Many students elect to blend the 'A+', Network+ and CCNA track with either the Microsoft 'MCSA' or 'MCSE', for a more 'rounded' network knowledge structure. As there are so many options to pick from, a career-track like this should always be discussed with an industry experienced professional. This way you can be assured that nothing that conflicts with your needs has been included, & nothing at all is overlooked.

Make sure you don't get caught-up, as many people do, on the training course itself. You're not training for the sake of training; you should be geared towards the actual job at the end of it. Begin and continue with the end in mind. You could be training for only a year and end up performing the job-role for decades. Avoid the mistake of finding what seems like an 'interesting' course only to spend 20 years doing an unrewarding career!

Take time to understand your leanings around career progression and earning potential, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. It makes sense to understand what industry expects from you, which particular accreditations will be required and how to develop your experience. Take guidance from an experienced industry advisor, even if there's a fee involved - as it's a lot cheaper and safer to investigate at the start whether a chosen track will suit, rather than find out following two years of study that you aren't going to enjoy the job you've chosen and have to start from the beginning again.

Consider only learning paths that'll lead to commercially acknowledged exams. There are way too many trainers offering 'in-house' certificates that are essentially useless when you start your job-search. All the major commercial players like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA all have globally approved proficiency programs. These big-hitters will make sure you're employable.

Students hoping to build a career in IT normally don't know what direction they should take, or which sector to get certified in. Therefore, if you have no background in the IT industry, how are you equipped to know what a particular IT employee does each day? How can you possibly choose what educational path provides the best chances for you to get there. Reflection on the following issues is important if you need to dig down the right solution that will work for you:

- Personalities play a significant part - what gets you 'up and running', and what tasks you really dislike.

- What is the time-frame for retraining?

- Have you thought about salary vs the travel required?

- Understanding what the normal work roles and markets are - plus how they're different to each other.

- The level of commitment and effort you'll commit obtaining your certification.

The bottom line is, the best way of investigating all this is from a meeting with a professional who has enough background to give you the information required.

Controllers, 'routers' and data switches are mainly what Cisco technological know-how is founded on. If we didn't have these types of systems, data would be unable to flow around networks. Computers need an 'operating system' to connect up inside their network, but also the 'hardware' has it's very own 'system' which needs to be installed & maintained. Trouble-shooting, continual reprogramming and reconfiguration is essential to maintain the consistent operating of a growing network. With the present shift to complete system-integration of voice and information in modern day business office buildings (not forgetting armed forces & other environments), Cisco is at the pinnacle of all modern day communications.

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