With so many computer training courses to be had, it's sometimes daunting to know what to look for. Find one that's in line with your character and abilities, and one that is in demand in the commercial world. There are so many directions you can go in. Some re-trainers simply want Microsoft user skills, others want career skills such as courses on Networking, Programming, Databases or Web Design - and all can be catered for. However, don't just guess. We'd advise you to share your ideas with an advisor who knows the computer industry, and can lead you down the right path.
By minimising their overheads, there are now companies offering up-to-the-minute courses with excellent training and assistance for much less than is asked for by old-style trainers.
Doing your bit in progressive developments in new technology is about as exciting as it can get. You become one of a team of people creating a future for us all. Computer technology and connections through the web will dramatically change the way we live our lives in the near future; to a vast degree.
A usual IT man or woman in the United Kingdom is likely to earn noticeably more money than equivalent professionals in another industry. Average incomes are hard to beat nationally. It would appear there is a lot more room for IT jobs increases throughout this country. The industry is continuing to expand quickly, and as we have a significant shortage of skilled professionals, it's highly unlikely that things will be any different for a good while yet.
How do we make a good choice then? With such prospects, it's important to know where to be looking - and of course, what to actually be looking for.
Beginning with the understanding that we have to choose the market that sounds most inviting first, before we can even mull over which training program meets that requirement, how can we choose the correct route? Consequently, if you don't have any understanding of the IT industry, what chance is there for you to know what someone in a particular field does each day? Let alone arrive at what training route is the most likely for you to get there. To work through this, a discussion is necessary, covering a variety of core topics:
* Personality factors and what you're interested in - the sort of work-oriented areas you enjoy or dislike.
* What time-frame are you looking at for the retraining?
* What salary and timescale needs that are important to you?
* Getting to grips with what the main Information technology types and sectors are - plus how they're different to each other.
* You need to understand what differentiates each individual training area.
To completely side-step the confusing industry jargon, and find what'll really work for you, have a good talk with an advisor with years of experience; someone who can impart the commercial reality as well as the accreditations.
We can't make a big enough deal out of this point: You absolutely must have proper 24x7 instructor and mentor support. You'll definitely experience problems if you don't follow this rule rigidly. Never buy study programmes that only provide support to you through a message system when it's outside of usual working hours. Colleges will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The bottom line is - you want support at the appropriate time - not as-and-when it's suitable for their staff.
World-class organisations opt for a web-based 24 hours-a-day package pulling in several support offices throughout multiple time-zones. You're offered an easy to use environment which seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate no matter what time of day it is: Support when you need it. If you fail to get yourself 24x7 support, you'll very quickly realise that you've made a mistake. You might not want to use the service throughout the night, but what about weekends, late evenings or early mornings.
Most trainers typically provide a big box of books. Learning like this is dull and repetitive and not really conducive to studying effectively. If we can involve all our senses in the learning process, then the results are usually dramatically better.
Top of the range study programs now offer self-contained CD or DVD materials. Through instructor-led video classes you'll take everything in through their teaching and demonstrations. Then you test your knowledge by practicing and interacting with the software. Any company that you're considering must be pushed to demo some samples of their training materials. You're looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and interactive areas to practice in.
It doesn't make sense to choose training that is only available online. With highly variable reliability and quality from the ISP (internet service provider) market, it makes sense to have CD or DVD ROM based materials.
One area often overlooked by new students considering a training program is 'training segmentation'. Essentially, this is the way the course is divided up for drop-shipping to you, which vastly changes the point you end up at. Individual deliveries for each training module piece by piece, as you complete each module is the normal way of receiving your courseware. This sounds sensible, but you must understand the following: Maybe the order of study insisted on by the company won't suit you. And what if you don't finish all the sections within their timetable?
The ideal solution is to have all the learning modules couriered to you immediately; the complete package! Then, nothing can hinder your capability of finishing.
One interesting way that training companies make extra profits is through up-front charges for exams and offering an exam guarantee. It looks impressive, until you think it through:
It's become essential these days that we are a bit more aware of hype - and generally we cotton on to the fact that we are actually being charged for it - it's not because they're so generous they want to give something away! Students who go in for their examinations when it's appropriate, funding them as they go are much more likely to pass. They are conscious of their investment and so are more inclined to be ready for the task.
Does it really add up to pay your training college at the start of the course for exam fees? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the time, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance - and do it in a local testing centre - instead of miles away at the college's beck and call. Why borrow the money or pay in advance (plus interest of course) on exam fees when you don't need to? Huge profits are secured by training companies charging upfront for all their exams - and then hoping that you won't take them all. Re-takes of any failed exams with companies who offer an 'Exam Guarantee' are monitored with tight restrictions. They will insist that you take pre-tests first so you can prove to them you have a good chance of passing.
Due to typical VUE and Prometric tests in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, it makes sense to pay as you go. Why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra at the beginning of your training? A commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
A service that several companies offer is a programme of Job Placement assistance. This is designed to help you get your first commercial position. At the end of the day it isn't so complicated as you might think to secure a job - assuming you're well trained and qualified; the growing UK skills shortage sees to that.
Help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews is sometimes offered (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). It's essential that you work on your old CV right away - not after you've qualified! Many junior support roles have been offered to students who're still on their course and haven't even passed a single exam yet. At least this will get you on your way. The best services to help you land that job are usually specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. Because they get paid commission to place you, they have more incentive to get on with it.
In a nutshell, as long as you focus the same level of energy into securing a position as into studying, you won't have any problems. A number of students inexplicably spend hundreds of hours on their training course and do nothing more once certified and seem to expect employers to find them.
By minimising their overheads, there are now companies offering up-to-the-minute courses with excellent training and assistance for much less than is asked for by old-style trainers.
Doing your bit in progressive developments in new technology is about as exciting as it can get. You become one of a team of people creating a future for us all. Computer technology and connections through the web will dramatically change the way we live our lives in the near future; to a vast degree.
A usual IT man or woman in the United Kingdom is likely to earn noticeably more money than equivalent professionals in another industry. Average incomes are hard to beat nationally. It would appear there is a lot more room for IT jobs increases throughout this country. The industry is continuing to expand quickly, and as we have a significant shortage of skilled professionals, it's highly unlikely that things will be any different for a good while yet.
How do we make a good choice then? With such prospects, it's important to know where to be looking - and of course, what to actually be looking for.
Beginning with the understanding that we have to choose the market that sounds most inviting first, before we can even mull over which training program meets that requirement, how can we choose the correct route? Consequently, if you don't have any understanding of the IT industry, what chance is there for you to know what someone in a particular field does each day? Let alone arrive at what training route is the most likely for you to get there. To work through this, a discussion is necessary, covering a variety of core topics:
* Personality factors and what you're interested in - the sort of work-oriented areas you enjoy or dislike.
* What time-frame are you looking at for the retraining?
* What salary and timescale needs that are important to you?
* Getting to grips with what the main Information technology types and sectors are - plus how they're different to each other.
* You need to understand what differentiates each individual training area.
To completely side-step the confusing industry jargon, and find what'll really work for you, have a good talk with an advisor with years of experience; someone who can impart the commercial reality as well as the accreditations.
We can't make a big enough deal out of this point: You absolutely must have proper 24x7 instructor and mentor support. You'll definitely experience problems if you don't follow this rule rigidly. Never buy study programmes that only provide support to you through a message system when it's outside of usual working hours. Colleges will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The bottom line is - you want support at the appropriate time - not as-and-when it's suitable for their staff.
World-class organisations opt for a web-based 24 hours-a-day package pulling in several support offices throughout multiple time-zones. You're offered an easy to use environment which seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate no matter what time of day it is: Support when you need it. If you fail to get yourself 24x7 support, you'll very quickly realise that you've made a mistake. You might not want to use the service throughout the night, but what about weekends, late evenings or early mornings.
Most trainers typically provide a big box of books. Learning like this is dull and repetitive and not really conducive to studying effectively. If we can involve all our senses in the learning process, then the results are usually dramatically better.
Top of the range study programs now offer self-contained CD or DVD materials. Through instructor-led video classes you'll take everything in through their teaching and demonstrations. Then you test your knowledge by practicing and interacting with the software. Any company that you're considering must be pushed to demo some samples of their training materials. You're looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and interactive areas to practice in.
It doesn't make sense to choose training that is only available online. With highly variable reliability and quality from the ISP (internet service provider) market, it makes sense to have CD or DVD ROM based materials.
One area often overlooked by new students considering a training program is 'training segmentation'. Essentially, this is the way the course is divided up for drop-shipping to you, which vastly changes the point you end up at. Individual deliveries for each training module piece by piece, as you complete each module is the normal way of receiving your courseware. This sounds sensible, but you must understand the following: Maybe the order of study insisted on by the company won't suit you. And what if you don't finish all the sections within their timetable?
The ideal solution is to have all the learning modules couriered to you immediately; the complete package! Then, nothing can hinder your capability of finishing.
One interesting way that training companies make extra profits is through up-front charges for exams and offering an exam guarantee. It looks impressive, until you think it through:
It's become essential these days that we are a bit more aware of hype - and generally we cotton on to the fact that we are actually being charged for it - it's not because they're so generous they want to give something away! Students who go in for their examinations when it's appropriate, funding them as they go are much more likely to pass. They are conscious of their investment and so are more inclined to be ready for the task.
Does it really add up to pay your training college at the start of the course for exam fees? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the time, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance - and do it in a local testing centre - instead of miles away at the college's beck and call. Why borrow the money or pay in advance (plus interest of course) on exam fees when you don't need to? Huge profits are secured by training companies charging upfront for all their exams - and then hoping that you won't take them all. Re-takes of any failed exams with companies who offer an 'Exam Guarantee' are monitored with tight restrictions. They will insist that you take pre-tests first so you can prove to them you have a good chance of passing.
Due to typical VUE and Prometric tests in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, it makes sense to pay as you go. Why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra at the beginning of your training? A commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
A service that several companies offer is a programme of Job Placement assistance. This is designed to help you get your first commercial position. At the end of the day it isn't so complicated as you might think to secure a job - assuming you're well trained and qualified; the growing UK skills shortage sees to that.
Help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews is sometimes offered (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). It's essential that you work on your old CV right away - not after you've qualified! Many junior support roles have been offered to students who're still on their course and haven't even passed a single exam yet. At least this will get you on your way. The best services to help you land that job are usually specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. Because they get paid commission to place you, they have more incentive to get on with it.
In a nutshell, as long as you focus the same level of energy into securing a position as into studying, you won't have any problems. A number of students inexplicably spend hundreds of hours on their training course and do nothing more once certified and seem to expect employers to find them.
About the Author:
The author: Jason Kendall has worked in IT for 2 Decades. He now consults around commercial certification. If you're interested in Comptia A+, visit LearningLolly Network+.
