By Scott Edwards
Well done! Reading this subject matter proves you must be wondering about where you're going, and if training for a new career's in your mind you've even now progressed more than most. Can you believe that a small minority of us describe ourselves as fulfilled in our working life - yet the vast majority of us will just put up with it. Why don't you break free and take action - think about how you could enjoy Monday mornings. Prior to considering individual training courses, find an expert who can talk you through the right type of training for you. Someone who can get an understanding of your personality, and discover what type of job will be right for you: Do you like to be around others at work? Do you like to deal with the public? Maybe you like to deal with tasks that you deal with by yourself? Are you considering which market sector you would be suited to? (These days, it's even more crucial to choose well.) Is this the final time you imagine you'll re-train, and if so do you believe this career choice will give you scope to do that? Are you concerned about the possibility of getting new work, and being in demand in the employment market until you plan to retire? The most significant market sector in this country that can satisfy a trainee's demands is the IT industry. There's a shortage of qualified technicians in IT, just check out any jobs website and there'll be a long list. But don't think it's all techie people staring at theirscreens every day - there are loads more jobs than that. Most of employees in IT are just like the rest of us, with well paid and stimulating jobs.
Doing your bit in the leading edge of new technology really is electrifying. You become one of a team of people shaping the next few decades. We're at the dawn of beginning to understand how all this change will affect us. How we correlate with the world as a whole will be profoundly affected by computers and the internet. A regular IT man or woman in the United Kingdom has been shown to earn a lot more than his or her counterpart outside of IT. Average incomes are amongst the highest in the country. It's no secret that there is a considerable nationwide hunger for certified IT specialists. Also with the marketplace continuing to expand, it appears this will be the case for a good while yet.
It's irrefutable, the UK computing market offers outstanding opportunities. Yet, to arm ourselves with the correct information, what are the questions we should be raising, and which are the areas we need to look at?
Of course: the actual training or the accreditation is not the ultimate goal; the job or career that you're getting the training for is. A lot of colleges seem to put too much weight in the piece of paper. It's not unheard of, in many cases, to find immense satisfaction in a year of study only to end up putting 20 long years into a career that does nothing for you, as an upshot of not doing the correct research when it was needed - at the start. Make sure you investigate what your attitude is towards career development, earning potential, and if you're ambitious or not. It's vital to know what (if any) sacrifices you'll need to make for a particular role, which particular qualifications will be required and in what way you can develop commercial experience. Take advice from a skilled advisor, even if you have to pay - it's considerably cheaper and safer to investigate at the start whether something is going to suit and interest you, instead of finding out after several years of study that you've picked the wrong track and have wasted years of effort.
The classroom style of learning we remember from school, using textbooks and whiteboards, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, dig around for more practical courses that are on-screen and interactive. Our ability to remember is increased when all our senses are brought into the mix - this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for many years. Search for a course where you'll receive a library of CD or DVD ROM's - you'll be learning from instructor videos and demo's, followed by the chance to use virtual lab's to practice your new skills. It's imperative to see some example materials from your chosen company. They have to utilise instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab's. Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where obtainable, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - and not be totally reliant on your internet connection always being 'up' and available.
Of all the important things to consider, one of the most essential is always 24x7 round-the-clock support from dedicated instructors and mentors. Too many companies only seem to want to help while they're in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Don't buy study programmes that only provide support to you via a call-centre outside of normal office hours. Trainers will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The simple fact of the matter is - you want support at the appropriate time - not at times when they find it cheaper to provide it. The best trainers incorporate three or four individual support centres across multiple time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to join them all seamlessly; at any time you choose - help is at hand avoiding all the delays and problems. Never settle for less than you need and deserve. Support round-the-clock is really your only option for IT learning. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; often though, we're out at work while the support is live.
Many men and women assume that the traditional school, college or university system is the way they should go. So why then are commercially accredited qualifications beginning to overtake it? Industry now acknowledges that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, proper accreditation from companies such as Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA most often has much more specialised relevance - saving time and money. Clearly, a certain amount of relevant additional information needs to be taught, but essential specialisation in the areas needed gives a commercially educated student a real head start. Just as the old advertisement said: 'It does what it says on the tin'. All an employer has to do is know where they have gaps and then request applicants with the correct exam numbers. That way they can be sure they're interviewing applicants who can do the job.
Incorporating examination fees up-front and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is popular with a number of training colleges. But let's examine why they really do it: You're paying for it one way or another. It certainly isn't free - they've just worked it into the package price. The fact is that if a student pays for their relevant examinations, one by one, they'll be in a better position to get through on the first attempt - as they are conscious of their investment in themselves and will therefore apply themselves appropriately. Isn't it in your interests to go for the best offer at the appropriate time, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to a training course provider, and to do it in a local testing office - instead of miles away at the college's beck and call? Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for exam fees when there's absolutely nothing that says you have to? Big margins are made by companies charging all their exam fees up-front - and hoping either that you won't take them, or it will be a long time before you do. Pay heed to the fact that, in the majority of cases of 'exam guarantees' - they control when and how often you are allowed to have another go. They'll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied. On average, exams cost around the 112 pounds mark last year via Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra for 'Exam Guarantees', when it's obvious that the best guarantee is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.
Many training companies will provide a useful Job Placement Assistance facility, designed to steer you into your first job. It can happen though that people are too impressed with this facility, because it is genuinely quite straightforward for any focused and well taught person to secure work in IT - because there's a great need for skilled employees. Help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews may be available (if not, see one of our sites for help). Make sure you update that dusty old CV immediately - not after you've qualified! It can happen that you haven't even taken your exams when you will be offered your first junior support position; although this won't be the case unless your CV is with employers. If you'd like to get employment in your home town, then it's quite likely that a local (but specialised) recruitment consultancy can generally be more appropriate than a centralised service, as they're going to be familiar with local employment needs. A common confusion of many course providers is how hard people are focused on studying to become certified, but how little effort that student will then put into getting the position they have qualified for. Don't falter at the last fence.
About the Author:
Scott Edwards sources and advises on the very latest forms of computer based training in the UK. If you're interested in
IT Training, visit LearningLolly
IT Training Courses.
