OK, why is it better to gain commercially accredited qualifications as opposed to the usual academic qualifications taught at schools, colleges or universities? Accreditation-based training (in industry terminology) is most often much more specialised. Industry has become aware that specialisation is essential to cope with a technologically complex commercial environment. Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe are the big boys in this field. Patently, a necessary degree of associated information needs to be learned, but focused specifics in the particular job function gives a commercially trained person a distinct advantage.
Put yourself in the employer’s position – and your company needed a person with some very particular skills. What’s the simplest way to find the right person: Go through a mass of different academic qualifications from several applicants, asking for course details and what workplace skills they’ve mastered, or choose a specific set of accreditations that specifically match what you’re looking for, and draw up from that who you want to speak to. You’ll then be able to concentrate on getting a feel for the person at interview – instead of long discussions on technical suitability.
People attracted to this sort of work can be very practical by nature, and aren’t really suited to the classroom environment, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If this could be you, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, with on-screen demonstrations and labs. Research has time and time again confirmed that getting into our studies physically, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.
Study programs now come via DVD-ROM discs, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Using video-streaming, you can watch instructors demonstrating how it’s all done, and then have a go at it yourself – via the interactive virtual lab’s. Every company that you look at should willingly take you through a few examples of the materials provided for study. You should hope for instructor-led videos and a wide selection of interactive elements.
Go for physical media such as CD or DVD ROM’s wherever available. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with broadband ‘downtime’ or slow-speeds.
A knowledgeable and practiced consultant (vs a salesman) will ask questions and seek to comprehend your abilities and experience. This is paramount to establishing your starting level of study. If you’ve got a strong background, or perhaps a bit of live experience (maybe some existing accreditation?) then obviously the level you’ll need to start at will be very different from a trainee who has no experience. It’s usual to start with some basic user skills first. This can often make your learning curve a bit more manageable.
Quite often, students have issues with one aspect of their training usually not even thought about: The way the training is divided into chunks and delivered to your home. Many think it logical (with a typical time scale of 1-3 years to achieve full certification,) that a training provider will issue a single section at a time, as you achieve each exam pass. But: What would their reaction be if you find it difficult to do everything at the proposed pace? Often the staged order won’t fit you as well as another different route may.
In an ideal situation, you want ALL the study materials up-front – enabling you to have them all to return to any point – whenever it suits you. You can also vary the order in which you attack each section if you find another route more intuitive.
Without a doubt: There really is very little evidence of individual job security anywhere now; there’s only market or business security – a company will fire a solitary member of staff whenever it meets their business interests. We’re able though to discover security at the market sector level, by looking for areas in high demand, mixed with a shortage of skilled staff.
Taking a look at the computing industry, a recent e-Skills investigation brought to light an over 26 percent skills deficit. Essentially, we only have the national capacity to fill just 3 out of every 4 jobs in the computing industry. Gaining the appropriate commercial Information Technology qualification is thus a fast-track to succeed in a life-long and worthwhile living. Without a doubt, now really is the very best time to consider retraining into the computer industry.
(C) Jason Kendall. Hop over to LearningLolly.com for excellent career advice on SQL Server Course and MCITP Course.
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