April 27th, 2009 | 
Author: In today’s high speed society, support workers who can solve problems with networks and PC’s, plus give ongoing assistance to users, are essential in all sections of the economy. The hunger for such qualified and commercially astute individuals is growing at an impressive rate, as commercial enterprise becomes significantly more computer dependent.
Let’s face it: There really is no such thing as personal job security anywhere now; there can only be industry or business security – companies can just fire a solitary member of staff when it meets the business’ commercial interests. We could however hit upon security at the market sector level, by searching for areas in high demand, mixed with work-skill shortages.
A rather worrying national e-Skills analysis brought to light that over 26 percent of all IT positions available haven’t been filled as an upshot of a chronic shortage of appropriately certified professionals. Therefore, for every four jobs available around Information Technology (IT), businesses can only source properly accredited workers for three of the four. Fully trained and commercially educated new professionals are thus at a complete premium, and it looks like they will be for a long time to come. While the market is developing at such a rate, is there any other area of industry worth considering for a new career.
As the IT industry offers so many extraordinary advancement opportunities for us all – what questions do we need to be posing and which aspects carry the most importance?
With so much choice, is it any wonder that the majority of career changers get stuck choosing the job they will enjoy. Consequently, without any understanding of IT in the workplace, how are you equipped to know what a particular IT employee does each day? Let alone arrive at what accreditation path will be most suitable for success. Consideration of these different points is required when you need to dig down the right solution that will work for you:
* Your hobbies and interests – often these highlight what areas will provide a happy working life.
* Is it your desire to realise an important objective – for example, working from home someday?
* Is salary further up on your wish list than other factors.
* Getting to grips with what typical career roles and sectors are – and what differentiates them.
* How much time you’re prepared to spend on obtaining your certification.
For most of us, sifting through so much data needs a long talk with an advisor who knows what they’re talking about. Not only the accreditations – but the commercial requirements besides.
Proper support is incredibly important – look for a package offering 24×7 direct access to instructors, as anything else will annoy you and definitely hamper your progress. Locate training schools where you can receive help at any time of day or night (no matter if it’s in the middle of the night on a weekend!) Make sure it’s always 24×7 direct access to mentors and instructors, and not a message system as this will slow you down – waiting for tutors to call you back when it’s convenient for them.
Top training companies have many support offices active in different time-zones. By utilising an interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, irrespective of the time you login, help is just seconds away, without any problems or delays. Seek out a company that cares. As only live 24×7 round-the-clock support gives you the confidence to make it.
It’s likely that you’re a practical sort of person – the ‘hands-on’ personality type. If you’re anything like us, the trial of reading reference books and manuals can be just about bared when essential, but you really wouldn’t enjoy it. Check out video-based multimedia instruction if books just don’t do it for you. Many studies have proved that much more of what we learn in remembered when we receive multi-sensorial input, and we put into practice what we’ve been studying.
Locate a program where you’re provided with an array of CD and DVD based materials – you’ll begin by watching videos of instructors demonstrating the skills, with the facility to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions. Be sure to get a study material demo’ from your training provider. You’ll want to see slide-shows, instructor-led videos and lab’s for you to practice your skills in.
You should avoid purely online training. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where available, enabling them to be used at your convenience – it’s not wise to be held hostage to your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.
Commercially accredited qualifications are now, very visibly, taking over from the traditional routes into IT – so why is this happening? The IT sector now acknowledges that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, proper accreditation supplied for example by Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe is closer to the mark commercially – and a fraction of the cost and time. Of course, a reasonable amount of closely linked information has to be learned, but core specialised knowledge in the particular job function gives a commercially educated student a massive advantage.
It’s a bit like the TV advert: ‘It does what it says on the label’. All an employer has to do is know what they need doing, and then request applicants with the correct exam numbers. That way they can be sure they’re interviewing applicants who can do the job.
Consider the following points very carefully if you believe that old marketing ploy of ‘guaranteeing’ exams sounds like a benefit to the student:
You’re paying for it somehow. It certainly isn’t free – they’ve simply charged more for the whole training package. Should you seriously need to qualify first ‘go’, evidence suggests you must avoid exam guarantees and pay when entering exams, focus on it intently and give the task sufficient application.
Why pay the training college in advance for examination fees? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the appropriate time, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance – and do it in a local testing centre – instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call. Is there a good reason to pay interest on a bigger loan than is necessary because you’ve paid early for exams when there’s absolutely nothing that says you have to? Huge profits are made because training colleges are charging all their exam fees up-front – and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. The majority of organisations will require you to do mock exams and prohibit you from re-taking an exam until you’ve proven conclusively that you can pass – making an ‘exam guarantee’ just about worthless.
With average Prometric and VUE tests 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. Why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra at the beginning of your training? Study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.
You have to be sure that all your qualifications are current and what employers are looking for – don’t bother with studies which provide certificates that are worthless because they’re ‘in-house’. The top IT companies like Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco have globally recognised skills programs. These heavyweights will ensure your employability.
With 2 Decades experience, author Jason Kendall, battles for cheaper, quality interactive UK education. If you’re interested in Network+ Certification, visit LearningLolly Comptia Network+.
Article Source: CompTIA Network Plus Courses 2009
