Selecting CompTIA Training (180409)
There are four specialised areas of training in the complete CompTIA A+ course, of which 2 passes are needed for your A+ qualification. Be aware though that restricting yourself to two out of the 4 subjects available might well not equip you for a job. At least learn about all four – for greater confidence in the world of work.
CompTIA A+ without additional courses will allow you to mend and maintain stand-alone PC’s and MAC’s; principally ones that aren’t joined to a network – this generally applies to home use and small companies. Should you want to work towards looking after computer networks, you should add CompTIA Network+ to the CompTIA A+ training you’re doing. Taking this course as well will mean you can assist you greatly in the job market. Also look at the Microsoft networking qualifications (MCP, MCSA and MCSE).
Does job security really exist anymore? Here in the UK, where business constantly changes its mind whenever it suits, it seems increasingly unlikely. We could however find market-level security, by searching for areas that have high demand, tied with a shortage of skilled staff.
The computer industry skills-gap in the country clocks in at over 26 percent, according to a recent e-Skills study. This shows that for every four jobs available across computing, we’ve only got three properly trained pro’s to perform that task. This one notion alone shows why the United Kingdom needs considerably more workers to get trained and join the Information Technology market. With the market expanding at such a quick pace, could there honestly be a better area of industry worth investigating for retraining.
It’s irrefutable, the Information Technology (IT) industry promises great prospects. Yet, to investigate it properly, which questions do we need to be asking, and what elements are the most important?
Commencing from the viewpoint that we need to choose the job we want to do first, before we’re even able to mull over what educational program would meet that requirement, how do we decide on the right path? Consequently, if you have no know-how of the IT sector, how could you possibly know what a particular IT employee does each day? Let alone decide on what certification program would be most appropriate for your success. Reflection on these issues is vital when you want to uncover a solution that suits you:
* Your personal interests and hobbies – often these highlight what things you’ll get the most enjoyment out of.
* Is your focus to re-train for a particular raison d’etre – for example, do you aim to work based at home (being your own boss?)?
* Is salary further up on your list of priorities than anything else.
* Understanding what the main Information technology roles and sectors are – and what makes them different.
* How much effort you will spend on your training.
The bottom line is, the most intelligent way of covering these is via a long chat with an advisor who through years of experience will give you the information required.
People attracted to this sort of work often have a very practical outlook on work, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and poring through books and manuals. If this is putting you off studying, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where everything is presented via full motion video. Many studies have proved that we remember much more when we receive multi-sensorial input, and we put into practice what we’ve been studying.
Interactive audio-visual materials featuring instructor demo’s and practice lab’s will beat books every time. And they’re far more fun. It makes sense to see some examples of the kind of training materials you’ll be using before you sign on the dotted line. Always insist on videoed instructor demonstrations and audio-visual elements backed up by interactive lab’s.
Seek out actual CD or DVD ROM’s every time. You’re then protected from broadband outages, failure and signal quality issues etc.
One area often overlooked by trainees mulling over a new direction is the issue of ‘training segmentation’. This is essentially the way the course is divided up to be delivered to you, which makes a huge difference to how you end up. Students often think it makes sense (with a typical time scale of 1-3 years for a full commercial certification,) for your typical trainer to courier the training stage by stage, as you achieve each exam pass. But: What would happen if you didn’t finish each and every exam at the required speed? Sometimes their preference of study order won’t be as easy as some other order of studying might.
To be straight, the best solution is to get an idea of what they recommend as an ideal study order, but get all the study materials at the start. Meaning you’ve got it all in the event you don’t complete everything within their ideal time-table.
One thing you must always insist on is comprehensive 24×7 direct-access support from 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). Find a good quality service where you can access help at any time of the day or night (even 1am on Sunday morning!) You want direct access to tutors, and not access to a call-in service which takes messages – so you’re parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back at a convenient time for them.
It’s possible to find professional training packages that offer online support all the time – including evenings, nights and weekends. Search out a training provider that goes the extra mile. Only true live 24×7 round-the-clock support gives you the confidence to make it.
It’s essential to have authorised exam simulation and preparation programs included in your course. Because a lot of IT examining boards tend to be American, you must be prepared for the way exams are phrased. It’s not sufficient just understanding random questions – they must be in an exam format that exactly replicates the real thing. Simulations and practice exams are invaluable as a resource to you – so much so, that at your actual exams, you will be much more relaxed.
A service offered by some training providers is job placement assistance. It’s intention is to assist your search for your first position. Sometimes, there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, as it’s really not that difficult for well qualified and focused men and women to land a job in the IT industry – because there’s a great need for well trained people.
Having said that, it’s important to have help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews though; additionally, we would recommend all students to get their CV updated as soon as training commences – don’t put it off until you’ve graduated or passed any exams. A good number of junior support roles have been offered to students who are still learning and have yet to take their exams. This will at least get you into the ‘maybe’ pile of CV’s – rather than the ‘No’ pile. If you’d like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then you may well find that an independent and specialised local employment service can generally work much better for you than the trainer’s recruitment division, because they’re going to be familiar with the local job scene.
Certainly ensure you don’t conscientiously work through your course materials, and then just stop and leave it up to everyone else to secure your first position. Get off your backside and get on with the job. Invest the same focus into landing the right position as it took to get qualified.