If it's Cisco training you're after, but you haven't worked with routers or switches, the chances are your first course should be CCNA certification. This educates you in the necessary skills to set up and maintain routers. The internet is made up of hundreds of thousands of routers, and big organisations with multiple departments and sites also need routers to allow their networks of computers to communicate.

The kind of jobs requiring this kind of skill mean it's likely you'll end up working for national or international companies that have various different locations but need their computer networks to talk to each other. Alternatively, you may find yourself working for an internet service provider. Both types of jobs command good salaries.

If routers are a new thing for you, then studying up to CCNA is more than enough - don't be pushed into attempting your CCNP. With a few years experience behind you, you will have a feel for if CCNP is something you want to do.

Make sure you don't get caught-up, as can often be the case, on the accreditation program. Training for training's sake is generally pointless; this is about employment. Stay focused on what it is you want to achieve. Avoid becoming one of those unfortunate people who choose a training program that on the surface appears interesting - and end up with a certification for a job they hate.

You must also consider how you feel about earning potential and career progression, plus your level of ambition. You should understand what the role will demand of you, what qualifications are required and where you'll pick-up experience from. Our recommendation would be to seek advice from a skilled professional before settling on some particular study path, so there's no doubt that the specific package will give the appropriate skill-set.

Commencing from the idea that we need to home-in on the area of most interest first, before we can even mull over what training program would meet that requirement, how can we choose the right path? Since in the absence of any commercial background in Information Technology, how could any of us be expected to know what someone in a particular job does? Reflection on these areas is most definitely required if you need to dig down the right answer for you:

* Personality factors plus what interests you - the sort of work-related things you love or hate.

* What time-frame are you looking at for the training process?

* What priority do you place on salary vs job satisfaction?

* With everything that Information Technology covers, it's a requirement that you can see how they differ.

* You'll also need to think hard about any sacrifices you'll need to make, as well as what commitment and time you'll put into your education.

Ultimately, your only chance of understanding everything necessary is by means of a long chat with an advisor or professional who understands the market well enough to give you the information required.

How long has it been since you considered how safe your job is? For the majority of us, this isn't an issue until we experience a knock-back. But in today's marketplace, the painful truth is that our job security is a thing of the past, for the vast majority of people. It's possible though to discover security at market-level, by probing for areas that have high demand, mixed with a lack of qualified workers.

Taking the IT business for instance, the most recent e-Skills study demonstrated a skills deficit around the UK in excess of 26 percent. Meaning that for every four jobs that are available around computing, we have only 3 certified professionals to fulfil that role. Attaining in-depth commercial computer exams is correspondingly an effective route to succeed in a long-lasting and gratifying living. It's unlikely if a better time or market settings could exist for gaining qualification for this hugely emerging and budding industry.

The somewhat scary thought of securing your first computer related job can be eased by training colleges, through a Job Placement Assistance programme. Sometimes, too much is made of this feature, because it's really not that difficult for a well trained and motivated person to land work in the IT industry - because companies everywhere are seeking well trained people.

Ideally you should have CV and Interview advice and support though; and we'd encourage any student to update their CV as soon as training commences - don't put it off for when you're ready to start work. Quite often, you will be offered your first job while you're still a student (even when you've just left first base). If your CV doesn't show your latest training profile (and it isn't in the hands of someone with jobs to offer) then you won't even be considered! If you don't want to travel too far to work, then you may well find that a local IT focused recruitment consultancy could be of more use than a national service, for they're going to know the local job scene.

Various trainees, apparently, conscientiously work through their course materials (for years sometimes), and just give up when it comes to looking for a job. Promote yourself... Work hard to get yourself known. Good jobs don't just knock on your door.

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