Shade, Shutters & Blinds

Just ten percent of adults in this country are claiming to be happy in their job. The vast majority of course will take no action. The fact that you’ve got this far at least means that you’re considering or may be ready for a change.

When looking at training, it’s vital that you have in mind what you want and don’t want from the position you’re looking to get into. It’s important to discover if a new career would suit you better before you put a lot of energy into re-directing your life. It’s good sense to regard the big picture first, to make an informed decision:

* Do you hope for interaction with others? If the answer’s yes, would you enjoy being part of a team or are you hoping to meet new people? Maybe you’d rather be left alone to get on with things?

* What elements are you looking for from the industry your job is in? (Things do change - look at the building trade, or banks for example.)

* Do you want this to be the only time you’ll have to retrain?

* Do you feel uncomfortable about the chance of finding new employment, and being gainfully employed until you plan to retire?

A predominant industry in the UK that can satisfy a trainee’s demands is the IT sector. There’s a need for more skilled people in this sector, simply have a look at a local job site and you’ll discover what we mean. But don’t think it’s all nerdy people sitting in front ofscreens all day long - there’s a lot more to it than that. The majority of employees in the industry are just like the rest of us, but they enjoy their work and get well paid.

Usually, the normal person doesn’t know in what direction to head in IT, or what area they should be considering getting trained in.

What are the chances of us grasping what is involved in a particular job if we’ve never been there? Often we don’t even know anybody who does that actual job anyway.

Getting to a well-informed resolution really only appears through a systematic analysis covering many different key points:

* Your personality can play an important part - what gets you ‘up and running’, and what are the activities that really turn you off.

* Why you want to consider moving into the IT industry - maybe you want to overcome a long-held goal like being your own boss maybe.

* Is the money you make further up on your list of priorities than other factors.

* Learning what the normal IT roles and markets are - and what differentiates them.

* How much time you’re prepared to spend on the training program.

The best way to avoid all the jargon and confusion, and reveal what’ll really work for you, have an in-depth discussion with an experienced professional; a person who can impart the commercial reality and of course the accreditations.

An advisor that doesn’t ask many questions - it’s likely they’re just a salesperson. If they’re pushing towards a particular product before learning about your history and current experience level, then it’s definitely the case.

With a strong background, or even a touch of work-based experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then it could be that your starting point will be quite dissimilar from someone who is just starting out.

Where this will be your first attempt at studying for an IT examination then you should consider whether to start out with some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first.

An important area that is sometimes not even considered by trainees considering a training program is ‘training segmentation’. Essentially, this is the method used to break up the program for drop-shipping to you, which vastly changes what you end up with.

Normally, you will join a program that takes between and 1 and 3 years and get posted one section at a time - from one exam to the next. This sounds logical on one level, until you consider this:

What would happen if you didn’t finish each element within the time limits imposed? Often the prescribed exam order won’t be as easy as some other structure would for you.

For future safety and flexibility, it’s not unusual for students to request that all their modules (now paid for) are couriered out in one package, all at the beginning. That means it’s down to you at what speed and in which order you’d like to work.

Some training providers supply a practical Job Placement Assistance service, to help you into your first commercial role. Sometimes, there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, as it’s really not that difficult for a well trained and motivated person to get work in the IT industry - because companies everywhere are seeking qualified personnel.

Get your CV updated straight-away though - look to your training company for advice on how to do this. Don’t put it off till you’ve finished your exams.

It’s possible that you won’t have even qualified when you will get your initial junior support role; yet this isn’t going to happen if interviewers don’t get sight of your CV.

Normally you’ll get quicker results from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than you’ll get from a training course provider’s centralised service, as they’ll know the area better.

Just be sure that you don’t spend hundreds of hours on your training and studies, only to stop and imagine someone else is miraculously going to secure your first position. Take responsibility for yourself and make your own enquiries. Put as much energy and enthusiasm into securing the right position as you did to gain the skills.

Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Hop over to HERE or www.it-training–uk.co.uk.