Monday, January 4, 2010

PC Support Training Online - Insights

By Jason Kendall

If you're looking for Cisco training and you haven't worked with routers before, what you need is CCNA. This training course was created to train people with practical know how on routers. Commercial ventures that have a number of branches rely on routers to connect their various different networks of computers to keep in contact with each other. The Internet also is based on huge numbers of routers.

You might end up joining an internet service provider or a big organisation which is located on multiple sites but needs regular secure data communications. This career path is very well paid and quite specialised.

If you're just entering the world of routers, then working up to and including the CCNA is the right level to aim for - at this stage avoid being tempted to do the CCNP. Once you've worked for a few years, you'll know if it's relevant for you to have this next level up.

A study programme really needs to work up to a widely recognised certification at the end - not some little 'in-house' diploma - fit only for filing away and forgetting.

Unless the accreditation comes from a company like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco, then chances are it will be commercially useless - because no-one will recognise it.

Students hoping to begin a career in computers and technology normally aren't sure what direction they should take, let alone which sector to obtain accreditation for.

Working through long lists of different and confusing job titles is a complete waste of time. The majority of us don't even know what our own family members do for a living - so we're in the dark as to the ins and outs of a specific IT job.

Achieving an informed answer will only come through a meticulous investigation covering many varying factors:

* Personality plays an important role - what gets you 'up and running', and what are the activities that really turn you off.

* Why you're looking at getting involved with computing - maybe you'd like to achieve a life-long goal like being your own boss for example.

* What scale of importance is the salary - is it of prime importance, or do you place job satisfaction higher up on the priority-scale?

* Many students don't properly consider the level of commitment involved to attain their desired level.

* The level of commitment and effort you're prepared to put into your training.

To bypass the barrage of jargon, and reveal the most viable option for your success, have an informal chat with an industry-experienced advisor; someone who understands the commercial reality and of course each qualification.

If your advisor doesn't ask many questions - it's likely they're just trying to sell you something. If they push a particular product before learning about your history and current experience level, then you know it's true.

If you have a strong background, or maybe some live experience (some certifications gained previously perhaps?) then obviously your starting level will be quite dissimilar from a student that is completely new to the industry.

Working through a basic PC skills module first will sometimes be the most effective way to start into your computer program, depending on your current skill level.

Consider the points below very carefully if you've been persuaded that that over-used sales technique about an 'Exam Guarantee' sounds great value:

Certainly it's not free - you're still being charged for it - the price has simply been included in the whole thing.

The honest truth is that if students pay for each progressive exam, one at a time, the chances are they're going to pass every time - as they are conscious of what they've paid and their application will be greater.

Sit the exam as locally as possible and don't pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you're ready.

A lot of so-called credible training companies make huge profits because they're getting in the money for exams at the start of the course and cashing in if they're not all taken.

It's worth noting that exam re-takes via training course providers with an 'Exam Guarantee' are tightly controlled. You'll be required to sit pre-tests to make sure they think you're going to pass.

Due to typical VUE and Prometric tests costing in the region of 112 pounds in this country, the most cost-effective way to cover the cost is by paying when you need them. There's no sense in throwing away maybe a thousand pounds extra at the start of your studies. Study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

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