.::.Easy Clairvoyance.::.

If Cisco training is your aspiration, but you've not yet worked with routers or network switches, you should first attempt the Cisco CCNA qualification. This teaches you the knowledge you need to understand routers. The world wide web is built up of many routers, and big organisations with many locations also rely on them to allow their networks of computers to communicate.

As routers are connected to networks, seek out training that features the basics on networks (such as CompTIA Network+ and A+) and then do a CCNA course. It's vital that you've got this background understanding on networks prior to starting your Cisco training or you'll probably struggle. When you've qualified and are on the job market, you'll benefit from having a good knowledge of networks to complement your CCNA.

Getting your Cisco CCNA is the right level in this instance - don't be pushed into attempting your CCNP for now. Get a couple of years experience behind you first, then you will know if you need to train up to this level. Should that be the case, you'll have a much better chance of succeeding - as your experience will help you greatly.

A major candidate for the biggest issue to be got round for IT students is usually having to turn up to 'In Centre' days or workshops. Many training schools extol the virtues of the 'benefits' of going in to their classes, however, they quickly become a major problem because of:

* A lot of driving back and forth from the training centre - sometimes quite a distance away.

* If you're working, then Monday to Friday workshops cause problems at work. Typically you are facing 2-3 days at a time as well.

* Let's not disregard lost holiday time. Often, we get 4 weeks annual leave. If half is given up to classes, then we aren't going to be doing much vacationing.

* Classes can 'sell out' fast and can be very crammed in.

* Tension can run high inside the classroom where the right pace for one student is not the same as another.

* A lot of trainees report that the (not inconsiderable) costs of travelling back and forth to the training venue and paying for food and accommodation gets very expensive.

* Training privacy is often very important to many trainees. You don't want to give up any job advancement, income boosts or achievement in your job because of your studies. If your work discovers you're putting yourself through accreditation in another area entirely, what do you think they'll do?

* Asking questions in front of other class-mates often makes us feel uncomfortable. Surely, at some point, you've avoided asking a question just because you didn't want to look foolish?

* Don't forget, workshops are pretty much impossible to attend, where you work or live away for days at a time.

Why don't you simply watch and study with industry specialists one-on-one through videoed modules, working on them at a time that's convenient for you and you alone. You can study from home on your desktop PC or why not in the garden on a laptop. Any questions that pop up, just utilise the 24x7 Support (that should come with any technical program.) You don't have to worry about any note-taking - all the lessons and background info are laid out on a plate. If you need to cover something again, just go for it. While this won't take away every little difficulty, it unquestionably reduces stress and eases things. You also have reduced travel, hassle and costs.

Frequently, your average person doesn't have a clue where to start with a computing career, let alone what market to focus their retraining program on. Consequently, if you've got no understanding of IT in the workplace, how are you equipped to know what someone in a particular field fills their day with? Let alone decide on which training route provides the best chances for a successful result. Contemplation on many factors is required if you need to get to a solution that suits you:

* Your hobbies and interests - these can highlight what possibilities will satisfy you.

* Are you aiming to realise a specific aim - like working from home as quickly as possible?

* What salary and timescale requirements that are important to you?

* With so many ways to train in Information Technology - you'll need to achieve some background information on what sets them apart.

* How much effort you're prepared to spend on getting qualified.

The best way to avoid the barrage of jargon, and uncover the best path to success, have an in-depth discussion with an industry expert and advisor; an individual that will cover the commercial realities and truth and of course all the qualifications.

We're often asked why academic qualifications are now falling behind more commercial qualifications? As demand increases for knowledge about more and more complex technology, industry has of necessity moved to the specialised core-skills learning only available through the vendors themselves - namely companies such as Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe. This often comes in at a fraction of the cost and time. Academic courses, for example, often get bogged down in a lot of background study - with a syllabus that's far too wide. This prevents a student from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials.

As long as an employer is aware what work they need doing, then they simply need to advertise for someone with a specific qualification. Syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and can't change from one establishment to the next (as academic syllabuses often do).