Part 2 of this series relates to The How of Certification and Training. By this, what's available to you in order to get your certification journey started and completed.
The most obvious way to do so is to get training from either Symantec or an accredited partner. I have been on official Symantec training and it worked out well for me a number of years ago. You would need to ensure that you have this option available to you in the country you're living. If this option isn't available you can still get training from any partners offering this.
With training you would get Instructor-Led Training, Private Training, or elearning. For me, the better option, at least initially, is the ILT. This puts you in a controlled classroom environment with access to the software and/or hardware you need, and an instructor with enough subject matter knowledge to assist you with any questions you might have of the product. Most of the time you're running labs with a set of instructions guiding you to an end-goal, but I've also been in training where you're encouraged to try as hard as you can to "break" something, and then fix it. At least investigate the options around certain actions. For me, this prepares you a lot better for any real-life situations you might one day face.
Private training is similar, but involves dedicated, onsite customer training. This is beneficial if your company has a number of engineers or staff that need the same training. Labs should be the same, and you'd still have access to a subject-matter expert.
elearning allows you to do any training at home, or in the office on your own time. My personal preference, as I can do what I need too in an extended amount of time. If you're new to a product I wouldn't recommend this but if you have enough knowledge, it might be something for you to pursue.
So what does Symantec have available to you in order to get to where you need to be?
There are a number of websites to check out in order to kick-start your certification journey, even if it's just in an enquiry period. Your primary stop should be the Symantec Certification page (https://www.symantec.com/services/education-services/certification) as this gives you basically all the information you need in one place. Find information such as Certification News where information on new exams, changes to exams and staying connected to this information are all available.
You're able to get a list of available exams with more information on them such as costs, pass mark or even study guides. You can also register in order to receive news on exams.
Check out that link as there is a vast amount of information at your fingertips, and supplement this with any questions on Connect. There are a number of highly experienced and certified people that are always willing to assist you.
Part 3 will deal with how you should approach your training and learning, but I look forward to any responses or questions you might have.
Best of luck!