by Jason Kendall
If you’re looking for Cisco training and you haven’t worked with routers before, what you need is a CCNA. This training course was created to instruct people with a commercial knowledge of routers. Commercial ventures that have several locations use routers to connect their various different networks of computers to keep in contact with each other. The Internet is also built up of hundreds of thousands of routers.
As routers are connected to networks, look for a program that features the basics on networks – perhaps Network+ and A+, prior to starting your CCNA course. You must have an understanding of the basics before getting going with Cisco or you’ll probably struggle. Once qualified and looking for work, companies will expect good networking skills alongside your CCNA.
Having the skills and knowledge prior to starting the CCNA is very important. So talk to someone who will be able to help you.
Traditional teaching in classrooms, using textbooks and whiteboards, is often a huge slog for most of us. If this describes you, find training programs which feature interactive and multimedia modules. If we’re able to involve all our senses in the learning process, then we normally see dramatically better results.
Interactive audio-visual materials with demonstrations and practice sessions will beat books every time. And you’ll actually enjoy doing them. All companies should willingly take you through some samples of their training materials. You’re looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and a wide selection of interactive elements.
Pick CD and DVD ROM based physical training media wherever available. Thus avoiding all the issues associated with the variability of broadband quality and service.
Many trainers have a handy Job Placement Assistance service, to help you get your first job. Ultimately it’s not as hard as some people make out to get the right work – once you’re trained and certified; because there’s still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.
CV and Interview advice and support might be provided (if not, see one of our sites for help). Make sure you bring your CV right up to date today – don’t wait until you’ve finished your exams! Quite frequently, you’ll secure your initial job whilst you’re still studying (even when you’ve just left first base). If you haven’t updated your CV to say what you’re studying (and it isn’t in the hands of someone with jobs to offer) then you’re not even going to be known about! Most often, a specialist locally based employment service (who will get paid by the employer when they’ve placed you) is going to give you a better service than a sector of a centralised training facility. Also of course they should be familiar with the local industry and employment needs.
A constant grievance of many training companies is how much trainees are focused on studying to pass exams, but how ill-prepared they are to market themselves for the position they’ve studied for. Don’t give up when the best is yet to come.
One crafty way that training companies make more money is via an ‘exam inclusive’ package and offering an exam guarantee. It looks impressive, but is it really:
These days, we tend to be a bit more aware of hype – and generally we cotton on to the fact that we are actually being charged for it (it’s not a freebie because they like us so much!) Qualifying on the first ‘go’ is what everyone wants to do. Going for exams one by one and funding them as you go has a marked effect on pass-rates – you prepare appropriately and are aware of the costs involved.
Why pay a training college up-front for exams? Go for the best offer when you’re ready, don’t pay mark-ups – and do it in a local testing centre – rather than in some remote place. A lot of so-called credible training course providers make a great deal of profit through asking for all the exam fees up-front then cashing in if they’re not all taken. Most companies will require you to do mock exams and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you’ve completely proven that you’re likely to pass – which makes an ‘Exam Guarantee’ frankly useless.
Average exam fees were approximately 112 pounds in the last 12 months when taken at VUE or Pro-metric centres in the UK. Therefore, why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra to have ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when it’s obvious that the best guarantee is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.
Remember: the training course or a certification isn’t what this is about; the career that you’re getting the training for is. Too many training companies put too much weight in the qualification itself. It’s an awful thing, but a great many students commence training that sounds spectacular from the prospectus, but which provides a job that doesn’t satisfy. Try talking to typical university students to see what we mean.
Make sure you investigate your feelings on earning potential, career development, plus your level of ambition. It makes sense to understand what will be expected of you, which particular exams they want you to have and where you’ll pick-up experience from. Before setting out on a learning course, it’s good advice to discuss individual job requirements with an experienced advisor, to ensure the retraining path covers all that is required.
You should look for an accredited exam preparation programme as part of your training package. Because a lot of examination boards in IT are American, you must be prepared for the way exams are phrased. It’s no use merely understanding random questions – they have to be in the same format as the actual exams. Clearly, it’s very important to ensure that you’re completely ready for your actual certification exam before taking it. Going over mock-up exams adds to your knowledge bank and saves you time and money on thwarted exam entries.