If we didn’t have a regular deluge of knowledgeable network and computer support workers, commerce in the UK (and around the world) would inevitably be drawn to a standstill. There is an on-going requirement for technically able people to support systems and users alike. Our requirement for better skilled and qualified individuals multiplies, as human beings become significantly more beholden to PC’s in these modern times.
How can we go about making a good decision then? With all this potential, we’ll need to know where to be looking – and what we should be searching for.
A ridiculously large number of organisations only look at the plaque to hang on your wall, and completely miss the reasons for getting there – getting yourself a new job or career. Your focus should start with the end goal – don’t get hung-up on the training vehicle. It’s a sad testimony to the sales skills of many companies, but the majority of trainees begin programs that seem spectacular in the marketing materials, but which deliver a career which doesn’t satisfy. Try talking to typical college students for a real eye-opener. It’s a good idea to understand the expectations of your industry. Which particular accreditations you’ll be required to have and how you’ll go about getting some commercial experience. It’s definitely worth spending time thinking about how far you think you’ll want to progress your career as it will often present a very specific set of exams. Always seek guidance and advice from a skilled advisor, even if you have to pay – it’s much safer and cheaper to find out at the start whether your choices are appropriate, instead of discovering following two years of study that you aren’t going to enjoy the job you’ve chosen and have to return to the start of another program.
You should only consider learning programmes that move onto industry approved qualifications. There are far too many trainers promoting unknown ‘in-house’ certificates that are essentially useless when you start your job-search. From an employer’s viewpoint, only top businesses such as Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco (as an example) provide enough commercial weight. Anything less won’t make the grade.
Traditional teaching in classrooms, involving piles of reference textbooks, is usually pretty hard going. If this describes you, dig around for more practical courses which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts. Where possible, if we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, then the results are usually dramatically better. Locate a program where you’ll receive a selection of DVD-ROM’s – you’ll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, and be able to practice your skills in interactive lab’s. All companies must be pushed to demo some samples of the type of training materials they provide. Make sure you encounter videos of instructor-led classes and many interactive sections. You’ll find that many companies will only provide online training only; while you can get away with this much of the time, consider how you’ll deal with it if your access to the internet is broken or you get intermittent problems and speed issues. It’s much safer to rely on physical CD or DVD discs that don’t suffer from these broadband issues.
There is no way of over emphasising this: You have to get round-the-clock 24×7 professional support from mentors and instructors. We can tell you that you’ll strongly regret it if you don’t follow this rule rigidly. Locate training schools where you can access help at all hours of the day and night (no matter if it’s in the middle of the night on a weekend!) You’ll need direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors and not a message system as this will slow you down – constantly waiting for a call-back during office hours. The best training colleges opt for an internet-based round-the-clock system involving many support centres from around the world. You’re offered a simple environment that accesses the most appropriate office irrespective of the time of day: Support available as-and-when you want it. Find an educator that is worth purchasing from. Only proper live 24×7 round-the-clock support delivers what is required.
Consider the points below very carefully if you think the sales ploy of examination guarantees seems like a good idea: Everyone knows they’re ultimately paying for it – it’s not so hard to see that it’s already been included in the overall figure from the course provider. Certainly, it’s not a freebie – don’t think these companies are so generous with their money! Students who go in for their examinations when it’s appropriate, paying for them just before taking them are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They are thoughtful of what they’ve paid and prepare more appropriately to be ready for the task. Don’t you think it’s more sensible to go for the best offer when you’re ready, not to pay any mark-up to a training course provider, and to take it closer to home – instead of the remote centre that’s convenient only to the trainer? A surprising number of questionable training companies secure a great deal of profit through charging for exams at the start of the course then cashing in if they’re not all taken. The majority of companies will require you to sit pre-tests and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you have proved to them you have a good chance of passing – making an ‘exam guarantee’ just about worthless. Exams taken at local centres are approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain. Why spend so much more on ‘Exam Guarantee’ costs (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) – when good quality study materials, the proper support and commitment, effort and practice with quality exam preparation systems are the factors that really get you through.
A question; why might we choose qualifications from the commercial sector instead of familiar academic qualifications taught at schools, colleges or universities? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs climbing ever higher, alongside the industry’s increasing awareness that vendor-based training is often far more commercially relevant, we have seen a great increase in Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe based training programmes that provide key skills to an employee at a far reduced cost both money and time wise. Academic courses, as a example, clog up the training with vast amounts of loosely associated study – with a syllabus that’s far too wide. This prevents a student from learning the core essentials in sufficient depth. Just as the old advertisement said: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. The company just needs to know where they have gaps and then match up the appropriate exam numbers as a requirement. Then they’re assured that a potential employee can do exactly what’s required.
Massive developments are coming via technology over the next few decades – and the industry becomes more ground-breaking every year. It’s a common misapprehension that the increase in technology we’ve been going through is cooling down. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are huge changes to come, and the internet in particular will become an increasingly dominant part of our lives. Should lifestyle be around the top on your goal sheet, then you’ll welcome the news that the regular income of a typical IT worker is much higher than salaries in other market sectors. Experts agree that there’s a great UK-wide search for certified IT specialists. In addition as the industry constantly develops, it is likely this pattern will continue for a good while yet.