Well done! Reading this subject matter proves you must be wondering about where you're going, and if training for a new career's in your mind you've even now progressed more than most. Can you believe that a small minority of us describe ourselves as fulfilled in our working life - yet the vast majority of us will just put up with it. Why don't you break free and take action - think about how you could enjoy Monday mornings. Prior to considering individual training courses, find an expert who can talk you through the right type of training for you. Someone who can get an understanding of your personality, and discover what type of job will be right for you: Do you like to be around others at work? Do you like to deal with the public? Maybe you like to deal with tasks that you deal with by yourself? Are you considering which market sector you would be suited to? (These days, it's even more crucial to choose well.) Is this the final time you imagine you'll re-train, and if so do you believe this career choice will give you scope to do that? Are you concerned about the possibility of getting new work, and being in demand in the employment market until you plan to retire? The most significant market sector in this country that can satisfy a trainee's demands is the IT industry. There's a shortage of qualified technicians in IT, just check out any jobs website and there'll be a long list. But don't think it's all techie people staring at theirscreens every day - there are loads more jobs than that. Most of employees in IT are just like the rest of us, with well paid and stimulating jobs.
The world of information technology is amongst the most exciting and ground-breaking industries that you could be a part of. To be working on the cutting-edge of technology means you're a part of the huge progress that will impact the whole world for generations to come. Computing technology and interaction via the web is going to radically change the way we live our lives in the near future; remarkably so. If earning a good living is high on your scale of wants, you'll welcome the news that the usual remuneration of most men and women in IT is considerably greater than salaries in the rest of the economy. The hunger for certified IT specialists is guaranteed for many years to come, due to the constant increase in IT dependency in commerce and the vast deficiency that we still have.
It's irrefutable, the UK computing market offers outstanding opportunities. Yet, to arm ourselves with the correct information, what are the questions we should be raising, and which are the areas we need to look at?
A fatal Faux-Pas that students everywhere can make is to look for the actual course to take, and take their eye off the end result they want to achieve. Schools are stacked to the hilt with students that chose an 'interesting' course - rather than what would get them an enjoyable career or job. It's not unheard of, in some situations, to thoroughly enjoy one year of training only to end up putting 20 long years into a career that does nothing for you, entirely because you stumbled into it without some decent due-diligence when it was needed - at the start. Stay focused on where you want to go, and formulate your training based on that - don't do it the other way round. Stay on target - making sure you're training for a job you'll still be enjoying many years from now. Sense dictates that you always seek guidance and advice from an experienced advisor before making your final decision on a particular study course, so you're sure from the outset that the specific package will give the skills necessary.
Many trainers provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. Learning like this is dull and repetitive and isn't the best way to go about remembering. Memory is vastly improved when all our senses are brought into the mix - experts have been clear on this for many years. Learning is now available on CD and DVD discs, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Using video-streaming, you will be able to see the instructor presenting exactly how to do something, and then have a go at it yourself - in a virtual lab environment. Every company that you look at should be able to show you some simple examples of their courseware. You're looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and interactive areas to practice in. Select actual CD or DVD ROM's whenever you can. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with internet connection failure and issues with signal quality.
A lot of training companies only give support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; It's rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Locate training schools with proper support available at any time you choose (no matter if it's in the middle of the night on a weekend!) You'll need 24x7 direct access to mentors and instructors and not a call-centre that will take messages so you're constantly waiting for a call-back during office hours. Top training providers provide an online access round-the-clock facility involving many support centres throughout multiple time-zones. You get a single, easy-to-use environment that seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate at any time of day or night: Support on demand. Look for an educator that goes the extra mile. Only true round-the-clock 24x7 support truly delivers for technical programs.
qualifications from the commercial sector are now, most definitely, beginning to replace the more academic tracks into the IT industry - but why is this the case? Vendor-based training (as it's known in the industry) is most often much more specialised. The IT sector has become aware that specialisation is vital to cope with an increasingly more technical world. CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA dominate in this arena. Of course, an appropriate quantity of relevant additional information needs to be taught, but focused specialisation in the particular job function gives a commercially educated person a distinct advantage. Think about if you were the employer - and you wanted someone who could provide a specific set of skills. What should you do: Pore through reams of different degrees and college qualifications from several applicants, trying to establish what they know and which workplace skills they've acquired, or choose a specific set of accreditations that precisely match your needs, and then select who you want to interview from that. The interview is then more about the person and how they'll fit in - rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
Incorporating examination fees up-front and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is popular with a number of training colleges. But let's examine why they really do it: You're paying for it one way or another. It certainly isn't free - they've just worked it into the package price. The fact is that if a student pays for their relevant examinations, one by one, they'll be in a better position to get through on the first attempt - as they are conscious of their investment in themselves and will therefore apply themselves appropriately. Isn't it in your interests to go for the best offer at the appropriate time, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to a training course provider, and to do it in a local testing office - 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 there's absolutely nothing that says you have to? Big margins are made by companies charging all their exam fees up-front - and hoping either that you won't take them, or it will be a long time before you do. Pay heed to the fact that, in the majority of cases of 'exam guarantees' - they control when and how often you are allowed to have another go. They'll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied. On average, exams cost around the 112 pounds mark last year via Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra for 'Exam Guarantees', when it's obvious that the best guarantee is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.
The somewhat scary thought of finding your first role in IT is often relieved by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance programme. But don't place too much emphasis on it - it's quite easy for their marketing department to make too much of it. In reality, the need for well trained IT people in the United Kingdom is the reason you'll find a job. You would ideally have help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews though; also we would encourage everyone to bring their CV up to date as soon as they start a course - don't procrastinate and leave it until you've qualified. Many junior support jobs have been offered to students who're still on their course and haven't even passed a single exam yet. At the very least this will get you on your way. Normally you'll get quicker results from a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service than you will through a training company's centralised service, as they will be more familiar with the area and local employers. Do be sure that you don't put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, then call a halt and leave it up to everyone else to find you a job. Stand up for yourself and start looking for yourself. Channel as much energy into getting a good job as you did to get trained.
The world of information technology is amongst the most exciting and ground-breaking industries that you could be a part of. To be working on the cutting-edge of technology means you're a part of the huge progress that will impact the whole world for generations to come. Computing technology and interaction via the web is going to radically change the way we live our lives in the near future; remarkably so. If earning a good living is high on your scale of wants, you'll welcome the news that the usual remuneration of most men and women in IT is considerably greater than salaries in the rest of the economy. The hunger for certified IT specialists is guaranteed for many years to come, due to the constant increase in IT dependency in commerce and the vast deficiency that we still have.
It's irrefutable, the UK computing market offers outstanding opportunities. Yet, to arm ourselves with the correct information, what are the questions we should be raising, and which are the areas we need to look at?
A fatal Faux-Pas that students everywhere can make is to look for the actual course to take, and take their eye off the end result they want to achieve. Schools are stacked to the hilt with students that chose an 'interesting' course - rather than what would get them an enjoyable career or job. It's not unheard of, in some situations, to thoroughly enjoy one year of training only to end up putting 20 long years into a career that does nothing for you, entirely because you stumbled into it without some decent due-diligence when it was needed - at the start. Stay focused on where you want to go, and formulate your training based on that - don't do it the other way round. Stay on target - making sure you're training for a job you'll still be enjoying many years from now. Sense dictates that you always seek guidance and advice from an experienced advisor before making your final decision on a particular study course, so you're sure from the outset that the specific package will give the skills necessary.
Many trainers provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. Learning like this is dull and repetitive and isn't the best way to go about remembering. Memory is vastly improved when all our senses are brought into the mix - experts have been clear on this for many years. Learning is now available on CD and DVD discs, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Using video-streaming, you will be able to see the instructor presenting exactly how to do something, and then have a go at it yourself - in a virtual lab environment. Every company that you look at should be able to show you some simple examples of their courseware. You're looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and interactive areas to practice in. Select actual CD or DVD ROM's whenever you can. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with internet connection failure and issues with signal quality.
A lot of training companies only give support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; It's rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Locate training schools with proper support available at any time you choose (no matter if it's in the middle of the night on a weekend!) You'll need 24x7 direct access to mentors and instructors and not a call-centre that will take messages so you're constantly waiting for a call-back during office hours. Top training providers provide an online access round-the-clock facility involving many support centres throughout multiple time-zones. You get a single, easy-to-use environment that seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate at any time of day or night: Support on demand. Look for an educator that goes the extra mile. Only true round-the-clock 24x7 support truly delivers for technical programs.
qualifications from the commercial sector are now, most definitely, beginning to replace the more academic tracks into the IT industry - but why is this the case? Vendor-based training (as it's known in the industry) is most often much more specialised. The IT sector has become aware that specialisation is vital to cope with an increasingly more technical world. CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA dominate in this arena. Of course, an appropriate quantity of relevant additional information needs to be taught, but focused specialisation in the particular job function gives a commercially educated person a distinct advantage. Think about if you were the employer - and you wanted someone who could provide a specific set of skills. What should you do: Pore through reams of different degrees and college qualifications from several applicants, trying to establish what they know and which workplace skills they've acquired, or choose a specific set of accreditations that precisely match your needs, and then select who you want to interview from that. The interview is then more about the person and how they'll fit in - rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
Incorporating examination fees up-front and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is popular with a number of training colleges. But let's examine why they really do it: You're paying for it one way or another. It certainly isn't free - they've just worked it into the package price. The fact is that if a student pays for their relevant examinations, one by one, they'll be in a better position to get through on the first attempt - as they are conscious of their investment in themselves and will therefore apply themselves appropriately. Isn't it in your interests to go for the best offer at the appropriate time, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to a training course provider, and to do it in a local testing office - 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 there's absolutely nothing that says you have to? Big margins are made by companies charging all their exam fees up-front - and hoping either that you won't take them, or it will be a long time before you do. Pay heed to the fact that, in the majority of cases of 'exam guarantees' - they control when and how often you are allowed to have another go. They'll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied. On average, exams cost around the 112 pounds mark last year via Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra for 'Exam Guarantees', when it's obvious that the best guarantee is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.
The somewhat scary thought of finding your first role in IT is often relieved by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance programme. But don't place too much emphasis on it - it's quite easy for their marketing department to make too much of it. In reality, the need for well trained IT people in the United Kingdom is the reason you'll find a job. You would ideally have help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews though; also we would encourage everyone to bring their CV up to date as soon as they start a course - don't procrastinate and leave it until you've qualified. Many junior support jobs have been offered to students who're still on their course and haven't even passed a single exam yet. At the very least this will get you on your way. Normally you'll get quicker results from a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service than you will through a training company's centralised service, as they will be more familiar with the area and local employers. Do be sure that you don't put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, then call a halt and leave it up to everyone else to find you a job. Stand up for yourself and start looking for yourself. Channel as much energy into getting a good job as you did to get trained.
About the Author:
Scott Edwards advises and writes on the most up-to-date interactive PC training in the UK. To investigate IT Training, visit LearningLolly Computer Courses.
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