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.
Have you recently questioned your job security? For the majority of us, this issue only becomes a talking point when something goes wrong. But really, the lesson often learned too late is that our job security simply doesn’t exist anymore, for nearly everyone now. Security only exists now via a quickly escalating market, driven by a shortfall of trained staff. These circumstances create the correct conditions for a secure market – a far better situation.
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.
Reaching the most suitable job choice can be very hard – so what research do we need to do and what are the questions we should be raising?
Any advisor who doesn’t ask many questions – the likelihood is they’re just a salesperson. If they’re pushing towards a particular product before getting to know your background and current experience level, then you know it’s true. With a strong background, or maybe some work-based experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then it’s likely the point from which you begin your studies will vary from a student that is completely new to the industry. If this is going to be your first effort at an IT exam then you might also want to cut your teeth on some basic PC skills training first.
At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be full 24×7 support through trained professional instructors and mentors. Too many companies only provide support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later (but not weekends usually). Never buy certification programs which can only support students via a call-centre messaging system when it’s outside of usual working hours. Trainers will give you every excuse in the book why you don’t need this. The simple fact of the matter is – you need support when you need support – not at times when they find it cheaper to provide it.
World-class organisations offer an online access 24×7 service utilising a variety of support centres from around the world. You get a single, easy-to-use interface that seamlessly selects the best facility available any time of the day or night: Support when you need it. If you fail to get yourself direct-access 24×7 support, you’ll regret it. It may be that you don’t use it late in the night, but you’re bound to use weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point.
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.
Fully interactive motion videos with demonstrations and practice sessions will forever turn you away from traditional book study. And you’ll find them fun and interesting. All companies must be able to demonstrate a few examples of the materials provided for study. You should hope for instructor-led videos and many interactive sections.
Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where offered, as you need to be able to use them whenever it’s convenient for you – and not be totally reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.
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.
Adding in the cost of exam fees up-front and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is a common method with many training course providers. But look at the facts:
We all know that we’re ultimately paying for it – obviously it has been inserted into the overall figure from the course provider. It’s definitely not free (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) Those who enter their exams one by one, funding them one at a time are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They’re thoughtful of what they’ve paid and take the necessary steps to be ready for the task.
Go for the best offer you can find at the appropriate time, and save having to find the money early. You’ll also be able to choose where to sit the exam – so you can find somewhere local. Big margins are secured by a significant number of organisations who take the exam money up-front. A number of students don’t take them for various reasons but no refunds are given. Believe it or not, providers exist who depend on students not taking their exams – as that’s where a lot of their profit comes from. The majority of companies will insist that you take mock exams first and not allow you to re-take an exam until you’ve completely proven that you’re likely to pass – which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.
With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE tests in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. It’s not in the student’s interests to fork out hundreds or thousands of pounds for exams when enrolling on a course. A commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
You have to be sure that all your certifications are current and also valid commercially – you’re wasting your time with studies which provide certificates that are worthless because they’re ‘in-house’. All the major commercial players such as Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA have internationally approved proficiency programmes. Huge conglomerates such as these will ensure your employability.
Computer Infos - Communications For Businesses And Individuals
Tags: computer training, web, computer, advice, self improvement
