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Cisco Training Programs (020609)

June 8th, 2009

Today, commercial institutions would be severely hampered without the help of support workers solving problems with networks and computers, while giving advice to users each and every day. Because we are getting growingly beholden to computers and networks, we also find ourselves increasingly more reliant upon the technically knowledgeable IT professionals, who ensure the systems function properly.

How do we go about making an informed choice then? With all this potential, it’s important to know where to investigate - and of course, what to actually be searching for.

A proficient and practiced consultant (in contrast with a salesperson) will want to thoroughly discuss your current situation. This is vital for working out your study start-point. With a little commercial experience or qualifications, you could discover that your appropriate starting-point is now at a different level to a new student. It’s wise to consider user-skills and software training first. Starting there can make the transition to higher-level learning a much more gentle.

A study programme has to build towards a nationally (or globally) recognised exam as an end-result - not some little ‘in-house’ diploma - fit only for filing away and forgetting. If your certification doesn’t come from a major player like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA, then chances are it won’t be commercially viable - because no-one will recognise it.

We can guess that you’re a practical sort of person - the ‘hands-on’ individual. Usually, the painful task of reading endless manuals is something you’ll make yourself do if you have to, but it doesn’t suit your way of doing things. You should use video and multimedia based materials if learning from books is not your thing. Our ability to remember is increased when we use multiple senses - learning experts have been saying this for as long as we can remember.

Find a course where you’ll receive a library of DVD-ROM’s - you’ll be learning from instructor videos and demo’s, followed by the chance to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions. You must ensure that you see courseware examples from any company that you may want to train through. It’s essential they incorporate instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab’s.

It doesn’t make sense to choose training that is only available online. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across the ISP (internet service provider) market, you should always obtain CD or DVD ROM based materials.

A lot of commercial training providers will only provide basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); It’s rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Email support is too slow, and phone support is usually just a call-centre which will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor - who will call back over the next day or so (assuming you’re there), when it suits them. This is not a lot of use if you’re sitting there confused over an issue and can only study at specific times.

The best trainers incorporate three or four individual support centres across multiple time-zones. An online system provides an interactive interface to provide a seamless experience, any time of the day or night, there is always help at hand, without any contact issues or hassle. Don’t accept second best with the quality of your support. The vast majority of students who fall by the wayside, are in that situation because they didn’t get the support necessary for them.

It’s not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees - they always involve paying for the exam fees up-front, at the start of your training. Before you jump at the chance of a guarantee, look at the following:

These days, we tend to be a tad more knowledgeable about sales gimmicks - and the majority of us ought to cotton on to the fact that we’re actually paying for it - they’re not just being charitable and doling out freebies! Passing first time is everyone’s goal. Going for exams in order and paying for them just before taking them makes it far more likely you’ll pass first time - you put the effort in and think carefully about the costs.

Why pay a college in advance for examinations? Find the best deal you can when you take the exam, rather than pay marked up fees - and do it locally - not at somewhere of their bidding. A surprising number of current training course providers secure big margins by getting in the money for exams at the start of the course and hoping that you won’t take them all. In addition to this, exam guarantees often have very little value. Many training companies won’t pay for re-takes until you have demonstrated conclusively that you won’t fail again.

With average prices for VUE and Pro-metric exams in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. Not to fork out thousands extra in up-front costs. Consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

Commercial qualifications are now, very visibly, taking over from the older academic routes into the IT industry - but why is this happening? Industry is of the opinion that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, certified accreditation from companies such as Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA is closer to the mark commercially - at a far reduced cost both money and time wise. Of course, an appropriate quantity of background information must be learned, but essential specifics in the required areas gives a commercially educated student a real head start.

When it comes down to the nitty-gritty: Accredited IT qualifications tell an employer precisely what skills you have - it says what you do in the title: for example, I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Planning and Maintaining a Windows 2003 Infrastructure’. Therefore an employer can identify just what their needs are and which qualifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.

Working on the cutting-edge of new technology is as thrilling as it comes. Your actions are instrumental in shaping the next few decades. We’re only just starting to see just how technology will influence everything we do. Computers and the Internet will significantly change the way we view and interrelate with the world as a whole over the coming years.

And keep in mind that the average salary in the IT industry across the UK is significantly more than the national average salary, so in general you will be in a good position to earn significantly more in the IT sector, than you would in most typical jobs. Experts agree that there’s a substantial nationwide need for certified IT specialists. In addition, as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it is likely this will be the case for years to come.

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