If you want Cisco training, the chances are you’re looking for a CCNA. Training in Cisco is fundamentally for those who want to learn about routers and switches. Routers are what connect computer networks to other sets of computer networks via the internet or dedicated lines.
It’s important to have an understanding of computer networks and how they operate and function, as networks are built with routers. Otherwise, you’ll probably struggle. Why not look for a course covering the basics (CompTIA Network+ as an example – maybe with the A+ as well) and then do a CCNA course. Look for a training provider that can offer this as a career package.
You should get a bespoke training program that takes you on a progressive path to ensure that you have comprehensive skills and knowledge before commencing your Cisco training.
Be careful that the exams you’re working towards will be commercially viable and are the most recent versions. ‘In-house’ exams and the certificates they come with are often meaningless.
Unless the accreditation comes from a conglomerate such as Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco, then it’s likely it will have been a waste of time – as no-one will have heard of it.
We’d hazard a guess that you’re quite practically minded – a ‘hands-on’ person. If you’re anything like us, the painful task of reading endless manuals can be just about bared when essential, but you really wouldn’t enjoy it. Consider interactive, multimedia study if book-based learning really isn’t your style.
We see a huge improvement in memory retention with an involvement of all our senses – this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for as long as we can remember.
Top of the range study programs now offer easy-to-use DVD or CD ROM’s. By watching and listening to instructors on video tutorials you’ll find things easier to remember through the demonstrations and explanations. Then you test your knowledge by using practice-lab’s.
You really need to look at courseware examples from each company you’re contemplating. It’s essential they incorporate video, demonstrations and various interactive elements.
Purely on-line training should be avoided. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where obtainable, as you need to be able to use them whenever it’s convenient for you – ISP quality varies, so you don’t want to be totally reliant on a good broadband connection all the time.
At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be 24×7 round-the-clock support via trained professional instructors and mentors. So many companies we come across only seem to want to help while they’re in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends.
Don’t buy training courses that only support you through a message system after 6-9pm in the evening and during weekends. Training organisations will try to talk you round from this line of reasoning. Essentially – support is needed when it’s needed – not when it’s convenient for them.
Top training companies utilise several support facilities across multiple time-zones. An online system provides an interactive interface to link them all seamlessly, at any time you choose, help is just a click away, without any contact issues or hassle.
Don’t accept second best with the quality of your support. The majority of students who can’t get going properly, would have had a different experience if they’d got the right support package in the first place.
We’re often asked why traditional degrees are being replaced by more commercially accredited qualifications?
The IT sector now recognises that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, proper accreditation from such organisations as CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised – for considerably less.
Many degrees, as a example, can often get caught up in too much background study – with much too broad a syllabus. This holds a student back from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials.
When an employer knows what areas they need covered, then all they have to do is advertise for someone with a specific qualification. Syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and don’t change between schools (like academia frequently can and does).
Author: Scott Edwards. Try SQL Course or www.CCNATrainingInfo.co.uk.
