by Jason Kendall
Congratulations! Hitting upon this feature means you’re likely to be wondering about where you’re going, and if it’s new career training you’re deliberating over you’ve already done more than most. Are you aware that a small minority of us are fulfilled and satisfied with our jobs - but the majority will just put up with it. Why not liberate yourself and make a start - don’t you think you deserve it.
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:
* Do you operate better working alone or is being part of a team an essential criteria for you?
* Are you thinking carefully about which area you could be employed in? (With the economic downturn, it’s more important than ever to be selective.)
* Once you’ve qualified, are you hoping your new skills will give you the ability to take you through to retirement?
* Do you have niggles about your chances of finding new employment, and staying employable until you plan to retire?
The largest sector in Great Britain to tick all of the above boxes is the IT industry. There’s a need for more knowledgeable staff in IT, simply have a look at a local job site and you will find them yourself. Don’t let people tell you it’s only geeky nerds sitting in front ofscreens the whole time - there are loads more jobs than that. Most of employees in the computer industry are just like you and me, with jobs they enjoy and better than average salaries.
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.
Find the best exam deal or offer available at the appropriate time, and hang on to your cash. You’ll also be able to choose where to do the examinations - so you can find somewhere local. Paying in advance for exam fees (which also includes interest if you’ve taken out a loan) is insane. Don’t line companies bank accounts with extra money of yours only to please their Bank Manager! A lot bank on the fact that you won’t get to do them all - then they’ll keep the extra money. The majority of companies will require you to sit pre-tests and not allow you to re-take an exam until you’ve completely proven that you’re likely to pass - which makes an ‘Exam Guarantee’ frankly useless.
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.
Throw out a salesperson that pushes one particular program without a thorough investigation to assess your abilities as well as experience level. They should be able to select from a wide-enough stable of training programs so they’re able to give you an appropriate solution. With a bit of live experience or some accreditation, you may find that your starting point is now at a different level to a new student. Starting with a basic PC skills course first will sometimes be the most effective way to get into your computer programme, depending on your skill level at the moment.
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).
Put yourself in the employer’s position - and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What’s the simplest way to find the right person: Go through a mass of different academic qualifications from graduate applicants, having to ask what each has covered and which vocational skills have been attained, or select a specialised number of commercial certifications that precisely match your needs, and then select who you want to interview from that. You can then focus on how someone will fit into the team at interview - rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
There are colossal changes about to hit technology as we approach the second decade of the 21st century - and it becomes more and more thrilling each day. There are people who believe that the technological revolution we’ve been going through is lowering its pace. This couldn’t be more wrong. There are huge changes to come, and most especially the internet will be the most effective tool in our lives.
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.
If you’re like many of the students we talk to then you’re quite practically minded - the ‘hands-on’ person. If you’re like us, the unfortunate chore of reading reference guides is something you’ll make yourself do if you have to, but you’d hate it. Consider interactive, multimedia study if learning from books is not your thing. Many studies have proved that we remember much more when we receive multi-sensorial input, and we put into practice what we’ve been studying.
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).