by Jason Kendall
Well done! Discovering this piece means you’re likely to be contemplating your career, and if training for a new career’s in your mind that means you’ve taken it further than most. Are you aware that hardly any of us are contented at work - yet the vast majority of us will do absolutely nothing about it. We encourage you to stand out from the crowd and do something - think about how you could enjoy Monday mornings.
When looking at training, it’s essential that you first make a list of what you DO want and DON’T want from the career you would like to get. You need to know that you would be more satisfied before you put a lot of energy into taking a new turn. We recommend looking at the whole story first, to steer clear of regrets:
* Are you hoping to be involved with others in the workplace? Would you prefer to work with a small team or with many new people? Maybe working on your own with your own methodology would give you pleasure?
* Building and Banking are a little shaky today, so which sector would give you the most options?
* Once you’ve qualified, are you hoping your new skills will give you the ability to take you through to retirement?
* Do you have the assurance that the training program you’ve chosen is commercially viable, and will provide the facility to be employed up to the time you want to stop?
It’s important that your number one choice is the IT sector - it’s well known that it’s on the grow. It’s not full of geeky individuals gazing at their PC’s all day - we know those roles do exist, but most jobs are done by people like you and me who earn considerably more than most.
Including examinations with the course fee and offering an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is a popular marketing tool with many training course providers. Consider the facts:
Patently it’s not free - you are paying for it - the price has simply been included in the whole thing. It’s well known in the industry that when trainees fund each progressive exam, one at a time, they’ll be in a better position to qualify each time - because they’re aware of their investment in themselves and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.
Go for the best offer you can find when you take the exam, and hang on to your cash. You’ll then be able to select where you do the examinations - meaning you can choose a local testing centre. A lot of current training providers secure huge profits because they’re getting paid for exam fees early then hoping that you won’t take them all. Remember, in the majority of cases of ‘exam guarantees’ - they control when and how often you are allowed to do a re-take. Subsequent exam attempts are only authorised at the company’s say so.
With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE examinations coming in at approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain, it’s common sense to fund them one by one. It’s not in the student’s interests to fork out hundreds or thousands of pounds for exams when enrolling on a course. A commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
If an advisor doesn’t ask many questions - it’s more than likely they’re just a salesperson. If they’re pushing towards a particular product before understanding your background and current experience level, then it’s very likely to be the case. With a little work-based experience or some accreditation, your starting-point of learning is different from a beginner. If you’re a student commencing IT study from scratch, it can be helpful to start out slowly, starting with a user-skills course first. This can be built into most accreditation programs.
Many students think that the traditional school, college or university route is still the best way into IT. So why then is commercial certification becoming more in demand? With fees and living expenses for university students climbing ever higher, and the IT sector’s increasing awareness that corporate based study is closer to the mark commercially, we have seen a large rise in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA authorised training routes that create knowledgeable employees for much less time and money. Essentially, only required knowledge is taught. It isn’t quite as lean as that might sound, but the most important function is always to cover the precise skills needed (with some necessary background) - without trying to cram in every other area (as degree courses are known to do).
In simple terms: Accredited IT qualifications provide exactly what an employer needs - the title says it all: as an example - I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Planning and Maintaining a Windows 2003 Infrastructure’. So companies can identify just what their needs are and what certifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.
Many individuals don’t catch on to what IT can do for us. It’s stimulating, innovative, and means you’re doing your bit in the gigantic wave of technology that will affect us all over the next generation. We’ve only just begun to get an inclination of how technology is going to shape our lives. The internet will significantly alter the way we view and interact with the entire world over the coming years.
Should lifestyle be up there on your goal sheet, then you’ll be happy to know that the income on average for the majority of IT staff is significantly better than with most other jobs or industries. With the IT marketplace growing at an unprecedented rate, it’s predictable that the need for certified IT professionals will continue to boom for decades to come.
Many trainers provide a big box of books. It’s not a very interesting way to learn and not really conducive to studying effectively. Where possible, if we can study while utilising as many senses as possible, then we normally see dramatically better results.
Modern training can now be done at home via interactive discs. Instructor-led tutorials will mean you’ll absorb the modules, one by one, via the demonstrations and explanations. Knowledge can then be tested by practicing and interacting with the software. Any company that you’re considering must be able to demonstrate a few samples of their courseware. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and many interactive sections.
It is generally unwise to choose training that is only available online. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across all internet service providers, you should always obtain disc based courseware (On CD or DVD).