If you are looking to develop a career in IT, begin by picking up a certain amount of networking knowledge. Absolutely nothing else will make any sense until you have a grasp of the way PCs run and link to one another. Providing you already have good user skills, you'll find packages like CompTIA's A+ and N+ will give you a superb grounding to start out on your career path. We have extensive details about these programs on our web pages focused on CompTIA.

Moving on you can either go down the Microsoft 'MCSE' or 'MCSA' track if you're considering software, or the Cisco CCNA or CCNP track if you're attracted to hardware. However, it must be stated that a good knowledge of Microsoft networks is practically a necessity for the majority of network environments, simply because of MS's dominance in this market. You can find additional qualification details on this web-site in the dedicated MS & 'Cisco' pages.

On the other hand, you might choose to keep going on the vendor neutral path with further 'CompTIA' qualification (for example Security+, Server+ & Linux+ ) or possibly try your hand at the wireless ('Wi-Fi') aspect of things by taking the CWNP/CWNA.

Commercially accredited qualifications are now, undoubtedly, beginning to replace the traditional routes into IT - why then should this be? With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, industry has had to move to the specialised training only available through the vendors themselves - for example companies like Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe. Often this saves time and money for the student. Higher education courses, for example, can often get caught up in vast amounts of background study - and much too wide a syllabus. This holds a student back from getting enough core and in-depth understanding on a specific area.

The bottom line is: Commercial IT certifications give employers exactly what they're looking for - it says what you do in the title: for example, I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network'. Consequently an employer can identify just what their needs are and what certifications are needed for the job.

Speak with almost any professional consultant and they'll regale you with many worrying experiences of students who've been conned by dodgy salespeople. Make sure you deal with an experienced industry professional who quizzes you to uncover the best thing for you - not for their paycheque! Dig until you find an ideal starting-point that fits you. With a little real-world experience or some accreditation, it may be that your starting point of study is different from a beginner. If this is your initial attempt at IT study then it may be wise to practice with some basic PC skills training first.

Self-Paced Multimedia PC Training Courses For IT User Skills >>