Cisco Training In The UK Described
CCNA is the usual starting point for all Cisco training. This allows you to handle the maintenance and installation of routers. Basically, the internet comprises of vast numbers of routers, and many large organisations who have different locations rely on them to allow their networks of computers to communicate.
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.
Getting your Cisco CCNA is the right level to aim for; don’t let some salesperson talk you into starting with the CCNP. With experience, you can decide whether you need to train up to this level. If you decide to become more qualified, your experience will serve as the background you need to tackle the CCNP – which is quite a hard qualification to acquire – and mustn’t be entered into casually.
Trainees looking at this market can be very practical by nature, and won’t enjoy sitting at a desk in class, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If you identify with this, try the newer style of interactive study, where you can learn everything on-screen. Years of research and study has repeatedly verified that an ‘involved’ approach to study, where we utilise all our senses, is proven to produce longer-lasting and deeper memory retention.
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.
It’s usually bad advice to go for purely on-line training. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across most broadband providers, you should always obtain actual CD or DVD ROM’s.
Searching for your first position in IT sometimes feels easier to handle if you’re offered a Job Placement Assistance facility. In reality it isn’t so complicated as you might think to land the right work – assuming you’re well trained and qualified; because there’s still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.
Whatever you do, avoid waiting until you have finished your training before polishing up your CV. The day you start training, enter details of your study programme and tell people about it! Having the possibility of an interview is far better than not even being known about. A decent number of junior support roles are given to trainees (sometimes when they’ve only just got going.) Generally, you’ll receive quicker service from a specialist locally based employment agency than you’ll experience from any training company’s centralised service, as they will understand the local industry and employment needs.
In a nutshell, as long as you focus the same level of energy into landing a job as into training, you won’t find it too challenging. A number of students strangely spend hundreds of hours on their learning program and then call a halt once qualified and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.
Charging for exam fees up-front then giving it ‘Exam Guarantee’ status is a popular marketing tool with a number of training colleges. But let’s examine why they really do it:
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 career progression and earning potential, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. You need to know what (if any) sacrifices you’ll need to make for a particular role, which qualifications they want you to have and how to develop your experience. The best advice for students is to chat with an experienced industry advisor before deciding on their study path. This is essential to ensure it features what is required for the chosen career path.
Your training program should always include the very latest Microsoft (or Cisco, CompTIA etc.) authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages. Due to the fact that a lot of IT examining boards are from the USA, it’s essential to understand how exam questions will be phrased and formatted. You can’t practice properly by merely going through the right questions – it’s essential that you can cope with them in the proper exam format. Ensure that you test whether you’re learning enough through tests and practice in simulated exam environments to prepare you for taking the proper exam.
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