Should you be hoping to formalise your skill set at the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator level of study, the latest courses available are based on CD and DVD ROM's using interactive, hands-on study. Whether you are an experienced technician but are about to formalise your skills with certification, or are new to network support, you will find technologically advanced MCSA courses to suit your requirements. To pass for an MCSA there are four MCP's (Microsoft Certified Professional exams) needed to be passed. If you're new to IT, you'll probably be required to have some coaching before doing the MCP exams. Find a provider that has a team of advisors who can guide you towards the ideal program for you and can match your current skills to the right level of course.
Being a part of the leading edge of new technology is as thrilling as it comes. You personally play your part in creating a future for us all. We're in the very early stages of beginning to see just how technology will affect our lives in the future. Technology and the web will profoundly alter the way we view and interact with the world around us over the coming decades.
If money is high on your wish list, then you will be happy to know that the regular income for IT employees in general is much better than with the rest of the economy. Demand for well trained and qualified IT technicians is guaranteed for a good while yet, because of the ongoing development in the marketplace and the massive skills gap still in existence.
So many training providers are all about the certification, and completely avoid what it's all actually about - which is of course employment. You should always begin with the end in mind - don't get hung-up on the training vehicle. It's an awful thing, but a great many students kick-off study that often sounds great from the marketing materials, but which delivers a career that is of no interest. Just ask several college graduates for a real eye-opener.
Stay focused on where you want to get to, and create a learning-plan from that - avoid getting them back-to-front. Keep your eyes on your goals and study for a career you'll still be enjoying many years from now. Seek advice from a skilled advisor, even if there's a fee involved - it's usually much cheaper and safer to find out at the start if you've chosen correctly, instead of discovering after two full years that the job you've chosen is not for you and have to return to the start of another program.
Only consider study programs which grow into industry approved accreditations. There are way too many minor schools pushing minor 'in-house' certificates which are worthless in today's commercial market. If the accreditation doesn't feature a company like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA, then chances are it will be commercially useless - because no-one will recognise it.
One feature that many training companies provide is job placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you find your first job in the industry. Don't get caught up in this feature - it's easy for their marketing department to make it sound harder than it is. The fact of the matter is, the need for well trained IT people in Britain is why employers will be interested in you.
Get your CV updated straight-away though - you should get plenty of help from your training provider on this. Don't delay till you've finished your exams. Getting your CV considered is far better than not even being known about. A decent number of junior support roles are got by trainees (sometimes when they've only just got going.) Generally, a specialist independent regional recruitment consultancy (who will, of course, be keen to place you to receive their commission) will perform better than any division of a training company. It also stands to reason that they'll know the local area and commercial needs.
To bottom line it, if you put the same amount of effort into finding your first job as into training, you're not going to hit many challenges. Some students curiously spend hundreds of hours on their learning program and do nothing more once qualified and appear to be under the impression that jobs will come to them.
A sneaky way that training companies make extra profits is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and offering an exam guarantee. It looks impressive, but is it really:
Everyone knows they're still paying for it - it's obviously been inserted into the gross price invoiced by the training company. It's absolutely not free (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) We all want to pass first time. Taking your exams progressively one at a time and paying as you go makes it far more likely you'll pass first time - you put the effort in and are aware of the costs involved.
Why should you pay your college in advance for exams? Go for the best offer when you're ready, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance - and sit exams more locally - rather than possibly hours away from your area. A lot of unscrupulous training colleges secure huge amounts of money because they're getting in the money for all the exam fees up-front and banking on the fact that many won't be taken. Re-takes of any failed exams with training course providers who offer an 'Exam Guarantee' inevitably are heavily regulated. You'll be required to sit pre-tests so you can prove to them you have a good chance of passing.
Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on 'Exam Guarantees' is short-sighted - when hard work, commitment and the right preparation via exam simulations is what will really see you through.
Being a part of the leading edge of new technology is as thrilling as it comes. You personally play your part in creating a future for us all. We're in the very early stages of beginning to see just how technology will affect our lives in the future. Technology and the web will profoundly alter the way we view and interact with the world around us over the coming decades.
If money is high on your wish list, then you will be happy to know that the regular income for IT employees in general is much better than with the rest of the economy. Demand for well trained and qualified IT technicians is guaranteed for a good while yet, because of the ongoing development in the marketplace and the massive skills gap still in existence.
So many training providers are all about the certification, and completely avoid what it's all actually about - which is of course employment. You should always begin with the end in mind - don't get hung-up on the training vehicle. It's an awful thing, but a great many students kick-off study that often sounds great from the marketing materials, but which delivers a career that is of no interest. Just ask several college graduates for a real eye-opener.
Stay focused on where you want to get to, and create a learning-plan from that - avoid getting them back-to-front. Keep your eyes on your goals and study for a career you'll still be enjoying many years from now. Seek advice from a skilled advisor, even if there's a fee involved - it's usually much cheaper and safer to find out at the start if you've chosen correctly, instead of discovering after two full years that the job you've chosen is not for you and have to return to the start of another program.
Only consider study programs which grow into industry approved accreditations. There are way too many minor schools pushing minor 'in-house' certificates which are worthless in today's commercial market. If the accreditation doesn't feature a company like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA, then chances are it will be commercially useless - because no-one will recognise it.
One feature that many training companies provide is job placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you find your first job in the industry. Don't get caught up in this feature - it's easy for their marketing department to make it sound harder than it is. The fact of the matter is, the need for well trained IT people in Britain is why employers will be interested in you.
Get your CV updated straight-away though - you should get plenty of help from your training provider on this. Don't delay till you've finished your exams. Getting your CV considered is far better than not even being known about. A decent number of junior support roles are got by trainees (sometimes when they've only just got going.) Generally, a specialist independent regional recruitment consultancy (who will, of course, be keen to place you to receive their commission) will perform better than any division of a training company. It also stands to reason that they'll know the local area and commercial needs.
To bottom line it, if you put the same amount of effort into finding your first job as into training, you're not going to hit many challenges. Some students curiously spend hundreds of hours on their learning program and do nothing more once qualified and appear to be under the impression that jobs will come to them.
A sneaky way that training companies make extra profits is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and offering an exam guarantee. It looks impressive, but is it really:
Everyone knows they're still paying for it - it's obviously been inserted into the gross price invoiced by the training company. It's absolutely not free (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) We all want to pass first time. Taking your exams progressively one at a time and paying as you go makes it far more likely you'll pass first time - you put the effort in and are aware of the costs involved.
Why should you pay your college in advance for exams? Go for the best offer when you're ready, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance - and sit exams more locally - rather than possibly hours away from your area. A lot of unscrupulous training colleges secure huge amounts of money because they're getting in the money for all the exam fees up-front and banking on the fact that many won't be taken. Re-takes of any failed exams with training course providers who offer an 'Exam Guarantee' inevitably are heavily regulated. You'll be required to sit pre-tests so you can prove to them you have a good chance of passing.
Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on 'Exam Guarantees' is short-sighted - when hard work, commitment and the right preparation via exam simulations is what will really see you through.
About the Author:
With 2 Decades experience, author Jason Kendall, campaigns for low-cost, quality interactive training in the UK. If you're interested in MCSA Training, visit LearningLolly MCSA 2008.
