Sunday, October 25, 2009

Training in Cisco CCNA PC Support Examined

By Jason Kendall

Should you be interested in training in Cisco, a CCNA is in all probability what you'll need. The Cisco training is intended for individuals who wish to understand and work with routers. Routers are what connect networks of computers to other computer networks via dedicated lines or the internet.

Routers are linked to networks, therefore it's important to have prior knowledge of the operation of networks, or you will have difficulties with the course and not be able to follow the work. Seek out a program that includes basic networking skills (for example CompTIA) before you get going on CCNA.

If you haven't yet had any experience of routers, then studying up to CCNA is more than enough - at this stage avoid being tempted to do the CCNP. With a few years experience behind you, you can decide if it's relevant for you to have this next level up.

One thing you must always insist on is proper direct-access 24x7 support via trained professional instructors and mentors. It's an all too common story to find providers that will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend.

Don't buy training courses that only support trainees through a message system after 6-9pm in the evening and during weekends. Colleges will give you every excuse in the book why you don't need this. The bottom line is - you need support when you need support - not when it's convenient for them.

Be on the lookout for providers that utilise many support facilities from around the world. Each one should be integrated to offer a simple interface and round-the-clock access, when you need it, with no fuss.

Seek out an educator that is worth purchasing from. Only true live 24x7 round-the-clock support gives you the confidence to make it.

Make sure you don't get caught-up, as a lot of students can, on the certification itself. Training for training's sake is generally pointless; this is about gaining commercial employment. You need to remain focused on where you want to go.

It's a sad fact, but a large percentage of students begin programs that seem amazing in the sales literature, but which gets us a career that doesn't satisfy. Just ask several college graduates for a real eye-opener.

Stay focused on where you want to get to, and then build your training requirements around that - avoid getting them back-to-front. Stay on target - making sure you're training for an end-result that will keep you happy for many years.

You'd also need help from a professional who understands the sector you're hoping to qualify in, and who can give you 'A typical day in the life of' synopsis of the job being considered. This really is absolutely essential as you'll need to know if you're going down the right road.

The old fashioned style of teaching, using textbooks and whiteboards, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, find training programs which feature interactive and multimedia modules.

Research into the way we learn shows that memory is aided when we involve as many senses as possible, and we get physically involved with the study process.

Modern training can now be done at home via self-contained CD or DVD materials. Instructor-led tutorials will mean you'll find things easier to remember via the expert demonstrations. Then you test your knowledge by using practice-lab's.

All companies should willingly take you through a few examples of the materials provided for study. You should hope for instructor-led videos and a wide selection of interactive elements.

It's usually bad advice to choose training that is only available online. With highly variable reliability and quality from the ISP (internet service provider) market, it makes sense to have disc based courseware (On CD or DVD).

Finding job security in the current climate is incredibly rare. Companies can remove us from the workplace at the drop of a hat - as long as it fits their needs.

Where there are escalating skills shortfalls mixed with high demand areas of course, we can hit upon a fresh type of security in the marketplace; where, fuelled by the conditions of constant growth, companies find it hard to locate enough staff.

The Information Technology (IT) skills shortfall in the country falls in at over 26 percent, as shown by the latest e-Skills investigation. Meaning that for each four job positions in existence throughout the computer industry, there are barely three qualified workers to do them.

This single concept alone highlights why the country desperately needs considerably more new trainees to become part of the industry.

We can't imagine if a better time or market circumstances is ever likely to exist for gaining qualification for this rapidly growing and developing sector.

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