Maybe you’d choose to discuss the job possibilities with an industry expert – and if you’re uncertain, then take counsel on which area of the industry would suit you most, dependent on your personality.
Training must be put together to suit your ability level and skills. So, after working out the right IT job for you, your next focus is the most suitable program that will equip you for the role.
Kick out the typical salesman that recommends a training program without a thorough investigation so as to understand your abilities as well as level of experience. Make sure they can draw from a generous array of training from which they could solve your training issues.
If you have a strong background, or even a touch of real-world experience (possibly even some previous certification?) 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 initial stab at studying to take an IT exam then you may want to practice with some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first.
Look at the following points and pay great regard to them if you think that old marketing ploy of an ‘Exam Guarantee’ sounds great value:
Obviously it’s not free – you’re still coughing up for it – the cost has just been rolled into the whole training package.
We all want to pass first time. Entering examinations one by one and funding them one at a time puts you in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt – you take it seriously and are aware of the costs involved.
Go for the best offer you can find at the time, and hang on to your cash. You’ll also be able to choose where to do your exams – so you can find somewhere local.
Including money in your training package for examinations (and interest charges if you’re borrowing money) is a false economy. It’s not your job to boost the training company’s account with your money only to please their Bank Manager! A lot bank on the fact that you won’t get to do them all – so they get to keep the extra funds.
Additionally, ‘Exam Guarantees’ often aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. Many training companies will not pay for re-takes until you’ve completely satisfied them that you’re ready this time.
On average, exams cost about 112 pounds in the last 12 months through Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra to get ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when common sense dictates that what’s really needed is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.
Each programme of learning must provide a nationally (or globally) recognised qualification at the finale – not some little ‘in-house’ piece of paper.
From the perspective of an employer, only the major heavyweights such as Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco (as an example) will get you short-listed. Nothing else makes the grade.
Students looking to build a career in IT often don’t know which path they should take, or which area to get certified in.
Reading lists of IT career possibilities is just a waste of time. The vast majority of us don’t even know what our good friends do at work – let alone understand the ins and outs of a particular IT career.
Usually, the way to come at this problem properly stems from a thorough discussion of some important points:
* Your personal interests and hobbies – these can highlight what areas will provide a happy working life.
* Do you hope to accomplish a key aim – for instance, working for yourself sometime soon?
* The income needs that are important to you?
* Because there are so many areas to train for in the IT industry – there’s a need to achieve some background information on what makes them different.
* It makes sense to take in what is different for the myriad of training options.
When all is said and done, the best way of checking this all out is through a meeting with someone that has enough background to be able to guide you.
(C) Jason Kendall. Pop over to LearningLolly.com for quality advice on SQL Server Training Course and SQL Training.
