What kind of things do you expect the finest training organisations accredited by Microsoft to provide a trainee in the United Kingdom at present? Undoubtedly, the very best Gold Partner training tracks certified by Microsoft, presenting a range of options to lead you towards various areas of industry. You might like to look for a person who's got industry experience, who could help you sort out which job role would suit you most, and what sort of duties are suitable for an individual with your personality. Be sure your course is matched to your current skills and aptitude. Select a company that will always guarantee that the training is relevant to the job you want to get.
The world of information technology is amongst the most stimulating and innovative industries you could be involved with. Being a member of a team working on breakthroughs in technology is to do your bit in the gigantic changes affecting everyone who lives in the 21st century. We're only just starting to get a feel for how technology will affect our lives in the future. Computers and the web will massively alter how we regard and interrelate with the rest of the world over the years to come.
And keep in mind that the average salary in IT in the United Kingdom is considerably more than average salaries nationally, which means you'll be in a good position to receive a lot more once qualified in IT, than you'd expect to earn elsewhere. It's evident that we have a significant nationwide requirement for trained and qualified IT technicians. And as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it seems there's going to be for years to come.
How can we go about making the right decisions then? With such prospects, it's imperative to understand where to search - and what it is we should be looking for.
It's important to understand: a course itself or the accreditation isn't what this is about; the job or career that you want is. Far too many training organisations over-emphasise the actual accreditation. Never let yourself become one of those unfortunate people who choose a training program that on the surface appears interesting - and end up with a plaque on the wall for an unrewarding career path.
You also need to know how you feel about earning potential, career development, and if you're ambitious or not. It's vital to know what will be expected of you, what exams will be required and how to develop your experience. The best advice for students is to speak with an experienced advisor before deciding on their study path. This is required to ensure it has the required elements for that career path.
Students who consider this area of study often have a very practical outlook on work, and won't enjoy sitting at a desk in class, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If this is putting you off studying, try the newer style of interactive study, where learning is video-based. We see a huge improvement in memory retention when we use multiple senses - experts have been clear on this for many years.
Study programs now come via DVD-ROM discs, so you can study at your own computer. Video streaming means you can sit back and watch the teachers showing you precisely how to perform the required skill, followed by your chance to practice - via the interactive virtual lab's. Any company that you're considering should be able to show you some samples of their courseware. You're looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and a variety of interactive modules.
Often, companies will only use purely on-line training; while you can get away with this much of the time, imagine the problems if you lose your internet access or you get a slow connection speed. It's preferable to have DVD or CD discs that will solve that problem.
Student support is absolutely essential - ensure you track down something that provides 24x7 direct access, as not obtaining this level of support will severely impede your ability to learn. Many only provide email support (too slow), and telephone support is usually to a call-centre which will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor - who will then call back sometime over the next 24hrs, at a time suitable for them. This is no good if you're sitting there confused over an issue and only have a specific time you can study.
We recommend looking for training schools that have multiple support offices across multiple time-zones. All of them should be combined to give a single entry point and also access round-the-clock, when you need it, with the minimum of hassle. Search out a training school that gives this level of learning support. Only true 24x7 round-the-clock live support gives you the confidence to make it.
Accredited exam simulation and preparation packages are vital - and really must be sought from your training company. Don't fall foul of relying on non-accredited exam preparation systems. The type of questions asked can be completely unlike authorised versions - and often this creates real issues when the proper exam time arrives. You should make sure you check your depth of understanding by doing quizzes and practice in simulated exam environments to prepare you for taking the real thing.
Commercial certification is now, undoubtedly, already replacing the older academic routes into the industry - so why is this? Key company training (to use industry-speak) is more effective in the commercial field. The IT sector has realised that such specialised knowledge is vital to meet the requirements of a technologically complex world. Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe are the big boys in this field. Vendor training works through concentrating on the particular skills that are needed (alongside an appropriate level of related knowledge,) rather than going into the heightened depths of background 'extras' that degrees in computing can often find themselves doing - to pad out the syllabus.
The bottom line is: Commercial IT certifications tell an employer precisely what skills you have - it says what you do in the title: as an example - I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network'. So companies can identify just what their needs are and which qualifications are required to perform the job.
You have to make sure that all your accreditations are what employers want - you're wasting your time with programs which lead to some in-house certificate (which is as useless as if you'd printed it yourself). If the accreditation doesn't feature a company like Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe, then you may discover it could have been a waste of time and effort - because it won't give an employer any directly-useable skills. - 20764
The world of information technology is amongst the most stimulating and innovative industries you could be involved with. Being a member of a team working on breakthroughs in technology is to do your bit in the gigantic changes affecting everyone who lives in the 21st century. We're only just starting to get a feel for how technology will affect our lives in the future. Computers and the web will massively alter how we regard and interrelate with the rest of the world over the years to come.
And keep in mind that the average salary in IT in the United Kingdom is considerably more than average salaries nationally, which means you'll be in a good position to receive a lot more once qualified in IT, than you'd expect to earn elsewhere. It's evident that we have a significant nationwide requirement for trained and qualified IT technicians. And as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it seems there's going to be for years to come.
How can we go about making the right decisions then? With such prospects, it's imperative to understand where to search - and what it is we should be looking for.
It's important to understand: a course itself or the accreditation isn't what this is about; the job or career that you want is. Far too many training organisations over-emphasise the actual accreditation. Never let yourself become one of those unfortunate people who choose a training program that on the surface appears interesting - and end up with a plaque on the wall for an unrewarding career path.
You also need to know how you feel about earning potential, career development, and if you're ambitious or not. It's vital to know what will be expected of you, what exams will be required and how to develop your experience. The best advice for students is to speak with an experienced advisor before deciding on their study path. This is required to ensure it has the required elements for that career path.
Students who consider this area of study often have a very practical outlook on work, and won't enjoy sitting at a desk in class, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If this is putting you off studying, try the newer style of interactive study, where learning is video-based. We see a huge improvement in memory retention when we use multiple senses - experts have been clear on this for many years.
Study programs now come via DVD-ROM discs, so you can study at your own computer. Video streaming means you can sit back and watch the teachers showing you precisely how to perform the required skill, followed by your chance to practice - via the interactive virtual lab's. Any company that you're considering should be able to show you some samples of their courseware. You're looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and a variety of interactive modules.
Often, companies will only use purely on-line training; while you can get away with this much of the time, imagine the problems if you lose your internet access or you get a slow connection speed. It's preferable to have DVD or CD discs that will solve that problem.
Student support is absolutely essential - ensure you track down something that provides 24x7 direct access, as not obtaining this level of support will severely impede your ability to learn. Many only provide email support (too slow), and telephone support is usually to a call-centre which will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor - who will then call back sometime over the next 24hrs, at a time suitable for them. This is no good if you're sitting there confused over an issue and only have a specific time you can study.
We recommend looking for training schools that have multiple support offices across multiple time-zones. All of them should be combined to give a single entry point and also access round-the-clock, when you need it, with the minimum of hassle. Search out a training school that gives this level of learning support. Only true 24x7 round-the-clock live support gives you the confidence to make it.
Accredited exam simulation and preparation packages are vital - and really must be sought from your training company. Don't fall foul of relying on non-accredited exam preparation systems. The type of questions asked can be completely unlike authorised versions - and often this creates real issues when the proper exam time arrives. You should make sure you check your depth of understanding by doing quizzes and practice in simulated exam environments to prepare you for taking the real thing.
Commercial certification is now, undoubtedly, already replacing the older academic routes into the industry - so why is this? Key company training (to use industry-speak) is more effective in the commercial field. The IT sector has realised that such specialised knowledge is vital to meet the requirements of a technologically complex world. Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe are the big boys in this field. Vendor training works through concentrating on the particular skills that are needed (alongside an appropriate level of related knowledge,) rather than going into the heightened depths of background 'extras' that degrees in computing can often find themselves doing - to pad out the syllabus.
The bottom line is: Commercial IT certifications tell an employer precisely what skills you have - it says what you do in the title: as an example - I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Designing Security for a Windows 2003 Network'. So companies can identify just what their needs are and which qualifications are required to perform the job.
You have to make sure that all your accreditations are what employers want - you're wasting your time with programs which lead to some in-house certificate (which is as useless as if you'd printed it yourself). If the accreditation doesn't feature a company like Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe, then you may discover it could have been a waste of time and effort - because it won't give an employer any directly-useable skills. - 20764
About the Author:
Jason Kendall advises and writes on the most up-to-date computer based education. For advice on Online Computer Training, visit LearningLolly IT Training.
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