Cisco Support Training – Options
CCNA is the usual starting point for all Cisco training. This teaches you how to handle maintaining and installing routers. The internet is made up of many routers, and large companies that have various regional departments utilise them to connect their computer networks.
To take this course, you should be clear on the operation and function of computer networks, as networks are built with routers. If not, the chances are you’ll fall behind. Better to look for a course covering the basics in networking – perhaps Network+ and A+, and then do a CCNA course. Look for a training provider that can offer this as a career package.
If you haven’t yet had any experience of routers, then working up to and including the CCNA is definitely sufficient – don’t be pushed into attempting your CCNP. When you’ve become more familiar with the work, you’ll know if it’s appropriate for you to go to the level of CCNP.
A service offered by some training providers is job placement assistance. This is designed to assist your search for your first position. With the great need for more IT skills in this country today, it’s not necessary to place too much emphasis on this feature however. It isn’t so complicated as you might think to land a job once you’re properly qualified.
However, don’t wait till you have qualified before polishing up your CV. As soon as you start a course, mark down what you’re doing and place it on jobsites!
It’s possible that you won’t have even passed your first exam when you will be offered your first junior support role; however this won’t be the case unless your CV is with employers.
If you’d like to get employment in your home town, then you’ll probably find that a specialist locally based employment agency could be more appropriate than some national concern, because they’re far more likely to have insider knowledge of local employment needs.
Certainly make sure you don’t conscientiously work through your course materials, and then do nothing more and leave it in the hands of the gods to land you a job. Stand up for yourself and make your own enquiries. Invest as much energy and enthusiasm into securing your new role as you did to gain the skills.
Now, why is it better to gain qualifications from the commercial sector rather than more traditional academic qualifications gained through schools and Further Education colleges?
The IT sector is of the opinion that for an understanding of the relevant skills, the right accreditation supplied for example by Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA most often has much more specialised relevance – for much less time and money.
In essence, only that which is required is learned. Actually, it’s not quite as pared down as that, but the principle objective is to concentrate on the fundamentally important skill-sets (along with a certain amount of crucial background) – without going into too much detail in every other area (as academia often does).
In simple terms: Commercial IT certifications give employers exactly what they’re looking for – everything they need to know is in the title: i.e. I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network’. Therefore an employer can look at the particular needs they have and what certifications are needed for the job.
Don’t accept anything less than the latest Microsoft (or Cisco, CompTIA etc.) authorised exam preparation packages.
Because a lot of examination boards in IT are American, you must be prepared for the way exams are phrased. It isn’t good enough just understanding random questions – it’s essential that you can cope with them in the proper exam format.
As you can imagine, it is really important to know that you are completely prepared for the real exam prior to doing it. Going over simulated tests logs the information in your brain and saves you time and money on failed exams.
Often, students don’t think to check on a painfully important area – the way their training provider divides up the training materials, and into how many bits.
Students often think it makes sense (when study may take one to three years to achieve full certification,) for many training providers to send out a single section at a time, until you’ve passed all the exams. But:
What if for some reason you don’t get to the end of every single section? What if you don’t find their order of learning is ideal for you? Because of nothing that’s your fault, you may go a little slower and consequently not get all your materials.
For future safety and flexibility, it’s normal for most trainees to make sure that every element of their training is sent immediately, and not in a piecemeal fashion. You can then decide how fast or slow and in what order you want to finish things.
(C) 2009 Scott Edwards. Visit CCNACertificationInfo.co.uk or HERE.
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