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The CCNA is where it all starts for Cisco training. With it, you’ll learn how to handle maintaining and installing routers and switches. Fundamentally, the internet is based upon huge numbers of routers, and big organisations that have various regional departments use them to allow their networks to keep in touch.

Routers connect to networks, so it is important to have prior knowledge of how networks operate, or you’ll struggle with the program and not be able to do the work. Find a training programme that teaches the basics (for example CompTIA) prior to starting your CCNA.

Get on a specially designed course that covers everything to make sure that you have comprehensive skills and abilities before getting going with Cisco.

Many trainers provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. Learning like this is dull and repetitive and not ideal for remembering. Where we can involve all our senses in the learning process, our results will often be quite spectacular.

Programs are now found in disc format, where your computer becomes the centre of your learning. Through video streaming, you can sit back and watch the teachers showing you precisely how to do something, with some practice time to follow – in an interactive lab. You really need to look at courseware examples from your chosen company. They have to utilise video, demonstrations and various interactive elements.

It’s usually bad advice to go for purely on-line training. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across most broadband providers, ensure that you have access to CD or DVD ROM based materials.

Ask any professional consultant and they’ll regale you with many awful tales of salespeople ripping-off unsuspecting students. Ensure you only ever work with an experienced industry advisor who asks lots of questions to find out what’s right for you – not for their wallet! It’s very important to locate a starting-point that will suit you. With some commercial experience or certification, it may be that your starting point of study is not the same as someone new to the industry. It’s wise to consider a user-skills course first. This can often make your learning curve a little less steep.

An effective training program will have accredited exam preparation packages. Often students can find themselves confused by trying to prepare themselves with questions that aren’t from official sources. It’s not uncommon that the terminology in the real exams is unfamiliar and you should be prepared for this. Ensure that you ask for exam preparation tools that will allow you to verify your comprehension along the way. Practice or ‘mock’ exams help to build your confidence – then you’re much more at ease with the real thing.

There are a plethora of professional positions up for grabs in IT. Arriving at the correct choice for yourself is generally problematic. After all, if you’ve got no know-how of the IT market, what chance is there for you to know what a particular IT employee actually does day-to-day? Let alone decide on which training route is the most likely for you to get there. Reflection on these issues is essential if you need to reveal the right answer for you:

* What hobbies you’re involved with in your spare-time – as they can highlight what areas will give you the most reward.

* Are you hoping to get qualified due to a certain raison d’etre – i.e. do you aim to work based at home (maybe self-employment?)?

* Is the money you make further up on your priority-list than other factors.

* Getting to grips with what the normal career areas and markets are – and what differentiates them.

* You will need to understand what differentiates each area of training.

When all is said and done, your only chance of covering these is by means of a meeting with an advisor who through years of experience will be able to guide you.

Most training companies will only offer office hours or extended office hours support; not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly. Avoid, like the plague, any organisations who use ‘out-of-hours’ call-centres – with the call-back coming in during the next ‘working’ day. This is no use if you’re stuck and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.

If you look properly, you’ll find the top providers who offer online support at all times – no matter what time of day it is. Never make the mistake of compromise when you’re looking for the right support service. The majority of IT hopefuls that can’t get going properly, are in that situation because of support (or the lack of).

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