Should you be interested in training in Cisco, it's most likely that the CCNA is what you'll need. Training in Cisco is intended for individuals who wish to understand and work with routers and network switches. Routers are what connect computer networks to different computer networks over the internet or dedicated lines.

You must have a good understanding of the operation and function of computer networks, as networks are connected to routers. If not, it's likely you'll run into difficulties. You might find training that also includes the basics in networking - perhaps Network+ and A+, before you start a CCNA course. Some providers offer this as a career track.

Start with a tailored course that covers everything you need to know in advance of starting your Cisco CCNA course skills.

Make sure you don't get caught-up, as many people do, on the training course itself. Training for training's sake is generally pointless; you're training to become commercially employable. You need to remain focused on where you want to go. It's a sad testimony to the sales skills of many companies, but thousands of new students start out on programs that sound spectacular in the marketing materials, but which provides a job that is of no interest at all. Speak to a selection of college graduates and you'll see where we're coming from.

Get to grips with earning potential and how ambitious you are. Sometimes, this affects what particular certifications will be expected and what industry will expect from you in return. It's good advice for all students to speak with a skilled advisor before following a particular training programme. This is essential to ensure it contains the relevant skills for that career path.

How the program is actually delivered to you can often be overlooked. In what way are your training elements sectioned? What is the order and at what speed is it delivered? Typically, you'll enrol on a course that takes between and 1 and 3 years and receive a module at a time. It seems to make sense on one level, but consider these issues: What happens when you don't complete every section? What if you don't find their order of learning is ideal for you? Due to no fault of yours, you may go a little slower and therefore not end up with all the modules.

Ideally, you want ALL the study materials up-front - enabling you to have them all to return to any point - whenever it suits you. This allows a variation in the order that you move through the program if you find another route more intuitive.

Often, trainers provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. This isn't very interesting and isn't the best way to go about remembering. Our ability to remember is increased with an involvement of all our senses - educational experts have expounded on this for as long as we can remember.

Courses are now available via DVD-ROM discs, so you can study at your own computer. Utilising the latest video technology, you will be able to see the instructor presenting exactly how it's all done, with some practice time to follow - in a virtual lab environment. You must ensure that you see examples of the study materials provided by the company you're considering. It's essential they incorporate video, demonstrations and various interactive elements.

Plump for disc based courseware (On CD or DVD) whenever you can. You can then avoid all the difficulties of broadband outages, failure and signal quality issues etc.

A study programme has to build towards a nationally (or globally) recognised exam at the finale - not some little 'in-house' piece of paper. Only nationally recognised examinations from the major players like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco and CompTIA will mean anything to employers.