Should you be aspiring to become Cisco accredited, and you've not yet worked with routers, you should start with a CCNA course. This teaches you the necessary skills to set up and maintain routers. The internet is made up of hundreds of thousands of routers, and big organisations with several locations also use them to allow their networks of computers to communicate.

As routers are connected to networks, look for a program which teaches the basics - perhaps Network+ and A+, prior to starting your CCNA course. It's essential to have a basic grasp of networks before getting going with Cisco or the chances are you'll fall behind. In the commercial environment, companies will expect good networking skills to complement your CCNA.

Having the right skills and correct mind-set in advance of getting going on the Cisco CCNA is very important. Therefore, discuss the requirements expected of you with someone who will be able to help you.

'Exam Guarantees' are often bundled with training offers - this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, at the start of your training. Before you jump at this so-called guarantee, think about this:

In this day and age, we have to be a little bit more aware of sales ploys - and the majority of us ought to grasp that it is something we're paying for - they're not just being charitable and doling out freebies! People who go in for their examinations when it's appropriate, paying for them just before taking them are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They are thoughtful of what they've paid and so are more inclined to be up to the task.

Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you're ready, and hang on to your cash. You also get more choice of where you do your exams - which means you can stay local. Paying upfront for examinations (which also includes interest if you've taken out a loan) is madness. Don't line companies bank accounts with your hard-earned cash simply to help their cash-flow! There are those who hope that you don't even take them all - then they'll keep the extra money. In addition to this, many exam guarantees are worthless. Most companies won't be prepared to pay for re-takes until you can prove to them you're ready to pass.

Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on an 'Exam Guarantee' is remiss - when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really guarantee success.

Sometimes, people don't really get what IT is all about. It is ground-breaking, exciting, and means you're a part of the huge progress of technology affecting everyones lives in the 21st century. It's a common misapprehension that the technological advancement we've been going through is slowing down. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are huge changes to come, and most especially the internet will be the most effective tool in our lives.

Wages in the IT sector aren't to be ignored also - the usual income across the UK for an average person working in IT is considerably more than in other market sectors. Odds are that you'll earn quite a bit more than you'd typically expect to bring in elsewhere. It's no secret that there is a considerable nationwide demand for professionally qualified IT workers. It follows that as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it looks like this pattern will continue for the significant future.

In most cases, your everyday IT hopeful really has no clue where to start with the IT industry, or even what area they should look at getting trained in. Perusing a list of IT job-titles is just a waste of time. The majority of us don't really appreciate what our good friends do at work - let alone understand the complexities of a new IT role. Reflection on many factors is required if you need to uncover the right answer for you:

* The type of personality you have and interests - the sort of work-oriented areas please or frustrate you.

* Is it your desire to reach a closely held goal - like being your own boss sometime soon?

* Where is the salary on a scale of importance - is it the most important thing, or does job satisfaction rate a little higher on your priority-list?

* Because there are so many markets to choose from in the IT industry - it's wise to get some key facts on what separates them.

* Having a cold, hard look at what commitment and time you'll make available.

To bypass all the jargon and confusion, and find what'll really work for you, have an informal chat with an advisor with years of experience; a person that understands the commercial reality as well as the accreditations.