If Cisco training is your aspiration, and you've not yet worked with routers or network switches, you should first attempt CCNA certification. This will provide you with knowledge and skills to work with routers. The internet is made up of hundreds of thousands of routers, and large commercial ventures with many locations also need routers to allow their networks to keep in touch.
The kind of jobs requiring this knowledge mean the chances are you'll work for national or international companies that are spread out geographically but need their computer networks to talk to each other. Or, you may move on to joining an internet service provider. Both types of jobs command good salaries.
Getting your Cisco CCNA 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 will have a feel for whether you need to train up to this level. If so, your experience will serve as the background you require to take on your CCNP - which is quite a hard qualification to acquire - and mustn't be entered into casually.
One thing you must always insist on is 24x7 round-the-clock support with trained professional instructors and mentors. Too many companies only seem to want to help while they're in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends.
Beware of institutions who use call-centres 'out-of-hours' - with the call-back coming in during office hours. It's no use when you're stuck on a problem and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.
The very best programs opt for a web-based round-the-clock system utilising a variety of support centres over many time-zones. You will have an environment which switches seamlessly to the best choice of centres any time of the day or night: Support when it's needed.
Always choose a training company that gives this level of learning support. As only round-the-clock 24x7 support gives you the confidence to make it.
Beginning with the idea that it makes sense to home-in on the employment that excites us first, before we can even mull over which development program fulfils our needs, how can we choose the right direction?
Because without any solid background in computing, how should we possibly understand what someone in a particular job does?
Consideration of several areas is vital if you want to expose the right answers:
* The type of personality you have and interests - which work-centred jobs you love or hate.
* What time-frame are you looking at for your training?
* What priority do you place on salary vs the travel required?
* Because there are so many different sectors to gain certifications for in the IT industry - you will have to gain a basic understanding of what separates them.
* Taking a cold, hard look at the level of commitment, time and effort you can give.
To be honest, it's obvious that the only real way to investigate these matters tends to be through a good talk with an advisor or professional who has years of experience in IT (as well as it's commercial requirements.)
A lot of students presume that the traditional school, college or university path is the way they should go. Why then are commercially accredited qualifications beginning to overtake it?
The IT sector is now aware that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, official accreditation from the likes of CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised - for much less time and money.
Essentially, only required knowledge is taught. It's not quite as straightforward as that, but principally the objective has to be to focus on the exact skills required (along with a certain amount of crucial background) - without trying to cram in every other area - in the way that academic establishments often do.
What if you were an employer - and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What is easier: Trawl through loads of academic qualifications from several applicants, trying to establish what they know and which vocational skills they've acquired, or choose particular accreditations that specifically match what you're looking for, and make your short-list from that. Your interviews are then about personal suitability - rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
A study programme must provide a nationally accepted exam as an end-result - and not some unimportant 'in-house' diploma - fit only for filing away and forgetting.
All the major commercial players like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA all have nationally recognised proficiency programmes. Huge conglomerates such as these will make your CV stand-out.
The kind of jobs requiring this knowledge mean the chances are you'll work for national or international companies that are spread out geographically but need their computer networks to talk to each other. Or, you may move on to joining an internet service provider. Both types of jobs command good salaries.
Getting your Cisco CCNA 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 will have a feel for whether you need to train up to this level. If so, your experience will serve as the background you require to take on your CCNP - which is quite a hard qualification to acquire - and mustn't be entered into casually.
One thing you must always insist on is 24x7 round-the-clock support with trained professional instructors and mentors. Too many companies only seem to want to help while they're in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends.
Beware of institutions who use call-centres 'out-of-hours' - with the call-back coming in during office hours. It's no use when you're stuck on a problem and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.
The very best programs opt for a web-based round-the-clock system utilising a variety of support centres over many time-zones. You will have an environment which switches seamlessly to the best choice of centres any time of the day or night: Support when it's needed.
Always choose a training company that gives this level of learning support. As only round-the-clock 24x7 support gives you the confidence to make it.
Beginning with the idea that it makes sense to home-in on the employment that excites us first, before we can even mull over which development program fulfils our needs, how can we choose the right direction?
Because without any solid background in computing, how should we possibly understand what someone in a particular job does?
Consideration of several areas is vital if you want to expose the right answers:
* The type of personality you have and interests - which work-centred jobs you love or hate.
* What time-frame are you looking at for your training?
* What priority do you place on salary vs the travel required?
* Because there are so many different sectors to gain certifications for in the IT industry - you will have to gain a basic understanding of what separates them.
* Taking a cold, hard look at the level of commitment, time and effort you can give.
To be honest, it's obvious that the only real way to investigate these matters tends to be through a good talk with an advisor or professional who has years of experience in IT (as well as it's commercial requirements.)
A lot of students presume that the traditional school, college or university path is the way they should go. Why then are commercially accredited qualifications beginning to overtake it?
The IT sector is now aware that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, official accreditation from the likes of CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised - for much less time and money.
Essentially, only required knowledge is taught. It's not quite as straightforward as that, but principally the objective has to be to focus on the exact skills required (along with a certain amount of crucial background) - without trying to cram in every other area - in the way that academic establishments often do.
What if you were an employer - and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What is easier: Trawl through loads of academic qualifications from several applicants, trying to establish what they know and which vocational skills they've acquired, or choose particular accreditations that specifically match what you're looking for, and make your short-list from that. Your interviews are then about personal suitability - rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
A study programme must provide a nationally accepted exam as an end-result - and not some unimportant 'in-house' diploma - fit only for filing away and forgetting.
All the major commercial players like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA all have nationally recognised proficiency programmes. Huge conglomerates such as these will make your CV stand-out.
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