The CompTIA A+ course has four specialist sections – you need to pass exams in 2 different areas to reach the level of competent in A+. For this reason, most training providers simply provide 2 of the training options. We consider that this isn’t enough – certainly you’ll have the qualification, but knowing about the others will give you a distinct advantage in the workplace, where you’ll need to know about all of them. So that’s why you deserve training in all four areas.

As well as being taught about building and fixing computers, trainees on an A+ training course will learn how to operate in antistatic conditions, how to fault find, to diagnose and to remotely access problems.

Should you fancy yourself as the kind of individual who works for a larger company – supporting, fixing and maintaining networks, build on A+ with Network+, or alternatively look at doing an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft in order to have a more advanced experience of the way networks work.

Students often end up having issues because of one area of their training which is often not even considered: The way the training is divided into chunks and physically delivered to you.

Training companies will normally offer some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and send out each piece as you complete each section or exam. Sounds reasonable? Well consider these facts:

Maybe the order of study offered by the provider doesn’t suit. What if you find it hard to complete all the elements within the time limits imposed?

Ideally, you want ALL the study materials up-front – so you’ll have them all for the future to come back to – at any time you choose. This allows a variation in the order that you complete your exams if another more intuitive route presents itself.

Doing your bit in progressive developments in new technology really is electrifying. Your actions are instrumental in impacting progress around the world.

Technology, computers and connections through the web will dramatically shape the way we live our lives in the near future; overwhelmingly so.

Wages in the IT sector aren’t to be ignored either – the income on average in the UK for the usual IT employee is much higher than in the rest of the economy. It’s a good bet that you’ll receive quite a bit more than you’d expect to earn doing other work.

Due to the technological sector developing year on year, it’s likely that demand for qualified professionals will continue actively for quite some time to come.

Let’s admit it: There really is no such thing as individual job security anymore; there can only be industry and business security – as any company can drop any single member of staff whenever it fits the company’s trade needs.

Security can now only exist in a quickly growing marketplace, fuelled by a shortage of trained workers. It’s this shortage that creates the appropriate background for a secure market – a far better situation.

Taking the computer industry as an example, a recent e-Skills survey brought to light a national skills shortage across the country around the 26 percent mark. Therefore, for every 4 jobs in existence across the computer industry, businesses are only able to find properly accredited workers for three of the four.

Appropriately skilled and commercially certified new employees are correspondingly at a resounding premium, and it’s estimated to remain so for many years longer.

It would be hard to imagine if a better time or market settings will exist for getting trained into this quickly expanding and blossoming business.

A service that several companies offer is a programme of Job Placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you get your first commercial position. However sometimes there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, as it is actually not that hard for well qualified and focused men and women to find work in this industry – as there is such a shortage of trained staff.

Advice and support about getting interviews and your CV might be provided (if it isn’t, consult one of our sites). Ensure you update that dusty old CV right away – don’t leave it till you pass the exams!

Many junior support jobs are offered to trainees who are still learning and haven’t even passed a single exam yet. At least this will get you into the ‘maybe’ pile of CV’s – rather than the ‘No’ pile.

Actually, a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service – who make their money when they’ve found you a job – will be more pro-active than a division of a training company. It also stands to reason that they’ll know the area and local employers better.

Various trainees, so it seems, conscientiously work through their course materials (for years sometimes), and just give up when it comes to looking for the right position. Sell yourself… Work hard to get yourself known. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.

(C) 2009 Scott Edwards. Go to Graphic Design Portfolio or Web Design Courses.