If you're interested in an IT career in networking with long-term potential and an attractive salary, you might want to consider a career that starts with one or more of the widely respected Cisco Career Certifications which bring valuable, measurable rewards to network professionals, their managers, and the organizations that employ them.

Whether you need the training to prepare for the exam or just to increase your knowledge, you have to answer a very important question… “Where do I take the training?” When you get to do your research for the best training provider, you will notice that there are two options for you to choose from… the unauthorized training providers and the Cisco authorized training providers. If you were that kind of professionals who are very much concerned about the training quality, definitely you would go for the second option. However, if you’re not, then it’s better to be careful… it is your future and career what we are talking about here.

What is the difference between authorized and un-authorized training?
There is lot of differences between them that would affect your learning experience. Here are some differences: 

Who are Certified Cisco Systems Instructors (CCSI)?

Some of you may ask “why is it so important to have Cisco training conducted by a CCSI?”, well Certified Cisco Systems Instructors (CCSIs) must pass a rigorous instructor certification process, have deep technical and industry knowledge and are held to the highest Cisco standards of quality. Being a CCSI indicates that the instructor has successfully passed two types of Cisco exams to become certified: A full-day of communication skills (min score to pass is 85%) with only three mistakes in front of audience of Cisco Technology Experts are accepted and the second day is a lab that is 200% of what happens in class. This way, Cisco guarantee the quality of the information being passed to its student in the class.

CCSIs have access to many types of equipment whether remotely or physically. This gives them the chance to practice and fine-tune their skills. Therefore, the nature of information they deliver is based on practical experience rather than theoretical one. Not only this, but they also have access to many websites and resources that are considered restricted to non-Cisco partners, which means they have access to the latest and the greatest that Cisco has to offer.

To make sure that an instructor is certified, you can always ask for his CV… it is your right, so don’t waste it.

Who are Cisco Authorized Training Providers?
Cisco Learning Partners (CLPs), Cisco Learning Solutions Partners (CLSPs), and their sponsored organizations (SOs) are the only authorized source for Cisco training. They are uniquely qualified to offer market-leading training for the latest advances in Cisco technology. They can also customize training to address specific training needs. However, the Cisco Learning Solutions Partner (CLSP) status indicates the highest level of partnership in the Cisco Learning Partner Program. This level is achieved by meeting requirements that are more stringent than at the other levels within the program. It also gives the training providers the opportunity to develop and enhance all Cisco developed courseware to better meet their customer’s demands. These elements combined provide the student with a guarantee of quality, up-to-date and timely training on the latest technology from Cisco Systems.

Now you know the difference between both types of training, all what you need to do is to search for the best offering in the market. Enjoy your Cisco training!