Should you be aspiring to become Cisco accredited, and you've not yet worked with network switches or routers, it's likely you'll need the CCNA training. This teaches you the knowledge you need to understand routers. The internet is constructed from huge numbers of routers, and large companies with various different locations also need routers to allow their networks of computers to communicate.

Routers connect to networks, so it's vital to have prior knowledge of how networks work, or you will be out of your depth with the program and be unable to follow the work. Seek out a program that covers networking fundamentals (such as CompTIA) and then move onto CCNA.

The CCNA qualification is the right level to aim for; at this stage avoid being tempted to do the CCNP. Once you've worked for a few years, you will have a feel for whether CCNP is something you want to do. If so, your experience will serve as the background you need for the CCNP - because it's a difficult qualification to master - and shouldn't be taken lightly.

Now, why ought we to be looking at commercial certification rather than the usual academic qualifications gained through the state educational establishments? With fees and living expenses for university students becoming a tall order for many, together with the IT sector's increasing awareness that key company training most often has much more commercial relevance, we've seen a dramatic increase in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA based training courses that supply key solutions to a student at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time. Typically, only required knowledge is taught. It's slightly more broad than that, but the principle remains that students need to focus on the exact skills required (along with a certain amount of crucial background) - without trying to cram in every other area - in the way that academic establishments often do.

Put yourself in the employer's position - and you wanted someone who could provide a specific set of skills. What's the simplest way to find the right person: Go through a mass of different academic qualifications from various applicants, having to ask what each has covered and what workplace skills they've acquired, or choose particular accreditations that precisely match your needs, and then select who you want to interview from that. The interview is then more about the person and how they'll fit in - instead of having to work out if they can do the job.

There is a tidal wave of change flooding technology over the next generation - and the industry becomes more ground-breaking every year. We're only just starting to see just how technology will define our world. The internet will massively transform the way we see and interrelate with the world around us over the coming decades.

A typical IT professional in the United Kingdom will also get considerably more money than fellow workers outside of IT. Standard IT wages are hard to beat nationally. Due to the technological sector emerging year on year, the chances are that the need for appropriately qualified IT professionals will flourish for decades to come.

Accredited exam preparation packages are vital - and should definitely be obtained from your course provider. Avoid relying on non-accredited exam preparation questions. The terminology of their questions can be completely unlike authorised versions - and sometimes this can be a real headache when the proper exam time arrives. Be sure to ask for exam preparation tools so you can test your understanding along the way. Simulations of exams add to your knowledge bank - so the real thing isn't quite as scary.

A ridiculously large number of organisations focus completely on the certification process, and forget what it's all actually about - getting yourself a new job or career. Always start with the final destination in mind - don't get hung-up on the training vehicle. It's common, for example, to thoroughly enjoy one year of training but end up spending 10 or 20 years in a job you hate, as a consequence of not performing the correct research at the outset.

Stay focused on what you want to achieve, and then build your training requirements around that - don't do it the other way round. Stay on target - making sure you're training for a job that will keep you happy for many years. As a precursor to beginning a training course, it's good advice to talk through specific market needs with a skilled professional, to make sure the retraining program covers everything needed.