It’s very probable you’ll get a job with an internet service provider or perhaps a national or international corporation that is located on multiple sites but still wants internal communication. This career path is very well paid and quite specialised.
Should this be your first introduction to routers, then the CCNA course is all you’ll be able to cope with – you’re not yet ready for your CCNP. When you’ve become more familiar with the work, you can decide if this next level is for you.
A ridiculously large number of organisations only concern themselves with gaining a certificate, and completely avoid what it’s all actually about – which will always be getting the job or career you want. Always begin with the end in mind – don’t get hung-up on the training vehicle. Don’t be one of those unfortunate students who choose a training program that sounds really ‘interesting’ and ‘fun’ – and end up with a plaque on the wall for an unrewarding career path.
It’s a good idea to understand what industry will expect from you. What certifications they will want you to have and how you’ll build your experience level. It’s definitely worth spending time setting guidelines as to how far you’d like to get as often it can control your selection of certifications. Have a chat with someone that has a background in the industry you’re considering, and who can give you an in-depth explanation of the kind of things you’ll be doing on a daily basis. Contemplating this well before you start on any retraining program makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
It’s clear nowadays: There’s very little evidence of personal job security available anymore; there’s only industry or sector security – as any company can drop any single member of staff when it meets the business’ commercial interests. It’s possible though to discover security at market-level, by probing for areas of high demand, together with shortages of trained staff.
Investigating the computing industry, a key e-Skills investigation highlighted an over 26 percent shortage in trained professionals. That means for each four job positions that are available throughout the computer industry, there are only 3 trained people to fill that need. Achieving the appropriate commercial Information Technology certification is thus a fast-track to realise a long-term and gratifying career. While the market is evolving at the speed it is, is there any other area of industry worth investigating for your new career.
Considering how a program is ‘delivered’ to you is often missed by many students. How many stages do they break the program into? What is the specific order and how fast does each element come? Most companies will sell you a program spread over 1-3 years, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you get to the end of each exam. On the surface this seems reasonable – until you consider the following: Sometimes the steps or stages pushed by the company’s salespeople doesn’t suit all of us. It may be difficult to get through each and every section within the time limits imposed?
The very best situation would see you getting every piece of your study pack packed off to your home before you even start; the complete package! This prevents any future issues from rising that will affect your progress.
Many people question why traditional degrees are being replaced by more commercial certifications? The IT sector now acknowledges that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, the right accreditation from such organisations as Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe is far more effective and specialised – for much less time and money. Of course, a necessary portion of closely linked knowledge has to be taught, but focused specifics in the required areas gives a commercially educated person a huge edge.
Put yourself in the employer’s position – and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What is easier: Go through reams of different degrees and college qualifications from graduate applicants, trying to establish what they know and which trade skills they have, or select a specialised number of commercial certifications that exactly fulfil your criteria, and then select who you want to interview from that. Your interviews are then about personal suitability – instead of having to work out if they can do the job.
A proficient and specialised consultant (as opposed to a salesman) will cover in some detail your current level of ability and experience. This is vital for working out the point at which you need to start your studies. Often, the level to start at for a person experienced in some areas is often hugely different to someone without. Opening with a foundation program first may be the ideal way to get into your IT program, depending on your current skill level.
(C) Jason Kendall. Pop to LearningLolly.com for excellent ideas on Adult Retraining and Cisco CCNA Course.
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