If you want Cisco training, the chances are you're looking for a CCNA. The Cisco training is designed for people who need to know all about routers and network switches. Routers connect computer networks to different networks of computers via dedicated lines or the internet.
Jobs that use this type of qualification mean you'll most probably work for large companies that have several different sites but still need contact. On the other hand, you might end up working for an internet service provider. These jobs are well paid and in demand.
Achieving CCNA is where you need to be aiming - you're not ready for your CCNP for now. After gaining experience in the working environment, you'll know if CCNP is something you want to do. Should that be the case, you'll be much more capable to succeed at that stage - as your working knowledge will put everything into perspective.
Commercially accredited qualifications are now, undoubtedly, already replacing the older academic routes into the IT industry - why then is this? With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, industry has of necessity moved to specialist courses that can only be obtained from the actual vendors - namely companies such as CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA. This often comes in at a fraction of the cost and time. They do this by honing in on the particular skills that are needed (along with an appropriate level of background knowledge,) rather than going into the heightened depths of background detail and 'fluff' that degrees in computing can get bogged down in (to fill up a syllabus or course).
Just like the advert used to say: 'It does what it says on the tin'. Employers simply need to know what areas need to be serviced, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. They'll know then that all applicants can do what they need.
Exam 'guarantees' are sometimes offered as part of a training package - this always means you have to pay for the exams when you pay for the rest of your course. But before you get taken in by guaranteed exams, consider this:
We all know that we're still being charged for it - it's quite obvious to see that it's already been included in the overall price charged by the college. It's absolutely not free - and it's insulting that we're supposed to think it is! If it's important to you to pass in one, then the most successful route is to pay for each exam as you go, prioritise it appropriately and apply yourself as required.
Sit the exam as locally as possible and go for the best offer you can find when you're ready. Why borrow the money or pay in advance (plus interest of course) on exams when there's absolutely nothing that says you have to? Huge profits are made by companies charging all their exam fees up-front - and then cashing in when they're not all taken. Don't forget, in the majority of cases of 'exam guarantees' - the company controls how often and when you are allowed to have another go. You will have to demonstrate an excellent pass-rate before they'll approve a re-take.
VUE and Prometric examinations are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in the UK. 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 a quality course, support and a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
It's likely that you're quite practically minded - the 'hands-on' person. If you're like us, the trial of reading reference books and manuals is something you'll make yourself do if you have to, but it doesn't suit your way of doing things. Consider interactive, multimedia study if you'd really rather not use books. Recent studies into the way we learn shows that memory is aided when we receive multi-sensorial input, and we get physically involved with the study process.
Top of the range study programs now offer interactive discs. By watching and listening to instructors on video tutorials you'll absorb the modules, one by one, through their teaching and demonstrations. You can then test yourself by practicing and interacting with the software. Any company that you're considering must be pushed to demo some examples of their courseware. Make sure you encounter videos of instructor-led classes and a variety of interactive modules.
Purely on-line training should be avoided. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where offered, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - ISP quality varies, so you don't want to be totally reliant on your broadband being 'up' 100 percent of the time. Nip over to inside Electrician Training Courses for intelligent recommendations.
A typical blunder that we encounter all too often is to look for the actual course to take, rather than starting with where they want to get to. Training academies have thousands of unaware students who chose a course based on what sounded good - rather than what would get them their end-goal of a job they enjoyed. It's possible, in many cases, to obtain tremendous satisfaction from a year of studying but end up spending 10 or 20 years in a career that does nothing for you, as a consequence of not performing some decent due-diligence when it was needed - at the start.
Stay focused on what it is you're trying to achieve, and create a learning-plan from that - don't do it the other way round. Stay on target and study for an end-result you'll still be enjoying many years from now. We advise all students to speak with a skilled advisor before following a particular retraining path. This is essential to ensure it has the required elements for the chosen career path.
