Network and PC support technicians are increasingly sought after in the UK, as institutions have come to depend upon their knowledge and skills. The nation's requirement for better commercially qualified individuals is growing, as society becomes ever more dependent on computers in today's environment.
Most of us would love to think that our jobs will remain secure and our work prospects are protected, but the growing likelihood for most jobs in England today is that security may be a thing of the past. Now, we only experience security through a swiftly increasing marketplace, fuelled by a shortfall of trained staff. This shortage creates the appropriate background for market-security - a far better situation.
Taking the IT sector as an example, the 2006 e-Skills investigation demonstrated a skills gap throughout Great Britain in excess of 26 percent. Meaning that for each 4 job positions that exist in computing, there are only 3 trained people to fulfil that role. This worrying notion shows an urgent requirement for more properly accredited computing professionals around the United Kingdom. With the market developing at the speed it is, could there honestly be a better sector worth looking at for a new future.
Arriving at the most fitting career development option is hard enough - so which sectors are important to investigate and what are the questions we need to pose?
Any advisor who doesn't ask many questions - the likelihood is they're just a salesperson. If they're pushing towards a particular product before getting to know your background and current experience level, then you know it's true. With a strong background, or maybe some work-based experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then it's likely the point from which you begin your studies will vary from a student that is completely new to the industry. If this is going to be your first effort at an IT exam then you might also want to cut your teeth on some basic PC skills training first.
At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be full 24x7 support through trained professional instructors and mentors. Too many companies only provide support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later (but not weekends usually). Never buy certification programs which can only support students via a call-centre messaging system when it's outside of usual working hours. Trainers will give you every excuse in the book why you don't need this. The simple fact of the matter is - you need support when you need support - not at times when they find it cheaper to provide it.
If you look properly, you'll find professional companies that provide their students direct-access online support 24x7 - even in the middle of the night. Don't under any circumstances take anything less. Support round-the-clock is really your only option when it comes to IT study. It's possible you don't intend to study late evenings; usually though, we're at work at the time when most support is available.
Most trainers typically provide a shelf full of reference manuals. This isn't very interesting and not ideal for taking things in. Years of research and study has always demonstrated that connecting physically with our study, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.
Find a course where you'll get a host of CD and DVD based materials - you'll be learning from instructor videos and demo's, and then have the opportunity to practice your skills in interactive lab's. You'll definitely want a demonstration of the study materials from the training company. You should ask for expert-led demonstrations, slideshows and virtual practice lab's for your new skills.
Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where offered, so that you have access at all times - you don't want to be reliant on a quality and continuous internet connection.
Commercial certification is now, undoubtedly, already replacing the traditional routes into the industry - why then is this the case? With university education costs spiralling out of control, plus the IT sector's general opinion that accreditation-based training most often has much more commercial relevance, there has been a great increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA accredited training programmes that educate students at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time. Clearly, a reasonable amount of associated detail has to be learned, but core specialisation in the particular job function gives a commercially trained student a distinct advantage.
If an employer knows what areas they need covered, then all it takes is an advert for a person with the appropriate exam numbers. Syllabuses are set to exacting standards and do not vary between trainers (in the way that degree courses can).
You'll come across courses which guarantee examination passes - they always involve paying for the exam fees up-front, at the very beginning of your studies. However, prior to embracing this so-called guarantee, be aware of the facts:
We all know that we're ultimately paying for it - obviously it has been inserted into the overall figure from the course provider. It's definitely not free (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) Those who enter their exams one by one, funding them one at a time are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They're thoughtful of what they've paid and take the necessary steps to be ready for the task.
Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you're ready, and hang on to your cash. You also get more choice of where you take your exam - which means you can stay local. A great deal of money is netted by a significant number of organisations that incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. For quite legitimate reasons, a number of students don't get to do their exams but no refunds are given. Amazingly, providers exist that actually rely on students not sitting all the exams - as that's how they make a lot of their profit. Pay heed to the fact that, with 'Exam Guarantees' from most places - you are not in control of when you can do your re-takes. You'll have to prove conclusively that you can pass before they'll pay for another exam.
With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE tests in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. 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.
Ensure all your exams are current and commercially required - you're wasting your time with programs which end up with a useless in-house certificate or plaque. The main industry leaders such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco all have globally acknowledged skills programmes. Huge conglomerates such as these will give some sparkle to your CV.
Most of us would love to think that our jobs will remain secure and our work prospects are protected, but the growing likelihood for most jobs in England today is that security may be a thing of the past. Now, we only experience security through a swiftly increasing marketplace, fuelled by a shortfall of trained staff. This shortage creates the appropriate background for market-security - a far better situation.
Taking the IT sector as an example, the 2006 e-Skills investigation demonstrated a skills gap throughout Great Britain in excess of 26 percent. Meaning that for each 4 job positions that exist in computing, there are only 3 trained people to fulfil that role. This worrying notion shows an urgent requirement for more properly accredited computing professionals around the United Kingdom. With the market developing at the speed it is, could there honestly be a better sector worth looking at for a new future.
Arriving at the most fitting career development option is hard enough - so which sectors are important to investigate and what are the questions we need to pose?
Any advisor who doesn't ask many questions - the likelihood is they're just a salesperson. If they're pushing towards a particular product before getting to know your background and current experience level, then you know it's true. With a strong background, or maybe some work-based experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then it's likely the point from which you begin your studies will vary from a student that is completely new to the industry. If this is going to be your first effort at an IT exam then you might also want to cut your teeth on some basic PC skills training first.
At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be full 24x7 support through trained professional instructors and mentors. Too many companies only provide support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later (but not weekends usually). Never buy certification programs which can only support students via a call-centre messaging system when it's outside of usual working hours. Trainers will give you every excuse in the book why you don't need this. The simple fact of the matter is - you need support when you need support - not at times when they find it cheaper to provide it.
If you look properly, you'll find professional companies that provide their students direct-access online support 24x7 - even in the middle of the night. Don't under any circumstances take anything less. Support round-the-clock is really your only option when it comes to IT study. It's possible you don't intend to study late evenings; usually though, we're at work at the time when most support is available.
Most trainers typically provide a shelf full of reference manuals. This isn't very interesting and not ideal for taking things in. Years of research and study has always demonstrated that connecting physically with our study, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.
Find a course where you'll get a host of CD and DVD based materials - you'll be learning from instructor videos and demo's, and then have the opportunity to practice your skills in interactive lab's. You'll definitely want a demonstration of the study materials from the training company. You should ask for expert-led demonstrations, slideshows and virtual practice lab's for your new skills.
Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where offered, so that you have access at all times - you don't want to be reliant on a quality and continuous internet connection.
Commercial certification is now, undoubtedly, already replacing the traditional routes into the industry - why then is this the case? With university education costs spiralling out of control, plus the IT sector's general opinion that accreditation-based training most often has much more commercial relevance, there has been a great increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA accredited training programmes that educate students at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time. Clearly, a reasonable amount of associated detail has to be learned, but core specialisation in the particular job function gives a commercially trained student a distinct advantage.
If an employer knows what areas they need covered, then all it takes is an advert for a person with the appropriate exam numbers. Syllabuses are set to exacting standards and do not vary between trainers (in the way that degree courses can).
You'll come across courses which guarantee examination passes - they always involve paying for the exam fees up-front, at the very beginning of your studies. However, prior to embracing this so-called guarantee, be aware of the facts:
We all know that we're ultimately paying for it - obviously it has been inserted into the overall figure from the course provider. It's definitely not free (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) Those who enter their exams one by one, funding them one at a time are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They're thoughtful of what they've paid and take the necessary steps to be ready for the task.
Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you're ready, and hang on to your cash. You also get more choice of where you take your exam - which means you can stay local. A great deal of money is netted by a significant number of organisations that incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. For quite legitimate reasons, a number of students don't get to do their exams but no refunds are given. Amazingly, providers exist that actually rely on students not sitting all the exams - as that's how they make a lot of their profit. Pay heed to the fact that, with 'Exam Guarantees' from most places - you are not in control of when you can do your re-takes. You'll have to prove conclusively that you can pass before they'll pay for another exam.
With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE tests in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. 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.
Ensure all your exams are current and commercially required - you're wasting your time with programs which end up with a useless in-house certificate or plaque. The main industry leaders such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco all have globally acknowledged skills programmes. Huge conglomerates such as these will give some sparkle to your CV.
About the Author:
Jason Kendall advises and writes on the most up-to-date computer based training in the UK. If you're interested in Network+ Certification, visit LearningLolly Comptia Network+.
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