Posts Tagged ‘work’

Computer Training – CompTIA – Options

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
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There are four specialist areas of training in a full CompTIA A+ program; you’re seen as competent at A+ when you’ve gained exams for two of the four areas. Because of this, most colleges only have two of the courses on their syllabus. In reality it’s necessary to have the training for all four areas as industry will be looking for an understanding of each specialist area. You don’t have to complete all 4 certifications, however we’d advise that you study for all four areas.

Passing the A+ exam in isolation will set you up to mend and maintain computers and Macs; ones which are usually not part of a network – essentially the domestic or small business sector.

Perhaps you see yourself as the kind of individual who is involved with a big team – supporting, fixing and maintaining networks, you’ll need to add CompTIA Network+, or consider an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft to give you a wider knowledge of how networks work.

You’ll come across courses which guarantee examination passes – this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, at the start of your training. However, prior to embracing this so-called guarantee, look at the following:

Everyone knows they’re still being charged for it – it’s quite obvious to see that it’s been added into the overall price charged by the course provider. It’s certainly not free (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!)

Should you seriously need to qualify first ‘go’, you must pay for each exam as you go, prioritise it appropriately and be ready for the task.

Does it really add up to pay the training college early for exam fees? Find the best deal you can when you take the exam, rather than pay marked up fees – and sit exams more locally – rather than in some remote place.

Is there a good reason to pay interest on a bigger loan than is necessary because you’ve paid early for examinations when you didn’t need to? A great deal of money is made by companies charging upfront for all their exams – and then cashing in when they’re not all taken.

Most companies will require you to do mock exams and not allow you to re-take an exam until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass – which makes an ‘Exam Guarantee’ frankly useless.

Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is foolish – when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

Commercially accredited qualifications are now, very visibly, already replacing the traditional routes into IT – but why has this come about?

Corporate based study (as it’s known in the industry) is far more specialised and product-specific. The IT sector has become aware that specialisation is necessary to handle an increasingly more technical world. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the key players in this arena.

Patently, a necessary degree of associated knowledge needs to be learned, but essential specialised knowledge in the exact job role gives a commercially trained student a distinct advantage.

Just as the old advertisement said: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. All an employer has to do is know what areas need to be serviced, and then match up the appropriate exam numbers as a requirement. That way they can be sure they’re interviewing applicants who can do the job.

One feature that several companies offer is a Job Placement Assistance program. It’s intention is to help you find your first job in the industry. At the end of the day it’s not as hard as some people make out to land a job – assuming you’re well trained and qualified; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.

However, don’t leave it until you’ve completed your exams before polishing up your CV. As soon as your training commences, enter details of your study programme and place it on jobsites!

You might not even have taken your exams when you will be offered your first junior support job; yet this isn’t going to happen unless your CV is with employers.

You can usually expect better results from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than you will through a training company’s recruitment division, as they’ll know the local area and commercial needs better.

Not inconsiderable numbers of people, it would appear, are prepared to study their hearts out (sometimes for years), only to give up at the first hurdle when attempting to secure their first job. Sell yourself… Work hard to get yourself known. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.

Massive developments are coming via technology over the next generation – and the industry becomes more ground-breaking every year.

Computing technology and dialogue through the internet will noticeably change our lives in the future; remarkably so.

And it’s worth remembering that income in the IT sector across the UK is significantly more than average salaries nationally, so in general you’ll more than likely gain considerably more as an IT specialist, than you could reasonably hope to achieve elsewhere.

It seems there’s no easing up for IT sector increases in Great Britain as a whole. The market sector is still growing hugely, and as we have a skills gap that means we only typically have three IT workers for every four jobs it’s not showing any signs that there’ll be any kind of easing off for years to come.

Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Go to Click Here or www.acertification.co.uk.

UK IT Support Training Compared

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
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It’s really great that you’ve already got this far! Only one in ten folks say they enjoy their work, but vast numbers just go off on one from time to time and take no action. By looking for this we can guess that you’re at least considering retraining, so well done to you. Take your time now to research and follow-through.

We suggest that you discuss your ideas first – talk to a knowledgeable person; an advisor who can discover your ideal job, and offer only the learning programs that will suit you:

* Is collaborating with others important to you? Would that be with the same people or with many new people? Perhaps working alone with your own methodology would be more your thing?

* Do you have a preference which market sector you choose to work in? (In this economy, it’s even more crucial to choose carefully.)

* Is it important that this should be the only time re-training is necessary?

* Do you feel uncomfortable about the chance of finding new employment, and being in demand in the employment market to the end of your working life?

When listing your options, it’s relevant that one of your key sectors is the IT industry – it’s common knowledge that it’s developing all the time. It’s not full of geeky individuals lost in their computer screens every day – it’s true those jobs exist, but the majority of roles are filled with Joe averages who do very well out of it.

Let’s admit it: There really is no such thing as personal job security now; there’s only industry and business security – as any company can drop any single member of staff if it meets the business’ trade needs.

However, a quickly growing market-place, with a constant demand for staff (due to a big shortage of commercially certified people), creates the conditions for true job security.

The 2006 British e-Skills study brought to light that over 26 percent of all IT positions available are unfilled mainly due to an appallingly low number of well-trained staff. Or, to put it differently, this clearly demonstrates that the UK only has 3 certified professionals for each 4 job positions in existence today.

Attaining proper commercial IT certification is accordingly a quick route to realise a life-long as well as enjoyable career.

As the Information Technology market is evolving at the speed it is, it’s unlikely there’s any better sector worth considering for your new career.

The age-old way of teaching, using textbooks and whiteboards, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, look for learning programmes that are multimedia based.

Many years of research has consistently demonstrated that becoming involved with our studies, to utilise all our senses, is much more conducive to long-term memory.

Modern training can now be done at home via easy-to-use DVD or CD ROM’s. Through instructor-led video classes you’ll take everything in via the demonstrations and explanations. You can then test yourself by utilising the practice lab’s and modules.

All companies should be able to show you a few examples of the materials provided for study. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and many interactive sections.

Avoid training that is purely online. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where offered, as you need to be able to use them whenever it’s convenient for you – ISP quality varies, so you don’t want to be totally reliant on your internet connection always being ‘up’ and available.

The world of information technology is amongst the most thrilling and changing industries that you can get into right now. To be working on the cutting-edge of technology is to be a part of the massive changes that will affect us all over the next generation.

We’ve only just begun to get a feel for how technology is going to shape our lives. Computers and the Internet will profoundly transform how we view and interact with the rest of the world over the next few years.

A standard IT man or woman in the United Kingdom is likely to get noticeably more money than his or her counterpart outside of IT. Mean average remuneration packages are amongst the highest in the country.

Due to the technological sector emerging year on year, it’s looking good that the requirement for qualified professionals will continue actively for a good while yet.

Far too many companies only look at the plaque to hang on your wall, and avoid focusing on what you actually need – which will always be getting the job or career you want. Always start with where you want to get to – don’t make the journey more important than where you want to get to.

Avoid becoming one of the unfortunate masses who choose a training program that seems ‘fun’ or ‘interesting’ – only to end up with a qualification for an unrewarding career path.

Get to grips with the income level you aspire to and what level of ambition fits you. This will influence which accreditations will be expected and how much effort you’ll have to give in return.

You’d also need help from someone that can explain the market you’ve chosen, and will be able to provide ‘A typical day in the life of’ synopsis for that career-path. These things are incredibly important because you obviously have to know if this change is right for you.

(C) S. Edwards 2009. Visit This Site or computertrainingcollege.co.uk .

Computer Training And Study At Home – Options

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
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Congratulations! Reading this subject matter means you’re likely to be contemplating your career, and if you’re considering retraining you’ve even now progressed more than the majority of people will. Are you aware that hardly any of us consider ourselves contented at work – yet the vast majority of us will take no corrective action. We implore you to be different and take action – don’t you think you deserve it.

When looking at training, it’s vital that you have in mind what you want and don’t want from the position you’re looking to get into. It’s important to discover if a new career would suit you better before you put a lot of energy into re-directing your life. It’s good sense to regard the big picture first, to make an informed decision:

* Do you hope for interaction with others? If the answer’s yes, would you enjoy being part of a team or are you hoping to meet new people? Maybe you’d rather be left alone to get on with things?

* What elements are you looking for from the industry your job is in? (Things do change – look at the building trade, or banks for example.)

* How long a career do you hope to have once retrained, and will the market sector give you the confidence that will happen?

* Would it be useful for the course you’re re-training in to be in an area where you believe your chances of gainful employment are high up to retirement age?

A predominant industry in the UK that can satisfy a trainee’s demands is the IT sector. There’s a need for more skilled people in this sector, simply have a look at a local job site and you’ll discover what we mean. But don’t think it’s all nerdy people sitting in front ofscreens all day long – there’s a lot more to it than that. The majority of employees in the industry are just like the rest of us, but they enjoy their work and get well paid.

Usually, the normal person doesn’t know in what direction to head in IT, or what area they should be considering getting trained in.

What are the chances of us grasping what is involved in a particular job if we’ve never been there? Often we don’t even know anybody who does that actual job anyway.

The key to answering this dilemma in the best manner stems from a full conversation around a variety of topics:

* Your personal interests and hobbies – as they can define what areas will give you the most reward.

* Are you hoping to get certified because of a particular motive – for example, do you aim to work at home (self-employment possibly?)?

* The income requirements you may have?

* Learning what the normal IT roles and markets are – and what differentiates them.

* How much time you’re prepared to spend on the training program.

Ultimately, the best way of checking this all out is via a meeting with a professional that knows the industry well enough to give you the information required.

Have a conversation with any specialised advisor and we’d be amazed if they couldn’t provide you with many awful tales of how students have been duped by salespeople. Only deal with an industry professional that asks some in-depth questions to find out what’s appropriate to you – not for their paycheque! Dig until you find the very best place to start for you.

If you’ve got any work-based experience or some accreditation, you could discover that your appropriate starting-point is not the same as someone new to the industry.

Commencing with a basic PC skills program first can be the best way to get into your computer studies, depending on your skill level at the moment.

An important area that is sometimes not even considered by trainees considering a training program is ‘training segmentation’. Essentially, this is the method used to break up the program for drop-shipping to you, which vastly changes what you end up with.

Delivery by courier of each element stage by stage, as you pass each exam is the usual method of releasing your program. This sounds sensible, but you might like to consider this:

Many students find that their training company’s standard order of study isn’t as suitable as another. It’s often the case that a slightly different order suits them better. Could it cause problems if you don’t get everything done in the allotted time?

Truth be told, the best solution is to obtain their recommendation on the best possible order of study, but to receive all the materials up-front. You’re then in possession of everything should you not complete it at their required pace.

Some training providers supply a practical Job Placement Assistance service, to help you into your first commercial role. Sometimes, there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, as it’s really not that difficult for a well trained and motivated person to get work in the IT industry – because companies everywhere are seeking qualified personnel.

Nevertheless, don’t wait till you have completed your exams before getting your CV updated. Right at the beginning of your training, list what you’re working on and get promoting!

You’ll often find that you will get your first job whilst still on the course (even in the early stages). If your course details aren’t on your CV (and it hasn’t been posted on jobsites) then you won’t even be considered!

The most efficient companies to help get you placed are usually local IT focused employment agencies. As they’re keen to place you to receive their commission, they’re perhaps more focused on results.

Just be sure that you don’t spend hundreds of hours on your training and studies, only to stop and imagine someone else is miraculously going to secure your first position. Take responsibility for yourself and make your own enquiries. Put as much energy and enthusiasm into securing the right position as you did to gain the skills.

Author: Scott Edwards. Check out CLICK HERE or it-training–uk.co.uk.