If your search is for Cisco training and you haven't worked with routers before, the right certification is the CCNA. This course is designed to train students looking to have a working knowledge of routers. Commercial ventures that have a number of branches utilise them to join up computer networks in different rooms to allow their networks to keep in touch. The Internet is made up of vast numbers of routers also.

Jobs that use this type of knowledge mean the chances are you'll work for large companies that are spread out geographically but need to keep in touch. Or, you may move on to joining an internet service provider. Both types of jobs command good salaries.

Qualifying up to the CCNA level is all you need at this stage - don't be cajoled into attempting your CCNP yet. Once you've got a few years experience behind you, you will have a feel for if CCNP is something you want to do. Should that be the case, you'll have a much better chance of succeeding - because you'll have so much more experience.

Beginning with the understanding that it's necessary to locate the market that sounds most inviting first and foremost, before we can contemplate which training course meets that requirement, how do we know the way that suits us?

Therefore, if you've got no know-how of IT in the workplace, how are you equipped to know what some particular IT person spends their day doing? How can you possibly choose what accreditation path would be most appropriate for you to get there.

To get through to the essence of this, there should be a discussion of many unique issues:

* Your individual personality and what you're interested in - which work-related things you like and dislike.

* Is your focus to get qualified due to a precise reason - for instance, do you aim to work at home (working for yourself?)?

* Is your income higher on your priority-list than other requirements.

* Considering all that the IT industry encompasses, it's obvious you'll need to be able to take in the differences.

* Our advice is to think deeply about any sacrifices you'll need to make, as well as what commitment and time you're going to invest in your training.

For most of us, sifting through all these ideas needs a long talk with someone that has direct industry experience. And we don't just mean the accreditations - but also the commercial requirements besides.

A valuable training package will also include wholly authorised exam preparation systems.

Students regularly can be thrown off course by going through practice questions that don't come from official boards. It's not uncommon that the way questions are phrased can be quite different and you should be prepared for this.

'Mock' or practice exams are enormously valuable as a resource to you - so when it comes to taking your actual exams, you won't be worried.

Have you recently questioned how safe your job is? Normally, this isn't an issue until something dramatic happens to shake us. However, the reality is that true job security has gone the way of the dodo, for nearly everyone now.

Whereas a sector experiencing fast growth, where there just aren't enough staff to go round (through an enormous shortage of commercially certified staff), enables the possibility of proper job security.

Taking a look at the IT sector, a key e-Skills investigation showed a 26 percent shortfall of skilled workers. So, for each 4 job positions existing throughout computing, employers can only find properly accredited workers for 3 of them.

This glaring idea highlights the urgent need for more appropriately trained computing professionals throughout Great Britain.

As the Information Technology market is expanding at the speed it is, there really isn't any other sector worth considering for a new future.

One useful service offered by some training providers is a Job Placement Assistance program. The service is put in place to help you find your first job in the industry. At the end of the day it's not as hard as some people make out to land your first job - assuming you're well trained and qualified; the growing UK skills shortage sees to that.

CV and Interview advice and support may be available (if it isn't, consult one of our sites). Make sure you bring your CV right up to date immediately - don't leave it till you pass the exams!

It's not uncommon to find that junior support jobs have been offered to people who're still on their course and have still to get qualified. This will at least get you on your way.

The best services to help you find a job are usually specialist locally based employment services. As they will get paid by the employer when they've placed you, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.

To bottom line it, if you put as much hard work into securing your first IT position as into studying, you're not going to hit many challenges. A number of people inexplicably spend hundreds of hours on their learning program and just give up once they've got certified and seem to expect employers to find them.

Now, why is it better to gain commercially accredited qualifications rather than the usual academic qualifications gained through schools and Further Education colleges?

As demand increases for knowledge about more and more complex technology, industry has of necessity moved to the specialised training only available through the vendors themselves - in other words companies such as Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA. Often this saves time and money for the student.

Higher education courses, for example, can often get caught up in a lot of loosely associated study - with much too broad a syllabus. This prevents a student from understanding the specific essentials in enough depth.

Just as the old advertisement said: 'It does what it says on the tin'. All an employer has to do is know what areas need to be serviced, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. Then they're assured that a potential employee can do exactly what's required.