If it's Cisco training you're after, but you haven't worked with network switches or routers, you should first attempt the Cisco CCNA qualification. This will provide you with knowledge and skills to work with routers. The world wide web is built up of many routers, and national or international corporations with multiple departments and sites also need routers to connect their computer networks.
Jobs that use this type of knowledge mean the chances are you'll work for large companies that are spread out geographically but need to keep in touch. Or, you may move on to joining an internet service provider. Both types of jobs command good salaries.
Get on a specially designed course that will systematically go through everything to make sure that you have comprehensive skills and abilities before embarking on the Cisco skills.
In most cases, your everyday student really has no clue how they should get into a computing career, or what sector to focus their retraining program on.
Perusing long lists of different and confusing job titles is no use whatsoever. The majority of us have no idea what our own family members do for a living - so we have no hope of understanding the intricacies of any specific IT role.
The key to answering this question properly flows from a thorough conversation around several different topics:
* Your individual personality and what you're interested in - which work-related things you like and dislike.
* Is your focus to get qualified due to a precise reason - for instance, do you aim to work at home (working for yourself?)?
* Is your income higher on your priority-list than other requirements.
* With many, many different sectors to gain certifications for in computing - you'll need to achieve a solid grounding on what makes them different.
* Our advice is to think deeply about any sacrifices you'll need to make, as well as what commitment and time you're going to invest in your training.
For most of us, sifting through all these ideas needs a long talk with someone that has direct industry experience. And we don't just mean the accreditations - but also the commercial requirements besides.
You should look for an authorised exam preparation system as part of your training package.
Students regularly can be thrown off course by going through practice questions that don't come from official boards. It's not uncommon that the way questions are phrased can be quite different and you should be prepared for this.
For many reasons, it is vital to make sure you're absolutely ready for your actual certification exam prior to going for it. Rehearsing 'mock' exams helps build your confidence and helps to avoid unsuccessful attempts at exams.
Can job security honestly exist anymore? In the UK for instance, where business constantly changes its mind on a day-to-day basis, it certainly appears not.
Whereas a sector experiencing fast growth, where there just aren't enough staff to go round (through an enormous shortage of commercially certified staff), enables the possibility of proper job security.
Taking a look at the IT sector, a key e-Skills investigation showed a 26 percent shortfall of skilled workers. So, for each 4 job positions existing throughout computing, employers can only find properly accredited workers for 3 of them.
Properly trained and commercially accredited new staff are consequently at a resounding premium, and in all likelihood it will stay that way for many years to come.
It would be hard to imagine if a better time or market circumstances could exist for obtaining certification in this hugely increasing and evolving industry.
Searching for your first position in IT can feel more straightforward with the help of a Job Placement Assistance facility. With the massive shortage of skills in Britain even when times are hard, it's not too important to become overly impressed with this service however. It really won't be that difficult to land employment once you're well trained and qualified.
Bring your CV up to date as soon as possible however (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don't wait until you've qualified.
It's not uncommon to find that junior support jobs have been offered to people who're still on their course and have still to get qualified. This will at least get you on your way.
The best services to help you find a job are usually specialist locally based employment services. As they will get paid by the employer when they've placed you, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.
Do make sure you don't put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, and then do nothing more and expect somebody else to secure your first position. Get off your backside and make your own enquiries. Channel the same energy and enthusiasm into finding your new role as it took to pass the exams.
Now, why is it better to gain commercially accredited qualifications rather than the usual academic qualifications gained through schools and Further Education colleges?
With fees and living expenses for university students spiralling out of control, alongside the industry's recognition that accreditation-based training is often far more commercially relevant, we've seen a big surge in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA accredited training routes that educate students at a fraction of the cost and time involved.
Higher education courses, for example, can often get caught up in a lot of loosely associated study - with much too broad a syllabus. This prevents a student from understanding the specific essentials in enough depth.
Just as the old advertisement said: 'It does what it says on the tin'. All an employer has to do is know what areas need to be serviced, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. Then they're assured that a potential employee can do exactly what's required.
Jobs that use this type of knowledge mean the chances are you'll work for large companies that are spread out geographically but need to keep in touch. Or, you may move on to joining an internet service provider. Both types of jobs command good salaries.
Get on a specially designed course that will systematically go through everything to make sure that you have comprehensive skills and abilities before embarking on the Cisco skills.
In most cases, your everyday student really has no clue how they should get into a computing career, or what sector to focus their retraining program on.
Perusing long lists of different and confusing job titles is no use whatsoever. The majority of us have no idea what our own family members do for a living - so we have no hope of understanding the intricacies of any specific IT role.
The key to answering this question properly flows from a thorough conversation around several different topics:
* Your individual personality and what you're interested in - which work-related things you like and dislike.
* Is your focus to get qualified due to a precise reason - for instance, do you aim to work at home (working for yourself?)?
* Is your income higher on your priority-list than other requirements.
* With many, many different sectors to gain certifications for in computing - you'll need to achieve a solid grounding on what makes them different.
* Our advice is to think deeply about any sacrifices you'll need to make, as well as what commitment and time you're going to invest in your training.
For most of us, sifting through all these ideas needs a long talk with someone that has direct industry experience. And we don't just mean the accreditations - but also the commercial requirements besides.
You should look for an authorised exam preparation system as part of your training package.
Students regularly can be thrown off course by going through practice questions that don't come from official boards. It's not uncommon that the way questions are phrased can be quite different and you should be prepared for this.
For many reasons, it is vital to make sure you're absolutely ready for your actual certification exam prior to going for it. Rehearsing 'mock' exams helps build your confidence and helps to avoid unsuccessful attempts at exams.
Can job security honestly exist anymore? In the UK for instance, where business constantly changes its mind on a day-to-day basis, it certainly appears not.
Whereas a sector experiencing fast growth, where there just aren't enough staff to go round (through an enormous shortage of commercially certified staff), enables the possibility of proper job security.
Taking a look at the IT sector, a key e-Skills investigation showed a 26 percent shortfall of skilled workers. So, for each 4 job positions existing throughout computing, employers can only find properly accredited workers for 3 of them.
Properly trained and commercially accredited new staff are consequently at a resounding premium, and in all likelihood it will stay that way for many years to come.
It would be hard to imagine if a better time or market circumstances could exist for obtaining certification in this hugely increasing and evolving industry.
Searching for your first position in IT can feel more straightforward with the help of a Job Placement Assistance facility. With the massive shortage of skills in Britain even when times are hard, it's not too important to become overly impressed with this service however. It really won't be that difficult to land employment once you're well trained and qualified.
Bring your CV up to date as soon as possible however (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don't wait until you've qualified.
It's not uncommon to find that junior support jobs have been offered to people who're still on their course and have still to get qualified. This will at least get you on your way.
The best services to help you find a job are usually specialist locally based employment services. As they will get paid by the employer when they've placed you, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.
Do make sure you don't put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, and then do nothing more and expect somebody else to secure your first position. Get off your backside and make your own enquiries. Channel the same energy and enthusiasm into finding your new role as it took to pass the exams.
Now, why is it better to gain commercially accredited qualifications rather than the usual academic qualifications gained through schools and Further Education colleges?
With fees and living expenses for university students spiralling out of control, alongside the industry's recognition that accreditation-based training is often far more commercially relevant, we've seen a big surge in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA accredited training routes that educate students at a fraction of the cost and time involved.
Higher education courses, for example, can often get caught up in a lot of loosely associated study - with much too broad a syllabus. This prevents a student from understanding the specific essentials in enough depth.
Just as the old advertisement said: 'It does what it says on the tin'. All an employer has to do is know what areas need to be serviced, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. Then they're assured that a potential employee can do exactly what's required.
About the Author:
(C) Jason Kendall. Visit LearningLolly.com for excellent information on New Career Skills and Cisco Training.
