by Jason Kendall
Anybody thinking about training for the IT sector will soon realise that there are a diverse range of courses available to them. Prior to getting started, seek out a training company that has advisors, so you can be educated on the type of work your course will lead you to. You may well discover job roles you didn’t know about. Training ranges from Microsoft User Skills to Databases, Programming, Networking and Web Design. There is a huge amount of choice and so it’s probably best to talk through your options with an industry expert before you confirm the course you want: the last thing you want to do is learn about a subject for a job you’d actually hate!
By keeping costs to a minimum, computer training providers can now offer contemporary courses that feature outstanding training and guidance for much less than is asked for by more out-dated organisations.
Working on revolutionary new technology gives you the best job satisfaction ever. Your actions are instrumental in shaping the next few decades. We are really only just starting to get a handle on what this change will mean to us. How we communicate and interact with everyone around us will be significantly affected by technology and the internet.
If money is high on your list of priorities, you’ll welcome the news that the regular income of IT employees in general is noticeably more than with most other jobs or industries. Demand for properly certified IT professionals is guaranteed for a good while yet, because of the ongoing increase in this sector and the huge skills gap that remains.
Those that are drawn to this type of work are often very practical, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If this is putting you off studying, go for more modern interactive training, where learning is video-based. Studies have consistently confirmed that becoming involved with our studies, to utilise all our senses, is much more conducive to long-term memory.
Learning is now available in the form of CD and DVD ROM’s, so you can study at your own computer. Video streaming means you can watch instructors demonstrating how to perform the required skill, and then practice yourself – in an interactive lab. It makes sense to see some examples of the kind of training materials you’ll be using before you make your decision. You should expect videoed instructor demonstrations and audio-visual elements backed up by interactive lab’s.
It’s folly to choose training that is only available online. With highly variable reliability and quality from the ISP (internet service provider) market, you should always obtain CD or DVD ROM based materials.
A fatal Faux-Pas that we encounter all too often is to focus entirely on getting a qualification, instead of focusing on where they want to get to. Training academies have thousands of unaware students who took a course because it seemed fun – instead of the program that would surely get them an enjoyable career or job. You may train for one year and then end up doing the job for 20 years. Don’t make the mistake of finding what seems like an ‘interesting’ course only to spend 20 years doing an unrewarding career!
It’s essential to keep your focus on what it is you’re trying to achieve, and formulate your training based on that – avoid getting them back-to-front. Stay on target and study for a job you’ll still be enjoying many years from now. Seek guidance and advice from a skilled professional, even if you have to pay a small fee – it’s much safer and cheaper to discover early on if something is going to suit and interest you, 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.
Consider the points below in detail if you’re inclined to think that old marketing ploy of examination guarantees seems like a good idea:
Obviously it isn’t free – you’re still coughing up for it – it’s just been included in your package price. It’s well known in the industry that when trainees fund their relevant examinations, one after the other, they will be much more likely to pass first time – since they’re aware of their payment and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.
Go for the best offer you can find at the time, and avoid college mark-up fees. In addition, it’s then your choice where to do the examinations – which means you can stay local. Including money in your training package for examinations (plus interest – if you’re financing your study) is madness. Why fill a company’s coffers with extra money of yours simply to help their cash-flow! There are those who hope that you won’t get round to taking them – then they’ll keep the extra money. The majority of organisations will require you to sit pre-tests and prohibit you from re-taking an exam until you’ve completely proven that you’re likely to pass – making an ‘exam guarantee’ just about worthless.
Prometric and VUE exams are in the region of 112 pounds in Great Britain. Why spend so much more on ‘Exam Guarantee’ costs (often hidden in the cost) – when good quality study materials, the proper support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what’s required.
Speak with any specialised advisor and we’d be amazed if they couldn’t provide you with many terrible tales of salespeople ripping-off unsuspecting students. Ensure you only ever work with an experienced advisor that asks lots of questions to find out what’s right for you – not for their bank-account! You must establish the right starting point of study for you. If you’ve got any commercial experience or base qualifications, your starting-point of learning is not the same as someone new to the industry. It’s usual to start with some basic PC skills training first. It will usually make the slope up to the higher-levels a much more gentle.
