Discussing IT Training 2009
Well Done! As you’re reading this article you’re probably toying with the idea of getting re-qualified for a new job – so you’ve already done more than most. Only one in ten of us are pleased to go to work each day, but most just moan and do nothing about it. You could join a select group who take responsibility for their future.
We’d strongly advise that prior to beginning any individual training program, you discuss your plans with a person who has knowledge of the industry and can give you advice. They can assess your personality and help you sort out a role to fit you:
* Is collaborating with others important to you? Would that be with the same people or with a lot of new people? Possibly operating on your own with your own methodology may be your preference?
* What thoughts are fundamentally important regarding the industry you hope to work in?
* Once you’ve qualified, would you like your new abilities to take you through to retirement?
* Are you worried about your chances of finding new employment, and staying employable right up to retirement?
A predominant industry in this country to meet the above criteria is the IT industry. There’s a need for more qualified people in IT, just check out any jobsite and there’ll be a long list. Don’t let people tell you it’s all techie people gazing towards theirscreens all day – there are loads more jobs than that. Large numbers of the people in the computer industry are just like the rest of us, but they enjoy their work and get well paid.
Be under no illusions, the UK computing industry promises outstanding possibilities. Yet, to investigate fully, what are the questions we need to ask, and which are the areas we need to look at?
One fatal mistake that many potential students make is to concentrate on the course itself, and take their eye off the desired end-result. Schools have thousands of students that chose an ‘interesting’ course – instead of the program that would surely get them the job they want. It’s unfortunate, but the majority of trainees kick-off study that often sounds magnificent in the syllabus guide, but which gets us a career that is of no interest. Talk to many college leavers and you’ll see where we’re coming from.
Spend some time thinking about what you want to earn and what level of ambition fits you. This will influence which particular exams will be required and how much effort you’ll have to give in return. As a precursor to beginning a learning program, it makes sense to talk through specific career requirements with an experienced professional, in order to be sure the retraining programme covers all the bases.
Ensure all your exams are commercially valid and current – forget courses that lead to in-house certificates. The main industry leaders such as Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe each have globally recognised skills courses. These heavyweights will give some sparkle to your CV.
One thing you must always insist on is proper direct-access 24×7 support with professional mentors and instructors. It’s an all too common story to find providers that only seem to want to help while they’re in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Email support is too slow, and so-called telephone support is normally just routed to a call-centre which will take the information and email an instructor – who’ll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, at a suitable time to them. This is not a lot of use if you’re stuck with a particular problem and only have a specific time you can study.
We recommend looking for colleges that utilise many support facilities across multiple time-zones. All of them should be combined to provide a single interface and 24×7 access, when it suits you, with no fuss. Find an educator that goes the extra mile. Because only live 24×7 support provides the necessary backup.
Students who consider this area of study often have a very practical outlook on work, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If this is putting you off studying, try the newer style of interactive study, with on-screen demonstrations and labs. Many years of research has constantly verified that getting into our studies physically, is much more conducive to long-term memory.
Start a study-program in which you’ll receive a library of DVD-ROM’s – you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, and be able to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions. All companies must be pushed to demo some samples of the materials provided for study. Make sure you encounter videos of instructor-led classes and a wide selection of interactive elements.
You should avoid purely online training. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where available, enabling them to be used at your convenience – ISP quality varies, so you don’t want to be totally reliant on a quality and continuous internet connection.
It’s quite a normal occurrence for students not to check on a vitally important element – the way their training provider segments the courseware sections, and into what particular chunks. Many companies enrol you into some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and courier the materials in pieces as you complete each section or exam. On the surface this seems reasonable – until you consider the following: What if you find the order insisted on by the company won’t suit you. It may be difficult to get through each and every section at the speed required?
The ideal solution is to have all your study materials packed off to your home before you even start; every single thing! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede the reaching of your goals.
One interesting way that course providers make extra profits is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and offering an exam guarantee. It looks like a good deal, but let’s just examine it more closely:
We all know that we’re still footing the bill for it – it’s quite obvious to see that it’s already in the gross price invoiced by the training company. Certainly, it’s not a freebie – and it’s insulting that we’re supposed to think it is! Evidence shows that if a student pays for each progressive exam, one at a time, the chances are they’re going to pass first time – since they’ll think of their payment and so will prepare more thoroughly.
Find the best exam deal or offer available when you’re ready, and keep hold of your own money. In addition, it’s then your choice where to do your exams – so you can choose somewhere closer to home. Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for examinations when you don’t need to? A great deal of money is made by companies charging all their exam fees up-front – and then hoping that you won’t take them all. The majority of companies will insist on pre-tests and hold you back from re-takes until you have proved to them you have a good chance of passing – which makes an ‘Exam Guarantee’ frankly useless.
Due to typical VUE and Prometric exams coming in at around 112 pounds in the UK, the most cost-effective way to cover the cost is by paying when you need them. It’s not in the student’s interests to fork out hundreds or thousands of pounds for exams when enrolling on a course. Commitment, effort and practice with quality exam preparation systems are the factors that really get you through.
The world of information technology is one of the more thrilling and changing industries that you could be a part of. Being up close and personal with technology puts you at the fore-front of developments shaping life over the next few decades. We’re only just starting to get a feel for how technology will define our world. Computers and the Internet will massively change the way we see and interrelate with the rest of the world over the years to come.
The typical IT man or woman throughout Britain has been shown to get much more money than employees on a par in other market sectors. Mean average salaries are around the top of national league tables. Excitingly, there is no easing up for IT sector increases across Britain. The market sector is continuing to expand quickly, and with the skills shortage of over 26 percent that we’re experiencing, it’s highly unlikely that this will change significantly for years to come.