Essentially, the backbone of Cisco technologies are the company's 'routers', switches and controllers. Information can move around any network as a result of these 'Cisco' solutions. PCs have to have an operating system to connect up within their 'network ', but also the actual hardware has it's very own system which has to be installed & maintained. Networks must efficiently and often have to increase, and so ongoing maintenance means specialists need to trouble shoot, reconfigure and reprogram regularly. In all areas of modern-day communications, Cisco is playing a fundamental role. This is to a large degree because of the move towards full system integration of voice & information both in commercial & government offices.

A typical blunder that many potential students make is to look for the actual course to take, rather than starting with the desired end-result. Colleges are full of students who took a course because it seemed fun - instead of the program that would surely get them their end-goal of a job they enjoyed. Students often train for a single year but end up performing the job-role for decades. Ensure you avoid the fatal error of opting for what may seem to be an 'interesting' training program only to spend 20 years doing a job you don't like!

You also need to know your feelings on career progression and earning potential, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. You should understand what (if any) sacrifices you'll need to make for a particular role, which qualifications are required and how you'll gain real-world experience. Seek advice from a skilled professional, even if you have to pay a small fee - it's usually much cheaper and safer to discover early on whether your choices are appropriate, instead of finding out following two years of study that you're doing entirely the wrong thing and have to return to the start of another program.

Following on from 'CCNA', there are a wide range of specialist qualifications out there. You may choose to get into wireless technology, or security, or maybe even onto the 'Cisco Certified Networking Professional' (CCNP). The step up from 'CCNA' to the CCNP is rather big, so it is recommended to concentrate on completing the 'CCNA' first. It's best to get two years of Cisco experience together with your CCNA before moving onto the 'CCNP' certification. However if you have already been in the industry for quite a while, and have previously gained a certification of equivalent standing to the 'CCNA' (for instance during military service) you might possibly go directly onto CCNP. In essence, if you're starting in I.T., no recruiter will be expecting you to be at such a high level of qualification, and might quite rightly question your true understanding, if you've not actually worked in a 'CCNA' role first.

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