April 11th, 2009 | 
Author: CompTIA A+ consists of 4 training sections; you’re considered A+ competent when you’ve achieved certifications for half of them. This is why the majority of training establishments only teach 2 specialised areas. The truth is you’re advised to have the teaching in all areas as a lot of employment will demand an understanding of all four areas. Don’t feel pressured to complete all 4 certifications, although it would seem prudent that you study for all four areas.
A+ certification without additional courses will give you the ability to mend and maintain stand alone Macs, computers and laptops; ones that are generally not connected to a network – which means the home or small business market. If you aspire to taking care of computer networks, you’ll need to add CompTIA Network+ to your training package. This will enable you to get a higher paid position. Also look at the route to networking via Microsoft, in the form of MCP’s, MCSA or the full MCSE.
There is a tidal wave of change about to hit technology over the next few decades – and it becomes more and more thrilling each day. Technological changes and connections on the web is going to radically alter our lifestyles in the future; remarkably so.
And keep in mind that on average, the income of a person in the IT market in the United Kingdom is much more than in other market sectors, so you will be in a good position to gain a lot more as a trained IT professional, than you’d expect to earn elsewhere. The need for professionally qualified and skilled IT workers is assured for quite some time to come, thanks to the constant expansion in IT dependency in commerce and the vast shortage still present.
How can we go about making an informed choice then? With so many opportunities, we’ll need to know where to dig – and exactly what to be investigating.
Many companies focus completely on the certification process, and forget what you actually need – which will always be getting the job or career you want. Always begin with the final destination in mind – don’t make the journey more important than where you want to get to. Avoid becoming part of the group who select a program which looks like it could be fun – only to end up with a qualification for an unrewarding career path.
You need to keep your eye on what it is you’re trying to achieve, and formulate your training based on that – not the other way round. Keep on track and ensure that you’re training for a career that will keep you happy for many years. Long before starting a particular study course, it’s good advice to chat over specific career needs with a professional advisor, to be absolutely sure the study programme covers all the bases.
Proper support is incredibly important – look for a package providing 24×7 full access, as not opting for this kind of support could put a damper on the speed you move through things. Many only provide email support (too slow), and phone support is usually just a call-centre who will take the information and email an instructor – who will attempt to call you within 24-48 hrs, when it suits them. This is no use if you’re stuck with a particular problem and only have a specific time you can study.
As long as you look hard, you will find professional companies that recommend and use direct-access online support all the time – including evenings, nights and weekends. Seek out a company that goes the extra mile. Only proper live 24×7 support delivers what is required.
People attracted to this sort of work often have a very practical outlook on work, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If this could be you, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where everything is presented via full motion video. Studies have repeatedly shown that getting into our studies physically, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.
Find a course where you’ll receive a library of DVD-ROM’s – you’ll be learning from instructor videos and demo’s, and then have the opportunity to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions. You’ll definitely want a demonstration of the study materials from the training company. You should ask for demo’s from instructors, slideshows and lab’s for you to practice your skills in.
Avoid training that is purely online. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where available, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want – you don’t want to be reliant on a quality and continuous internet connection.
The way a programme is physically sent to you can often be overlooked. How is the courseware broken down? What is the specific order and what control do you have at what pace it arrives? A release of your materials one stage at a time, according to your exam schedule is the typical way that your program will arrive. While seeming sensible, you should take these factors into account: Many students find that the company’s usual training route isn’t as suitable as another. They might find it’s more expedient to use an alternative order of study. Perhaps you don’t make it inside of the expected timescales?
For the perfect solution, you want ALL the study materials up-front – meaning you’ll have all of them to come back to in the future – whenever it suits you. You can also vary the order in which you complete your exams where a more intuitive path can be found.
One crafty way that training companies make a big mark-up is by charging for exams up-front and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. It looks like a good deal, until you think it through:
Patently it isn’t free – you’re still coughing up for it – it’s just been included in your package price. Evidence shows that if a student pays for each progressive exam, at the time of taking them, they will be much more likely to get through on the first attempt – as they’re aware of their investment in themselves and so will prepare more thoroughly.
Don’t you think it’s more sensible to not pay up-front, but at the time, instead of paying a premium to the training college, and to take it closer to home – rather than in some remote centre? Is there a good reason to pay interest on a bigger loan than is necessary because you’ve paid early for examination fees when you didn’t need to? A lot of profit is secured by training companies getting paid upfront for exams – and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. Re-takes of any failed exams through training course providers with an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are monitored with tight restrictions. They will insist that you take pre-tests first until you’ve proven that you’re likely to pass.
Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is naive – when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.
Many training companies have a handy Job Placement Assistance service, designed to steer you into your first job. Don’t get overly impressed with this service – it isn’t unusual for their marketing department to make too much of it. In reality, the still growing need for IT personnel in the UK is the reason you’ll find a job.
Nevertheless, don’t wait till you have qualified before polishing up your CV. Right at the beginning of your training, enter details of your study programme and get promoting! You might not even have qualified when you will get your initial junior support role; but this is not possible if interviewers don’t get sight of your CV. Generally, you’ll receive quicker results from a specialist locally based employment agency than you will through a training course provider’s national service, because they’ll know the area better.
Many trainees, it would appear, are prepared to study their hearts out (sometimes for years), and then just stop instead of finding a good job. Sell yourself… Do your best to let employers know about you. Don’t expect a job to just fall into your lap.
Author Jason Kendall divides his time between advising and consulting on quality training and UK Support. If you’re interested in A+ Certification, visit LearningLolly Comptia Certification.
Article Source: CompTIA A Plus Career Retraining – What Are The Options 2009
