The CCNA is the way to go for training in Cisco. This teaches you how to handle maintaining and installing routers and switches. The internet is made up of many routers, and many large organisations that have several locations use them to keep their networks in touch.
You must have a good understanding of computer networks and how they operate and function, as networks are built with routers. If not, the chances are you'll fall behind. Better to find training that also includes basic networking skills (for example Network+, perhaps with A+) before getting going with CCNA. You may find training companies will put such a package together for you.
Achieving CCNA is perfectly sufficient to start with; don't be cajoled into attempting your CCNP. Once you've worked for a few years, you'll know whether CCNP is something you want to do. Should that be the case, your experience will serve as the background you need for the CCNP - because it's a difficult qualification to master - and shouldn't be taken lightly.
Locating job security these days is very rare. Companies will remove us out of the workforce with very little notice - as and when it suits them. We're able though to find security at the market sector level, by probing for areas in high demand, tied with a lack of qualified workers.
The IT skills-gap in the UK is standing at around 26 percent, as noted by the latest e-Skills survey. To put it another way, this means that the country can only find three qualified staff for every 4 jobs available currently. This single notion alone reveals why the United Kingdom needs so many more new trainees to get into the industry. As the Information Technology market is increasing at such a quick pace, it's unlikely there's any better area of industry worth investigating as a retraining vehicle.
Sometimes, folks don't comprehend what IT is about. It is thrilling, changing, and means you're doing your bit in the gigantic wave of technology that will affect us all over the next generation. We're at the dawn of starting to comprehend how all this change will affect us. The way we interrelate with the rest of the world will be profoundly affected by technology and the internet.
If making decent money is around the top on your goal sheet, then you'll appreciate the fact that the average salary of a typical IT worker is significantly higher than with the rest of the economy. Because the IT market sector is still emerging year on year, the chances are that demand for certified IT professionals will continue to boom for a good while yet.
So many training providers are all about the certification, and forget what it's all actually about - getting yourself a new job or career. Always begin with the end in mind - too many people focus on the journey. You could be training for only a year and end up performing the job-role for decades. Ensure you avoid the fatal error of choosing what sounds like a very 'interesting' program and then put 10-20 years into a job you don't like!
Be honest with yourself about what you want to earn and what level of ambition fits you. Sometimes, this affects which precise accreditations you'll need to attain and how much effort you'll have to give in return. It's worth seeking guidance from an advisor who can explain the sector you're hoping to qualify in, and will be able to provide 'A typical day in the life of' explanation for each job considered. This really is very important because you need to know if you're barking up the wrong tree.
Adding in the cost of exams upfront and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is common for many training course providers. However, let's consider what's really going on:
Of course it isn't free - you're still coughing up for it - it's just been wrapped up in the price of the package. It's everybody's ambition to qualify on the first attempt. Entering examinations one by one and paying for them just before taking them puts you in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt - you take it seriously and are conscious of what you've spent.
Shouldn't you be looking to hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you're ready, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to a college, and to do it in a local testing office - instead of miles away at the college's beck and call? Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for exam fees when there's absolutely nothing that says you have to? A great deal of money is secured by training companies charging upfront for all their exams - and then cashing in when they're not all taken. Don't forget, with the majority of Exam Guarantees - they control when and how often you are allowed to have another go. You will have to demonstrate an excellent pass-rate before they'll approve a re-take.
Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on 'Exam Guarantees' is foolish - when a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools is what will really guarantee success.
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