Anybody thinking about training for the IT industry will soon realise that there are a huge amount of choices available to them. Before starting a training program, look for a training provider that has advisors, so you can be fully informed on the type of work your new knowledge will help you to get. You could uncover job roles you hadn’t considered before.
You can learn anything from Microsoft User Skills up to Databases, Programming, Networking and Web Design. There is so much choice and so you’ll probably need to discuss your requirements with an experienced advisor prior to making your choice: don’t make a guess and start the wrong training for an area that you don’t enjoy!
Today, there are many easy-to-use and sensibly priced options around that will give you everything you need.
One interesting way that colleges make more money is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. This sounds impressive, but is it really:
In this day and age, we’re a bit more aware of hype – and the majority of us ought to grasp that it is something we’re paying for (it’s not a freebie because they like us so much!)
If it’s important to you to get a first time pass, you must avoid exam guarantees and pay when entering exams, give it the priority it deserves and give the task sufficient application.
Go for the best offer you can find when you’re ready, and keep hold of your own money. You’ll then be able to select where you take your exam – so you can find somewhere local.
Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for exam fees when there was no need to? A lot of profit is secured by training companies getting money in early for exam fees – and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken.
Most companies will require you to do mock exams and prohibit you from re-taking an exam until you’ve completely proven that you’re likely to pass – so an ‘Exam Guarantee’ comes with many clauses in reality.
Average exam fees were around the 112 pounds mark in the last 12 months via UK VUE or Prometric centres. Therefore, why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra to get ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when it’s no secret that the best guarantee is a regular, committed, study programme, with an accredited exam preparation system.
Commercial qualifications are now, most definitely, starting to replace the more academic tracks into the IT industry – so why is this the case?
With fees and living expenses for university students spiralling out of control, along with the IT sector’s general opinion that vendor-based training most often has much more commercial relevance, there’s been a dramatic increase in Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe certified training routes that educate students for considerably less.
Of course, an appropriate portion of closely linked detail must be taught, but essential specialisation in the areas needed gives a vendor educated student a huge edge.
When an employer is aware what they’re looking for, then all they have to do is advertise for the particular skill-set required. Commercial syllabuses are all based on the same criteria and don’t change between schools (in the way that degree courses can).
People attracted to this sort of work are often very practical, and aren’t really suited to the classroom environment, and poring through books and manuals. If you identify with this, try the newer style of interactive study, with on-screen demonstrations and labs.
Where we can involve all our senses in the learning process, our results will often be quite spectacular.
Learning is now available in the form of CD and DVD ROM’s, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Through video streaming, you will be able to see the instructor presenting exactly how something is done, with some practice time to follow – via the interactive virtual lab’s.
Always insist on a demonstration of the study materials from your training provider. You should ask for demo’s from instructors, slideshows and virtual practice lab’s for your new skills.
You should avoid purely online training. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where offered, as you need to be able to use them whenever it’s convenient for you – and not be totally reliant on your internet connection always being ‘up’ and available.
It’s essential to have authorised exam simulation and preparation programs included in your course.
Students regularly can get confused by trying to prepare themselves with questions that aren’t from official sources. It’s not uncommon that the question formats and phraseology is unfamiliar and it’s important to prepare yourself for this.
Ensure that you request some practice exams so you’ll be able to check your understanding at any point. Mock exams add to your knowledge bank – so the real thing isn’t quite as scary.
(C) 2009 – S. Edwards. Try Microsoft Certifications or www.OnlineCareerAdvice.co.uk/aoncaad.html.
