Should you be aspiring to become Cisco accredited, and you've no practical experience with routers or switches, initially you should go for the Cisco CCNA qualification. This will provide you with the knowledge you need to understand routers. Vast numbers of routers make up the internet, and big organisations with several locations also rely on them to connect their computer networks.

It's important to have an understanding of the operating and functioning of computer networks, because computer networks are joined to routers. If not, it's likely you'll run into difficulties. Why not first take a course in the basics (maybe the CompTIA Network+, possibly with A+ as well) before you start a CCNA course. Some providers offer this as a career track.

If routers are a new thing for you, then studying up to CCNA 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 CCNP is something you want to do.

A service offered by some training providers is a Job Placement Assistance program. It's intention is to help you get your first commercial position. Sometimes, there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, for it's really not that difficult for any motivated and trained individual to land work in the IT industry - because there's a great need for trained staff.

Update your CV at the beginning of your training though - you should get plenty of help from your training provider on this. Don't wait until you've graduated or passed any exams. It's not unusual to find that you'll secure your initial position while you're still a student (occasionally right at the beginning). If your CV doesn't show your latest training profile (and it's not being looked at by employers) then you aren't even in the running! You can usually expect better results from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than any training provider's centralised service, because they will be more familiar with the area and local employers.

A big frustration for various training course providers is how hard people are prepared to work to become certified, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the job they've trained for. Have confidence - the IT industry needs YOU.

We'd hazard a guess that you're quite practically minded - the 'hands-on' type. If you're like us, the world of book-reading and classrooms is something you'll make yourself do if you have to, but it doesn't suit your way of doing things. Check out video-based multimedia instruction if learning from books is not your thing. Our ability to remember is increased when multiple senses are involved - this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for decades now.

Locate a program where you're provided with an array of CD and DVD based materials - you'll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, with the facility to hone your abilities through virtual lab's. It's imperative to see examples of the study materials provided by each company you're contemplating. You'll want to see that they include instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab's.

You should avoid purely online training. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where obtainable, enabling them to be used at your convenience - you don't want to be reliant on your broadband being 'up' 100 percent of the time.

A lot of people think that the tech college or university route is the way they should go. Why then are commercial certificates slowly and steadily replacing it? With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, industry has of necessity moved to specialist courses that the vendors themselves supply - namely companies like CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA. This frequently provides reductions in both cost and time. They do this by focusing on the actual skills required (alongside an appropriate level of background knowledge,) as opposed to covering masses of the background detail and 'fluff' that computer Science Degrees can get bogged down in - to fill a three or four year course.

The bottom line is: Commercial IT certifications tell an employer precisely what skills you have - it says what you do in the title: i.e. I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Planning and Maintaining a Windows 2003 Infrastructure'. So companies can identify exactly what they need and what certifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.

Kick out the typical salesperson that pushes one particular program without a thorough investigation to better understand your current abilities and level of experience. Make sure they can draw from a generous range of products so they're able to give you an appropriate solution. Where you have a strong background, or even a touch of commercial experience (possibly even some previous certification?) then it's likely the point from which you begin your studies will be very different from a student that is completely new to the industry. If this is going to be your opening crack at an IT exam then you should consider whether to practice with user-skills and software training first.