Finding your first job in the industry can feel more straightforward if you're offered a Job Placement Assistance service. Don't get overly impressed with this service - it's easy for their marketing department to overplay it. Ultimately, the still growing need for IT personnel in this country is what will enable you to get a job.

However, don't procrastinate and wait until you've finished your training before polishing up your CV. As soon as you start studying, enter details of your study programme and get promoting! Many junior support roles have been offered to students who are still learning and haven't even passed a single exam yet. This will at least get your CV into the 'possible' pile and not the 'no' pile. The most efficient companies to help you land that job are generally specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. As they will get paid by the employer when they've placed you, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.

Fundamentally, if you put the same amount of effort into securing your first job as into training, you're not going to hit many challenges. A number of men and women bizarrely put hundreds of hours into their training and studies and then just stop once they've got certified and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.

One thing that can be frequently overlooked with preparing for Cisco exams is how to reproduce the Cisco environment. MS students who are preparing for an 'MCSE' for example can 'network' a few old PCs in their own home to practice on. This is not possible in a 'Cisco' environment, since you'd need enterprise-class routers and data switches, not to mention a big cluster of PC's & other highly expensive technologies. The answer therefore is to use Cisco authorised network 'simulators' and 'visualisers'. Such state of the art software-systems allow individuals to create sizable networks in a virtual-environment , using on screen options to select particular hardware models & practise 'interrogation' of data movement. A software package such as this is what splits training courses apart - it's not wise to consider any Cisco package that doesn't feature it. We have incorporated RouterSim's 'CCNA' Network Visualiser in each of our 'CCNA' career-tracks - this is a very highly regarded simulator & unquestionably among the highest quality products we tried out.

Commencing with the understanding that it's good to home-in on the market that sounds most inviting first and foremost, before we can chew over which training program would meet that requirement, how do we decide on the right direction? Consequently, without any understanding of the IT sector, how are you equipped to know what any qualified IT worker actually does day-to-day? How can you possibly choose what training route provides the best chances for you to get there. Getting to any kind of right choice really only appears from a meticulous study of several altering key points:

- What hobbies you have and enjoy - these often highlight what things will provide a happy working life.

- Are you looking to reach a key dream - like being your own boss someday?

- How important is salary to you - is it of prime importance, or is enjoying your job further up on the scale of your priorities?

- Considering the huge variation that computing encapsulates, it's important to be able to understand the differences.

- Our advice is to think deeply about the amount of time and effort that you will set aside for gaining your certifications.

To completely side-step the barrage of jargon, and discover the best route for you, have a good talk with an industry-experienced advisor; an individual who appreciates and can explain the commercial realities whilst covering each qualification.

Don't accept anything less than authorised exam simulation and preparation programs as part of your course package. Make sure that your practice exams haven't just got questions on the right subjects, but additionally ask them in the same way that the proper exam will pose them. This really messes up students if the phraseology and format is completely different. Ensure that you request some practice exams so you'll be able to test your knowledge whenever you need to. Simulations of exams prepare you properly - then you're much more at ease with the real thing.

There is a range of qualification paths to progress on to after completing the 'CCNA'. Specialized fields including 'Security', or Wireless Technology might be looked into, or maybe the CCNP (Cisco Certified Networking Professional) which is rather more complex. The 'CCNP' really is a relatively significant step up from 'CCNA', and on the whole, contemplating this before you have fully attained your 'CCNA' is not recommended. You would expect to be working in a 'Cisco' environment for not less than a year or two (together with your CCNA accreditation) prior to getting started to study for the CCNP. The only exemption from this would be when you have a number of years of network practical experience already and have dealt with much of the very same ground as the CCNA certification. Realistically an employer won't look at you for any high level position without a fair degree of 'CCNA' level working experience & knowledge of networks.

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