Cisco Certification

Should you be interested in training in Cisco, the chances are you’re looking for a CCNA. Cisco training is designed for people who wish to understand and work with network switches and routers. Routers hook up computer networks to other networks of computers over dedicated lines or the internet.

Achieving this qualification means you’ll most probably find yourself working for national or international corporations that have various different locations, but still want internal communication. Alternatively, you may find yourself employed by internet service providers. Both types of jobs command good salaries.

Achieving CCNA is what you should be aiming for - don’t be pushed into attempting your CCNP straight away. After gaining experience in the working environment, you will know if you need to train up to this level. If it is, you’ll be in a better position to pass then - because you’ll know so much more by then.

Often, students don’t think to check on a painfully important area - the way their training provider breaks up the physical training materials, and into what particular chunks. Training companies will normally offer a program spread over 1-3 years, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you complete each section or exam. If you think this sound logical, then consider this: Often, the staged breakdown insisted on by the company won’t suit you. What if you find it hard to complete all the elements within the time limits imposed?

Put simply, the perfect answer is to have their ideal ‘order’ of training laid out, but make sure you have all of your learning modules right from the beginning. It’s then all yours if you don’t manage to finish within their ideal time-table.

It’s likely that you’ve always enjoyed practical work - the ‘hands-on’ individual. 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’s not really your thing. So look for on-screen interactive learning packages if books just don’t do it for you. Where we can utilise all of our senses into our learning, our results will often be quite spectacular.

Modern training can now be done at home via interactive CD and DVD ROM’s. Instructor-led tutorials will mean you’ll learn your subject by way of the demonstrations and explanations. Then you test your knowledge by interacting with the software and practicing yourself. Always insist on a training material demonstration from the training company. You should ask for demo’s from instructors, slideshows and lab’s for you to practice your skills in.

Go for physical media such as CD or DVD ROM’s wherever available. You’re then protected from internet connection failure and issues with signal quality.

A subtle way that training companies make more money is through up-front charges for exams and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. It looks like a good deal, but is it really:

It’s very clear we’re still paying for it - it’s quite obvious to see that it’s been inserted into the overall figure from the training provider. It’s certainly not free - don’t think these companies are so generous with their money! Students who go in for their examinations when it’s appropriate, funding them one at a time are far more likely to pass first time. They are aware of what they’ve paid and take the necessary steps to make sure they’re ready.

Find the best exam deal or offer available when you’re ready, and avoid college mark-up fees. You’ll also be able to choose where to sit the exam - so you can choose somewhere closer to home. A great deal of money is made by some training companies that get money for exam fees in advance. Many students don’t take them for one reason or another and so they pocket the rest. Astoundingly enough, there are providers that rely on that fact - as that’s how they make a lot of their profit. Re-takes of any failed exams through organisations who offer an ‘Exam Guarantee’ inevitably are heavily regulated. They will insist that you take pre-tests first till you’ve proven conclusively that you can pass.

Exam fees averaged around the 112 pounds mark twelve months or so ago through Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. Therefore, why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra to get ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when common sense dictates that the responsible approach is a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools.

Many people think that the traditional school, college or university path is still the most effective. So why are commercial certificates becoming more popular with employers? With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, industry has of necessity moved to specialist courses only available through the vendors themselves - in other words companies like CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA. This usually turns out to involve less time and financial outlay. Patently, a necessary degree of closely linked detail needs to be covered, but precise specifics in the particular job function gives a vendor educated student a huge edge.

Put yourself in the employer’s position - and you wanted someone who could provide a specific set of skills. What’s the simplest way to find the right person: Wade your way through loads of academic qualifications from hopeful applicants, struggling to grasp what they’ve learned and what workplace skills have been attained, or select a specialised number of commercial certifications that exactly fulfil your criteria, and draw up from that who you want to speak to. The interview is then more about the person and how they’ll fit in - rather than establishing whether they can do a specific task.

A capable and professional consultant (vs a salesman) will talk through your current level of ability and experience. This is vital for working out your starting level of study. Where you have a strong background, or sometimes a little commercial experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then obviously the level you’ll need to start at will be very different from a trainee who has no experience. Where this will be your first attempt at IT study then it may be wise to start with a user-skills course first.