If you're looking for Cisco training but you've no working knowledge of routers, then the qualification you require is the CCNA. This program has been designed to train men and women who need a working knowledge of routers. Big organisations who have different locations need routers to connect computer networks in different rooms to keep in contact with each other. The Internet also is made up of hundreds of thousands of routers.

Achieving this qualification means you'll probably end up working for big organisations that have a wide geographical spread, but who still want secure internal data communication. The other possibility is working for internet service providers. Either way, you'll be in demand and can expect a high salary.

It's advisable to do a bespoke training program that will add in the necessary skills ahead of starting your training in Cisco skills.

You have to be sure that all your qualifications are commercially valid and current - don't bother with courses which end up with a useless in-house certificate or plaque. You'll discover that only industry recognised qualifications from the major players like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe and Cisco will be useful to a future employer.

A typical blunder that many potential students make is to look for the actual course to take, instead of focusing on the desired end-result. Schools are brimming over with unaware students who chose a course based on what sounded good - instead of what would yield the career they desired. You could be training for only a year and end up doing the actual job for 10-20 years. Don't make the error of choosing what sounds like a very 'interesting' program only to waste your life away with something you don't even enjoy!

You must also consider your feelings on earning potential, career development, plus your level of ambition. You need to know what the role will demand of you, which particular certifications are needed and how you'll gain real-world experience. Before setting out on a training program, it makes sense to talk through individual market requirements with an experienced professional, so as to be sure the learning path covers everything needed.

What is the reason why traditional academic studies are now falling behind more commercial certifications? Vendor-based training (in industry terminology) is most often much more specialised. Industry is aware that a specialist skill-set is what's needed to handle a technically advancing marketplace. Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA dominate in this arena. Essentially, the learning just focuses on what's actually required. It isn't quite as lean as that might sound, but principally the objective has to be to cover the precise skills needed (including a degree of required background) - without overdoing the detail in all sorts of other things - in the way that academic establishments often do.

When it comes down to the nitty-gritty: Commercial IT certifications let employers know exactly what you're capable of - the title says it all: for example, I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003'. Consequently employers can identify just what their needs are and what certifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.

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