The Cisco training is designed for people who need to know all about routers and switches. Routers join up computer networks via the internet or dedicated lines. It’s likely that you should first attempt your CCNA. Steer clear of going immediately onto your CCNP as it’s a considerable step up – and you should gain some working knowledge before you take this on.
As routers connect networks together, look for a course that features the basics on networks (CompTIA Network+ as an example – maybe with the A+ as well) prior to starting your CCNA course. You must have a basic grasp of networks before you commence any Cisco training or you could find yourself a little lost. Once qualified and looking for work, networking skills will be valuable alongside your CCNA.
The CCNA qualification is perfectly sufficient to start with; don’t be cajoled into attempting your CCNP. Once you’ve worked for a few years, you will have a feel for whether CCNP is something you want to do. If so, you’ll have the knowledge you need for the CCNP – which is quite a hard qualification to acquire – and shouldn’t be looked upon as otherwise.
Adding in the cost of exam fees as an inclusive element of the package price and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is popular with many training course providers. But look at the facts:
We all know that we’re still being charged for it – it’s obviously been added into the overall figure from the training company. It’s absolutely not free – don’t think these companies are so generous with their money!
If you want to qualify first ‘go’, then you should fund each exam as you take it, prioritise it appropriately and be ready for the task.
Shouldn’t you be looking to find the best exam deal or offer at the time, instead of paying a premium to a training company, and to do it locally – rather than possibly hours away from your area?
Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for exams when you didn’t need to? Big margins are netted by organisations charging upfront for all their exams – and then cashing in when they’re not all taken.
Also, ‘Exam Guarantees’ often aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. Most companies won’t pay for re-takes until you have demonstrated conclusively that you won’t fail again.
Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is foolish – when a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools is what will really guarantee success.
Many students come unstuck over a single courseware aspect which is often not even considered: The way the training is divided into chunks and delivered to your home.
Training companies will normally offer some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you finish each section. On the surface this seems reasonable – until you consider the following:
What if you find the order pushed by the company’s salespeople doesn’t suit all of us. And what if you don’t finish all the sections inside of their particular timetable?
To avoid any potential future issues, most students now choose to request that all their modules (now paid for) are sent immediately, and not in a piecemeal fashion. It’s then up to you at what speed and in which order you’d like to work.
Sometimes students assume that the school and FE college route is the way they should go. So why are commercial certificates becoming more popular with employers?
The IT sector now recognises that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, official accreditation from the likes of CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA most often has much more specialised relevance – saving time and money.
Academic courses, as a example, become confusing because of too much background study – and a syllabus that’s too generalised. Students are then held back from understanding the specific essentials in enough depth.
It’s a bit like the TV advert: ‘It does what it says on the label’. All an employer has to do is know what they’re looking for, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. Then they know that anyone who applies can do the necessary work.
Getting your first commercial position sometimes feels easier to handle with the help of a Job Placement Assistance service. Don’t get caught up in this feature – it isn’t unusual for their marketing department to make too much of it. Ultimately, the still growing need for IT personnel in this country is why employers will be interested in you.
However, what is relevant is to have advice and support about your CV and interviews though; and we’d recommend everybody to get their CV updated the day they start training – don’t delay for when you’re ready to start work.
It’s not unusual to find that you will get your first job while still studying (occasionally right at the beginning). If your CV doesn’t say what you’re learning – or it’s not getting in front of interviewers, then you won’t even be considered!
In many cases, a local IT focused employment agency (who will, of course, be keen to place you to receive their commission) should get better results than any centralised training company’s service. It also stands to reason that they’ll be familiar with the local industry and employment needs.
A constant frustration of various training companies is how hard men and women are prepared to work to become certified, but how un-prepared that student is to get the job they have acquired skills for. Don’t give up when the best is yet to come.
(C) Scott Edwards 2009. Pop over to CCNATraining4IT.co.uk or CLICK HERE.
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