Choosing Computer Training 2009
Anybody thinking about training for the computer or IT industry will rapidly be overwhelmed by the huge amount of choices there are. Before starting a training program, look for a training company with industry experts, so you can be educated on the jobs your course will lead you to. It’s possible you’ll learn about jobs you hadn’t previously thought of. There are so many directions you can go in. Certain students simply want Microsoft user skills, others want career skills such as courses on Web Design, Databases, Programming or Networking - and all can be catered for. But with this much choice, don’t just guess. It’s much better to talk to a company who knows this commercial sector, and can steer you in the right direction.
Due to the vast number of low cost, easily understood courses and support, you’re sure to get to something that should take you where you want to go.
How are we supposed to reach an informed decision then? With so much reward available, it’s essential to be guided as to where to dig - and what to be investigating.
It’s important to understand: the actual training program or a qualification is not what you’re looking for; the career that you want is. A lot of colleges seem to place too much importance on the certificate itself. You could be training for only a year and end up doing the job for 20 years. Avoid the mistake of finding what seems like a program of interest to you and then spend decades in an unrewarding career!
It’s well worth a long chat to see what expectations industry may have of you. Which particular certifications they will want you to have and how you’ll go about getting some commercial experience. It’s definitely worth spending time setting guidelines as to how far you wish to build your skill-set as often it can control your selection of accreditations. Speak to a skilled advisor who understands the work you’re contemplating, and could provide detailed descriptions of what you actually do in that role. Establishing this before starting out on a retraining course will save you both time and money.
You should only consider learning programs which lead to industry accepted certifications. There are loads of small companies suggesting ‘in-house’ certificates which aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on in the real world. If the accreditation doesn’t feature a company like Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe, then you may discover it will be commercially useless - because no-one will recognise it.
If you forget everything else - then just remember this: It’s essential to obtain proper 24×7 round-the-clock professional support from mentors and instructors. Later, you’ll kick yourself if you don’t adhere to this. Never accept study programmes that only provide support to students via a call-centre messaging service after office-staff have gone home. Trainers will give you every excuse in the book why you don’t need this. The bottom line is - support is needed when it’s needed - not as-and-when it’s suitable for their staff.
The best training colleges tend to use a web-based 24 hours-a-day package combining multiple support operations from around the world. You get a simple environment that switches seamlessly to the best choice of centres irrespective of the time of day: Support available as-and-when you want it. You can’t afford to accept anything less. Online 24×7 support is the only way to go for computer-based training. Perhaps you don’t intend to study during the evenings; usually though, we’re at work when traditional support if offered.
Often, trainers provide piles of reference manuals and workbooks. This isn’t very interesting and not a very good way of achieving retention. Long-term memory is enhanced when we use multiple senses - experts have been clear on this for as long as we can remember.
Locate a program where you’ll receive a library of CD and DVD based materials - you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, and be able to practice your skills in interactive lab’s. It’s very important to see the type of training provided by each company you’re contemplating. Be sure that they contain full motion videos of instructors demonstrating the topic with lab’s to practice the skills in.
You should avoid purely online training. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where obtainable, enabling them to be used at your convenience - you don’t want to be reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.
It’s quite a normal occurrence for students not to check on a painfully important area - the way the company actually breaks down and delivers the physical training materials, and into what particular chunks. Many think it logical (with a typical time scale of 1-3 years to pass all the required exams,) that a training provider will issue the training stage by stage, until you’ve passed all the exams. Although: Sometimes the steps or stages pushed by the company’s salespeople doesn’t suit all of us. You may find it a stretch to finalise every element within the time limits imposed?
Truth be told, the best option is to obtain their recommendation on the best possible order of study, but get everything up-front. You then have everything in case you don’t finish quite as quick as they’d want.
It’s not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees - inevitably that means paying for the exams at the start of your training. Before you get carried away with the chance of a guarantee, look at the following:
You’ll pay for it ultimately. You can be assured it’s not a freebie - it’s just been rolled into the price of the whole package. People who enter their exams one by one, funding them as they go are much better placed to get through first time. They’re thoughtful of what they’ve paid and take the necessary steps to be up to the task.
Why pay your college at the start of the course for examination fees? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you’re ready, instead of paying any mark-up - and sit exams more locally - instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call. Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for exam fees when you didn’t need to? Big margins are secured by training companies charging all their exam fees up-front - and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. It’s worth noting, with ‘Exam Guarantees’ from most places - the company decides when you are allowed to have another go. They’ll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied.
Exam fees averaged around the 112 pounds mark twelve months or so ago through VUE or Pro-metric centres in the UK. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra for ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when common sense dictates that the most successful method is a regular, committed, study programme, with an accredited exam preparation system.
Often, individuals don’t catch on to what IT is all about. It’s ground-breaking, exciting, and means you’re doing your bit in the gigantic wave of technology affecting everyones lives in the 21st century. Technology, computers and communication through the web will noticeably affect our lifestyles in the near future; profoundly so.
Let’s not ignore salaries either - the average salary in Great Britain for an average IT professional is much more than average salaries nationally. Chances are that you’ll receive a much greater package than you’d expect to earn doing other work. Excitingly, there is a lot more room for IT expansion in the United Kingdom. The sector is still growing rapidly, and with the skills shortage of over 26 percent that we’re experiencing, it’s highly unlikely that this will change significantly for decades to come.