by Jason Kendall
Well Done! As you’re looking at this you’ve doubtless been pondering on re-training to work in a different industry - so you’ve already done more than most. Only one in ten of us are satisfied with our careers, but most complain but just stay there. You could join a select group who actually do something about it.
We’d strongly advise that prior to beginning any individual training program, you discuss your plans with a person who has knowledge of the industry and can give you advice. They can assess your personality and help you sort out a role to fit you:
* Is working with other people your thing? Perhaps you like being a team player? Perhaps you prefer not to be disturbed and enjoy responsibilities that you can complete alone?
* What do you require from the area of industry you choose? (If it’s stability you’re after, you might think twice about banks or the building industry right now.)
* Once you’ve qualified, would you like your new abilities to take you through to retirement?
* Do you feel uncomfortable about the possibility of finding new employment, and staying employable right up to retirement?
A predominant industry in this country to meet the above criteria is the IT industry. There’s a need for more qualified people in IT, just check out any jobsite and there’ll be a long list. Don’t let people tell you it’s all techie people gazing towards theirscreens all day - there are loads more jobs than that. Large numbers of the people in the computer industry are just like the rest of us, but they enjoy their work and get well paid.
Bearing in mind so much discussion on the area of computing technology nowadays, how can we appreciate what in particular to look for?
One fatal mistake that many potential students make is to concentrate on the course itself, and take their eye off the desired end-result. Schools have thousands of students that chose an ‘interesting’ course - instead of the program that would surely get them the job they want. It’s unfortunate, but the majority of trainees kick-off study that often sounds magnificent in the syllabus guide, but which gets us a career that is of no interest. Talk to many college leavers and you’ll see where we’re coming from.
Take time to understand your feelings on earning potential and career progression, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. You need to know what will be expected of you, which particular qualifications are required and where you’ll pick-up experience from. It’s worth seeking help from someone that understands the sector you’ve chosen, and is able to give you ‘A day in the life of’ type of explanation for each job considered. All of these things are of paramount importance as you’ll need to know whether or not you’ve chosen correctly.
Watch out that all accreditations you’re studying for are commercially relevant and are the most recent versions. ‘In-house’ certificates are often meaningless. From a commercial standpoint, only the top companies like Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe (for instance) will get you short-listed. Anything less won’t make the grade.
One thing you must always insist on is proper direct-access 24×7 support with professional mentors and instructors. It’s an all too common story to find providers that only seem to want to help while they’re in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Email support is too slow, and so-called telephone support is normally just routed to a call-centre which will take the information and email an instructor - who’ll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, at a suitable time to them. This is not a lot of use if you’re stuck with a particular problem and only have a specific time you can study.
We recommend looking for colleges that utilise many support facilities across multiple time-zones. All of them should be combined to provide a single interface and 24×7 access, when it suits you, with no fuss. Find an educator that goes the extra mile. Because only live 24×7 support provides the necessary backup.
Those that are drawn to this type of work are often very practical, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If you identify with this, go for more modern interactive training, with on-screen demonstrations and labs. Recent studies into the way we learn shows that we remember much more when we involve as many senses as possible, and we get physically involved with the study process.
Courses are now available via DVD-ROM discs, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Utilising the latest video technology, you can watch instructors demonstrating how something is done, with some practice time to follow - in an interactive lab. Make sure to obtain a look at some courseware examples from your training provider. You should ask for instructor videos, demonstrations, slide-shows and fully interactive skills-lab’s.
Many companies provide just online versions of their training packages; sometimes you can get away with this - but, think what will happen if internet access is lost or you only get very a very slow connection sometimes. It’s much safer to rely on physical CD or DVD discs which removes the issue entirely.
It’s quite a normal occurrence for students not to check on a vitally important element - the way their training provider segments the courseware sections, and into what particular chunks. Many companies enrol you into some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and courier the materials in pieces as you complete each section or exam. On the surface this seems reasonable - until you consider the following: What if you find the order insisted on by the company won’t suit you. It may be difficult to get through each and every section at the speed required?
The ideal solution is to have all your study materials packed off to your home before you even start; every single thing! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede the reaching of your goals.
One interesting way that course providers make extra profits is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and offering an exam guarantee. It looks like a good deal, but let’s just examine it more closely:
Of course it’s not free - you are paying for it - it’s just been wrapped up in the price of the package. If it’s important to you to qualify first ‘go’, evidence suggests you must avoid exam guarantees and pay when entering exams, give it the priority it deserves and apply yourself as required.
Why pay a college early for exam fees? Find the best exam deal or offer at the appropriate time, don’t pay mark-ups - and sit exams more locally - rather than in some remote place. A surprising number of current training providers secure a great deal of profit because they’re getting paid for exams at the start of the course then cashing in if they’re not all taken. It’s worth noting that exam re-takes through companies with an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are always heavily controlled. You’ll be required to sit pre-tests till you’ve proven conclusively that you can pass.
Due to typical VUE and Prometric exams coming in at around 112 pounds in the UK, the most cost-effective way to cover the cost is by paying when you need them. It’s not in the student’s interests to fork out hundreds or thousands of pounds for exams when enrolling on a course. Commitment, effort and practice with quality exam preparation systems are the factors that really get you through.
Sometimes, individuals don’t understand what IT means. It’s thrilling, changing, and means you’re a part of the huge progress of technology that will affect us all over the next generation. Computing technology and dialogue via the internet will noticeably alter the way we live our lives over future years; profoundly so.
The typical IT man or woman throughout Britain has been shown to get much more money than employees on a par in other market sectors. Mean average salaries are around the top of national league tables. Excitingly, there is no easing up for IT sector increases across Britain. The market sector is continuing to expand quickly, and with the skills shortage of over 26 percent that we’re experiencing, it’s highly unlikely that this will change significantly for years to come.
About the Author:
Jason Kendall has been in the IT industry for 20 yrs. He should understand what he’s doing by now. If you’re interested in
IT Training, visit LearningLolly
IT Training Courses.