you will know if it’s appropriate for you to go to the level of CCNP.

Commencing with the understanding that it’s good to home-in on the market that sounds most inviting first, before we can even ponder which career development program ticks the right boxes, how do we know the right direction? Flicking through a list of odd-sounding and meaningless job titles is just a waste of time. Most of us have no concept what our own family members do for a living – so we’re in the dark as to the subtleties of any specific IT role. The key to answering this question properly flows from an in-depth talk over several different topics:

* What nature of person you think yourself to be – what tasks do you get enjoyment from, and don’t forget – what don’t you like doing.

* Why you’re looking at starting in IT – maybe you’d like to triumph over a particular goal such as working for yourself maybe.

* What salary and timescale needs you may have?

* Considering the huge variation that the IT industry encompasses, it’s obvious you’ll need to be able to understand how they differ.

* Having a cold, hard look into the effort, commitment and time that you can put aside.

In actuality, you’ll find the only real way to gain help on these areas will be via a meeting with an advisor that has years of experience in the IT industry (as well as it’s commercial requirements.)

If your advisor doesn’t dig around with lots of question – the likelihood is they’re just trying to sell you something. If they’re pushing towards a particular product before learning about your history and experience, then you know it’s true. Of course, if in the past you’ve acquired any previous certification, then you can sometimes expect to commence studying further along than a trainee with no history to speak of. If you’re a new trainee beginning IT exams and training for the first time, you might like to ease in gradually, beginning with some basic user skills first. This is often offered with most accreditation programs.

One of the most important things to insist on has to be full 24×7 support through trained professional instructors and mentors. It’s an all too common story to find providers that will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend. You’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and phone support is usually just a call-centre who will just take down the issue and email it over to their technical team – who will then call back sometime over the next 24hrs, when it suits them. This is no good if you’re lost and confused and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.

Top training companies utilise several support facilities across multiple time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to provide a seamless experience, irrespective of the time you login, help is just a click away, with no hassle or contact issues. If you accept anything less than 24×7 support, you’ll very quickly realise that you’ve made a mistake. You may not need it throughout the night, but you’re bound to use weekends, late evenings or early mornings.

Huge changes are about to hit technology as we approach the second decade of the 21st century – and this means greater innovations all the time. Technology, computers and interaction through the web will dramatically shape the way we live our lives in the future; to a vast degree.

A average IT worker across the UK will also get much more than equivalent professionals in another industry. Standard IT salaries are hard to beat nationally. It’s evident that we have a substantial nationwide need for certified IT specialists. In addition, with the marketplace continuing to expand, it looks like this pattern will continue for the significant future.

Only consider learning programs that’ll lead to industry accepted exams. There’s a plethora of trainers offering their own ‘in-house’ certificates that are essentially useless in the real world. From the viewpoint of an employer, only the big-boys such as Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe (to give some examples) will get you into the interview seat. Nothing else will cut the mustard.

Everybody is busy these days, and generally should we decide to learn a new profession, getting educated at the same time as holding down a job is the only option open to us. Training tracks certified by Microsoft can fill that gap. You might like to find a training advisor, who can give you some ideas on whereabouts in industry would be best, and the kind of tasks that are a good match for someone with your personality. When you’ve settled on the career path you want, a suitable training program needs to be singled out that’s goes with your ability level and skill set. You should expect to be offered a bespoke package for you.

Getting your first commercial position sometimes feels easier to handle if you’re supported with a Job Placement Assistance program. Having said that, occasionally this feature is bigged up too much, because it is actually not that hard for a well trained and motivated person to secure a job in the IT environment – because companies everywhere are seeking skilled employees.

Help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews should be offered (if not, see one of our sites for help). Make sure you update that dusty old CV immediately – not after you’ve qualified! Various junior support roles have been bagged by trainees who’re still on their course and have still to get qualified. This will at the very least get you on your way. Generally, a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service (who will get paid commission to place you) will perform better than any sector of a centralised training facility. It also stands to reason that they’ll be familiar with local industry and the area better.

A good number of men and women, so it seems, are prepared to study their hearts out (sometimes for years), and then just stop instead of looking for the right position. Sell yourself… Make an effort to get in front of employers. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.

You should only consider learning programs which progress to commercially acknowledged exams. There’s an endless list of trainers offering their own ‘in-house’ certificates which will prove unusable in the real world. From the perspective of an employer, only the big-boys such as Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA (to give some examples) provide enough commercial weight. Nothing else hits the mark.

Don’t forget: a training program or a certification is not what you’re looking for; the career that you want to end up in is. A lot of colleges seem to put too much weight in the qualification itself. You may train for one year and then end up doing the job for 20 years. Don’t make the error of finding what seems like a program of interest to you and then put 10-20 years into a job you don’t like!

Stay focused on what it is you’re trying to achieve, and build your study action-plan from that – don’t do it the other way round. Stay on target and begin studying for a job you’ll still be enjoying many years from now. Your likely to need help from someone that knows the commercial realities of the sector you’re considering, and who can offer ‘A day in the life of’ synopsis for that career-path. These things are incredibly important as you’ll need to fully understand if this change is right for you.

Don’t accept anything less than the current Microsoft (or any other key organisation’s) authorised exam preparation packages. Sometimes people can get confused by practicing questions for their exams that don’t come from official boards. Sometimes, the terminology in the real exams is unfamiliar and it’s vital that you know this. Why don’t you test your knowledge through tests and practice in simulated exam environments before you take the real thing.

At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be comprehensive 24×7 direct-access support with dedicated instructors and mentors. It’s an all too common story to find providers that only provide office hours (or extended office hours) support. Look for training with proper support available at all hours of the day and night (even if it’s early hours on Sunday morning!) You want access directly to professional tutors, and not a message system as this will slow you down – parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back when it’s convenient for them.

The best trainers incorporate three or four individual support centres across multiple time-zones. Online access provides the interactive interface to seamlessly link them all, at any time you choose, help is at hand, with no hassle or contact issues. If you accept anything less than online 24×7 support, you’ll end up kicking yourself. You might not want to use the service throughout the night, but what about weekends, evenings and early mornings at some point.

If you’re thinking about studying to get an MCSE, you’re probably in 1 of 2 situations. You could be about to get into the IT environment, and your research tells you this commercial sector has many opportunities for men and women who are commercially qualified. On the other hand you may be someone with a certain amount of knowledge ready to formalise your skill set with a qualification such as MCSE.

When looking into training providers, make it a policy to stay away from those who cut costs by not providing the current Microsoft version. This is a false economy for the trainee due to the fact that they’ll have learned an out-of-date syllabus which doesn’t fall in with the present exams, so they’ll probably fail. Providers ought to be devoted to discovering the ultimate program for prospective students. Mentoring education is as much concerned with guiding people on establishing which way to go, as much as giving them help to get there.

You have to be sure that all your certifications are current and also valid commercially – don’t even consider courses which lead to some in-house certificate (which is as useless as if you’d printed it yourself). Only properly recognised accreditation from the likes of Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco and Adobe will have any meaning to employers.

Don’t put too much store, as can often be the case, on the training course itself. Training is not an end in itself; this is about gaining commercial employment. You need to remain focused on where you want to go. You could be training for only a year and end up performing the job-role for decades. Avoid the mistake of choosing what sounds like a program of interest to you and then spend decades in a job you hate!

Be honest with yourself about what you want to earn and what level of ambition fits you. Usually, this will point the way to which particular accreditations will be expected and what you can expect to give industry in return. We’d recommend you seek advice from an experienced industry professional before settling on a study path, so there’s no doubt that the chosen route will give you the skills necessary.

Commercial qualifications are now, without a doubt, beginning to replace the more academic tracks into the IT sector – why then is this happening? Vendor-based training (to use industry-speak) is far more specialised and product-specific. Industry has become aware that specialisation is what’s needed to service the demands of an increasingly more technical world. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA dominate in this arena. University courses, as a example, often get bogged down in a lot of loosely associated study – and a syllabus that’s too generalised. This prevents a student from learning the core essentials in sufficient depth.

Assuming a company is aware what areas need to be serviced, then all it takes is an advert for someone with a specific qualification. The syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and don’t change between schools (as academic syllabuses often do).

We can’t make a big enough deal out of this point: Always get full 24×7 professional support from mentors and instructors. You will have so many problems later if you don’t adhere to this. Avoid those companies who use call-centres ‘out-of-hours’ – with your call-back scheduled for typical office hours. This is no use if you’re stuck and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.

Top training companies utilise several support facilities active in different time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to link them all seamlessly, at any time you choose, help is just seconds away, with no hassle or contact issues. Search out an educator that cares. Because only live 24×7 round-the-clock support delivers what is required.

Those that are drawn to this type of work are often very practical, and won’t enjoy sitting at a desk in class, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If this is putting you off studying, try the newer style of interactive study, where you can learn everything on-screen. If we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, then we normally see dramatically better results.

The latest audio-visual interactive programs utilising video demo’s and practice lab’s will beat books every time. And you’ll actually enjoy doing them. It’s wise to view some examples of the kind of training materials you’ll be using before you sign on the dotted line. Always insist on instructor-led video demonstrations and a variety of audio-visual and interactive sections.

It’s folly to opt for on-line only training. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across all internet service providers, make sure you get disc based courseware (On CD or DVD).

With hundreds of computer study programs available, it can be difficult to know which ones best. Select one that matches up with your personality and your level of ability, and that’s needed in the working environment. Why not try Microsoft User Skills packages, or become a specialist IT professional. Technologically advanced courses will set you on the right track to achieve your goals.

The latest training methods at last give students the chance to be instructed on an interactive course, that is much cheaper than more outdated courses. The great value of these quality courses puts them within everyone’s reach.

Proper support is incredibly important – find a program offering 24×7 direct access to instructors, as not opting for this kind of support could impede your ability to learn. Find a good quality service with proper support available at any time of day or night (even if it’s early hours on Sunday morning!) You want direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you’re waiting for tutors to call you back during office hours.

We recommend looking for colleges that use several support centres active in different time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to offer a simple interface as well as round-the-clock access, when you need it, with the minimum of hassle. Never ever take second best where support is concerned. The majority of IT hopefuls who fall by the wayside, would have had a different experience if they’d got the right support package in the first place.

The somewhat scary thought of getting your first computer related job is often made easier because some trainers offer a Job Placement Assistance service. Ultimately it isn’t a complex operation to get your first job – assuming you’re well trained and qualified; employers in this country need your skills.

However, what is relevant is to have help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews though; and we’d encourage any student to update their CV right at the beginning of their training – don’t put it off for when you’re ready to start work. It’s possible that you won’t have even qualified when you will get your initial junior support role; yet this is not possible if your CV isn’t in front of employers. Actually, a specialist locally based employment agency – who make their money when they’ve found you a job – is going to give you a better service than a recruitment division from a training organisation. In addition, they will no doubt be familiar with the area and local employers better.

Various trainees, it seems, invest a great deal of time on their training course (sometimes for years), only to do nothing special when looking for the right position. Introduce yourself… Make an effort to get yourself known. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.

An area that’s often missed by new students weighing up a particular programme is ‘training segmentation’. Basically, this means the way the course is divided up for timed release to you, which vastly changes the point you end up at. Normally, you’ll join a programme that takes between and 1 and 3 years and get posted one section at a time – from one exam to the next. While this may sound logical on one level, consider this: What if there are reasons why you can’t finish all the sections or exams? And what if the order provided doesn’t meet your requirements? Due to no fault of yours, you might take a little longer and consequently not get all your materials.

Ideally, you want ALL the study materials up-front – giving you them all to come back to in the future – at any time you choose. This also allows you to vary the order in which you complete your exams where a more intuitive path can be found.

One interesting way that course providers make a lot more is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and offering an exam guarantee. It looks impressive, but let’s just examine it more closely:

Everybody’s aware that they’re still footing the bill for it – it’s quite obvious to see that it’s already been included in the overall figure from the training company. It’s absolutely not free (it’s just marketing companies think we’ll fall for anything they say!) If it’s important to you to pass in one, then the most successful route is to fund each exam as you take it, focus on it intently and give the task sufficient application.

Why pay the training college early for exams? Find the best exam deal or offer at the appropriate time, instead of paying any mark-up – and take it closer to home – rather than possibly hours away from your area. Why borrow the money or pay in advance (plus interest of course) on exam fees when there was no need to? Big margins are secured by training companies getting money in early for exam fees – and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. You should fully understand that re-takes through training course providers with an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are tightly controlled. You’ll be required to sit pre-tests until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass.

With average prices for VUE and Pro-metric examinations coming in at around 112 pounds in the UK, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. There’s no sense in throwing away maybe a thousand pounds extra at the start of your studies. Commitment, effort and practice with quality exam preparation systems are the factors that really get you through.

We’re often asked why traditional degrees are now falling behind more qualifications from the commercial sector? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs becoming a tall order for many, alongside the industry’s general opinion that corporate based study often has more relevance in the commercial field, there has been a dramatic increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA certified training programmes that supply key solutions to a student at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time. Of course, a reasonable portion of relevant additional knowledge needs to be taught, but core specifics in the particular job function gives a commercially educated person a distinct advantage.

Just as the old advertisement said: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. The company just needs to know what they’re looking for, and then match up the appropriate exam numbers as a requirement. Then they know that anyone who applies can do the necessary work.

Network and computer support workers are ever more in demand in the UK, as companies rely heavily on their technical advice and skills. The nation’s requirement for better commercially qualified individuals is enhanced, as society becomes consistently more dependent upon PC’s in the modern world.

A sneaky way that course providers make extra profits is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course then giving it ‘Exam Guarantee’ status. It looks impressive, but is it really:

You’ll be charged for it ultimately. It’s definitely not free – they’ve simply charged more for the whole training package. We all want to pass first time. Taking your exams progressively one at a time and paying as you go makes it far more likely you’ll pass first time – you take it seriously and are aware of the costs involved.

Isn’t it in your interests to go for the best offer when you take the exam, not to pay the fees marked up by the training company, and also to sit exams more locally – rather than possibly hours away from your area? A great deal of money is made by many companies that incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. Many students don’t take them for one reason or another and so they pocket the rest. Amazingly, there are companies around that actually bank on it – as that’s very profitable for them. It’s also worth noting that ‘Exam Guarantees’ often aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. The majority of organisations won’t be prepared to pay for re-takes until you’re able to demonstrate an excellent mock pass rate.

Exams taken at VUE and Prometric centres are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in Great Britain. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in fees for ‘exam guarantees’ (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) – when the best course materials, the right level of support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what’s required.

Searching for your first position in IT sometimes feels easier to handle with the help of a Job Placement Assistance service. Having said that, occasionally there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, for it’s really not that difficult for any focused and well taught person to find a job in IT – because there’s a great need for trained staff.

You would ideally have advice and support about your CV and interviews though; additionally, we would recommend everyone to bring their CV up to date as soon as training commences – don’t wait until you’ve qualified. It’s possible that you won’t have even got to the exam time when you land your first junior support role; although this can’t and won’t happen unless you’ve posted your CV on job sites. You’ll normally experience better performance from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than you’ll experience from any training provider’s centralised service, as they’ll know the area better.

A slight frustration for a number of training companies is how hard men and women are prepared to work to become certified, but how little effort that student will then put into getting the role they’ve acquired skills for. Have confidence – the IT industry needs YOU.

Always expect accredited simulation materials and an exam preparation system as part of your training package. Don’t fall foul of depending on non-official exam preparation systems. Their phraseology can be quite different – and this could lead to potential problems in the actual examination. It’s a good idea to have some simulated exam questions that will allow you to test your comprehension whenever you need to. Practice or ‘mock’ exams will help to boost your attitude – so the real thing isn’t quite as scary.

Make sure that all your exams are what employers want – forget programs which end up with a useless in-house certificate or plaque. Only fully recognised qualifications from the top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA and Adobe will have any meaning to employers.

A question; why ought we to be looking at commercial qualifications instead of more traditional academic qualifications gained through schools, colleges or universities? With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, industry has moved to the specialised core-skills learning that can only come from the vendors – namely companies such as Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe. Often this saves time and money for the student. They do this by concentrating on the particular skills that are needed (along with an appropriate level of associated knowledge,) instead of going into the heightened depths of background non-specific minutiae that academic courses are prone to get tied up in (because the syllabus is so wide).

The crux of the matter is this: Accredited IT qualifications give employers exactly what they’re looking for – everything they need to know is in the title: as an example – I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network’. Therefore an employer can identify exactly what they need and which qualifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.

There are actually 4 different sectors in the A+ syllabus, of which 2 passes are needed to be considered A+ qualified. We would advise however that only studying two of the four specialities might well not equip you for a job. Look for training that covers all the specialist areas – employers will notice the difference.

Passing the A+ exam by itself will allow you to repair and fix computers and Macs; ones that are generally not connected to a network – which means the home or small business market. If your ambition is taking care of computer networks, add the very comprehensive CompTIA Network+ to your training package. This qualification will mean you can get a higher paid position. You may also want to consider the Microsoft networking qualifications (MCP, MCSA and MCSE).

Quite often, students have issues with one area of their training which is often not even considered: The method used to ’segment’ the courseware before being physically delivered to you. Usually, you’ll join a programme requiring 1-3 years study and get sent one module each time you pass an exam. It seems to make sense on one level, but consider these issues: Many students find that their providers usual training route isn’t as suitable as another. Sometimes, varying the order of study will be far more suitable. Could it cause problems if you don’t get everything done in the allotted time?

In a perfect world, you’d get ALL the training materials right at the beginning – so you’ll have them all to come back to in the future – whenever it suits you. Variations can then be made to the order that you complete your exams if another more intuitive route presents itself.

Only consider learning courses which will move onto industry accepted qualifications. There are far too many trainers promoting their own ‘in-house’ certificates which will prove unusable in today’s commercial market. You’ll find that only recognised certification from companies such as Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco and CompTIA will be useful to a future employer.

You’ll come across courses which guarantee examination passes – inevitably that means paying for the exams before you’ve even made a start on the course. Before you jump at guaranteed exams, be aware of the facts:

You’ll be charged for it by some means. It certainly isn’t free – they’ve simply charged more for the whole training package. We all want to pass first time. Entering examinations one by one and paying as you go makes it far more likely you’ll pass first time – you revise thoroughly and are conscious of what you’ve spent.

Shouldn’t you be looking to hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take the exam, instead of paying a premium to the college, and to do it locally – rather than in some remote centre? What’s the point in paying early for examinations when there’s absolutely nothing that says you have to? Huge profits are made by companies charging all their exam fees up-front – and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. It’s also worth noting that many exam guarantees are worthless. Many training companies won’t pay for you to re-take until you can prove to them you’re ready to pass.

Exams taken at local centres are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in Britain at the time of writing. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in ‘Exam Guarantee’ costs (most often hidden in the package) – when good quality study materials, the proper support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what’s required.

Traditional teaching in classrooms, involving piles of reference textbooks, can be pretty hard going sometimes. If this describes you, look for learning programmes that are multimedia based. Years of research and study has repeatedly verified that getting into our studies physically, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.

The latest audio-visual interactive programs involving demonstration and virtual lab’s will turn you off book-based study for ever more. And they’re far more fun. Don’t take any chances and look at a small selection of training examples before you purchase a course. You should expect instructor demonstrations, video tutorials and interactive modules with audio-visual elements.

Select actual CD or DVD ROM’s whenever you can. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with the variability of broadband quality and service.

Looking around, we find a glut of work available in computing. Arriving at the correct choice out of this complexity can be very difficult. What are the chances of us grasping the tasks faced daily in an IT career when it’s an alien environment to us? Often we don’t know someone who does that actual job anyway. To come through this, a discussion is necessary, covering several different aspects:

* Our personalities play a major role – what gets you ‘up and running’, and what tasks really turn you off.

* Do you hope to achieve a specific goal – for example, working for yourself as quickly as possible?

* How important is salary to you – is it of prime importance, or is day-to-day enjoyment further up on the scale of your priorities?

* Always think in-depth about the work involved to gain all the necessary accreditation.

* What effort, commitment and time you’ll put into the training program.

In these situations, your only option to research these issues is through a chat with an advisor or professional that has a background in Information Technology (and specifically it’s commercial requirements.)