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.
It would be wonderful to believe that our careers are secure and our work prospects are protected, but the growing reality for most sectors in the United Kingdom currently seems to be that security may be a thing of the past. However, a fast growing sector, with huge staffing demands (because of an enormous shortage of properly qualified workers), opens the possibility of lasting job security.
Offering the computing business as an example, the 2006 e-Skills survey showed a skills gap in Great Britain of over 26 percent. To put it another way, this clearly demonstrates that the UK can only find three properly accredited workers for each 4 positions available at the moment. This one idea alone underpins why the UK urgently requires many more new trainees to get into the IT sector. Undoubtedly, it really is such a perfect time to retrain into IT.
Getting to the most fitting career option is fraught with stress - so what research do we need to do and what sort of questions should we ask?
Ignore any salesman who offers any particular course without a decent chat to better understand your current abilities plus your experience level. Make sure they can draw from a wide-enough product range so they're able to give you an appropriate solution. If you have a strong background, or maybe some real-world experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then obviously the point from which you begin your studies will be quite dissimilar from someone with no background whatsoever. Working through a user skills program first can be the best way to get into your computer training, but depends on your skill level.
At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be full 24x7 support from professional mentors and instructors. Far too often we see trainers who only seem to want to help while they're in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Be wary of any training providers who use 'out-of-hours' messaging systems - with the call-back coming in during typical office hours. This is no use if you're stuck and need help now.
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.
Pick disc based courseware (On CD or DVD) every time. Thus avoiding all the issues associated with broadband outages, failure and signal quality issues etc.
A number of students are under the impression that the school and FE college system is the way they should go. Why then are commercially accredited qualifications becoming more popular with employers? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs increasing year on year, and the IT sector's increasing awareness that corporate based study is closer to the mark commercially, there has been a great increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA authorised training programmes that educate students for much less time and money. Typically, only required knowledge is taught. Actually, it's not quite as pared down as that, but the principle objective is to cover the precise skills needed (along with a certain amount of crucial background) - without trying to cram in every other area - in the way that academic establishments often do.
In simple terms: Recognised IT certifications provide exactly what an employer needs - the title says it all: for example, I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003'. Consequently companies can look at their needs and which qualifications are required to fulfil that.
Think about the following facts very carefully if you're inclined to think the sales ploy of a guarantee for your exam looks like a reason to buy:
Everyone knows they're still paying for it - it's obviously been inserted into the full cost of the package supplied by the training provider. Certainly, it's not a freebie (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) The honest truth is that when trainees fund their relevant examinations, one after the other, there's a much better chance they'll pass every time - as they're aware of their payment and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.
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.
Exam fees averaged about 112 pounds last year through Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So what's the point of paying maybe a thousand pounds extra to have 'Exam Guarantees', when common sense dictates that what's really needed is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.
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.
It would be wonderful to believe that our careers are secure and our work prospects are protected, but the growing reality for most sectors in the United Kingdom currently seems to be that security may be a thing of the past. However, a fast growing sector, with huge staffing demands (because of an enormous shortage of properly qualified workers), opens the possibility of lasting job security.
Offering the computing business as an example, the 2006 e-Skills survey showed a skills gap in Great Britain of over 26 percent. To put it another way, this clearly demonstrates that the UK can only find three properly accredited workers for each 4 positions available at the moment. This one idea alone underpins why the UK urgently requires many more new trainees to get into the IT sector. Undoubtedly, it really is such a perfect time to retrain into IT.
Getting to the most fitting career option is fraught with stress - so what research do we need to do and what sort of questions should we ask?
Ignore any salesman who offers any particular course without a decent chat to better understand your current abilities plus your experience level. Make sure they can draw from a wide-enough product range so they're able to give you an appropriate solution. If you have a strong background, or maybe some real-world experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then obviously the point from which you begin your studies will be quite dissimilar from someone with no background whatsoever. Working through a user skills program first can be the best way to get into your computer training, but depends on your skill level.
At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be full 24x7 support from professional mentors and instructors. Far too often we see trainers who only seem to want to help while they're in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Be wary of any training providers who use 'out-of-hours' messaging systems - with the call-back coming in during typical office hours. This is no use if you're stuck and need help now.
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.
Pick disc based courseware (On CD or DVD) every time. Thus avoiding all the issues associated with broadband outages, failure and signal quality issues etc.
A number of students are under the impression that the school and FE college system is the way they should go. Why then are commercially accredited qualifications becoming more popular with employers? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs increasing year on year, and the IT sector's increasing awareness that corporate based study is closer to the mark commercially, there has been a great increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA authorised training programmes that educate students for much less time and money. Typically, only required knowledge is taught. Actually, it's not quite as pared down as that, but the principle objective is to cover the precise skills needed (along with a certain amount of crucial background) - without trying to cram in every other area - in the way that academic establishments often do.
In simple terms: Recognised IT certifications provide exactly what an employer needs - the title says it all: for example, I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003'. Consequently companies can look at their needs and which qualifications are required to fulfil that.
Think about the following facts very carefully if you're inclined to think the sales ploy of a guarantee for your exam looks like a reason to buy:
Everyone knows they're still paying for it - it's obviously been inserted into the full cost of the package supplied by the training provider. Certainly, it's not a freebie (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) The honest truth is that when trainees fund their relevant examinations, one after the other, there's a much better chance they'll pass every time - as they're aware of their payment and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.
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.
Exam fees averaged about 112 pounds last year through Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So what's the point of paying maybe a thousand pounds extra to have 'Exam Guarantees', when common sense dictates that what's really needed is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.
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:
Author Jason Kendall splits his work between consulting and promoting quality training and UK Support. To investigate Network+ Certification, visit LearningLolly Comptia Training.
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