March 6th, 2010UK CompTIA IT Courses In Detail
Were it not for a continuous flood of trained network and computer support staff, commercial enterprise in the United Kingdom (as elsewhere) could well be brought to its knees. We have an on-going demand for technicians to support both users and the systems they work with. As we get to grips with the multifaceted levels of technology, growing numbers of trained staff are needed to run the various different areas we need to be sure will work effectively.
A lot of men and women are under the impression that the state educational track is the right way even now. So why then are qualifications from the commercial sector beginning to overtake it?
With fees and living expenses for university students spiralling out of control, and the industry’s growing opinion that key company training often has more relevance in the commercial field, there’s been a great increase in Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe certified training programmes that educate students for considerably less.
In a nutshell, only that which is required is learned. It isn’t quite as lean as that might sound, but the principle remains that students need to cover the precise skills needed (including a degree of required background) – without trying to cram in everything else (as universities often do).
As long as an employer knows what work they need doing, then they just need to look for someone with a specific qualification. The syllabuses are set to exacting standards and can’t change from one establishment to the next (as academic syllabuses often do).
It can be a nerve-racking task, but landing your first job can be relieved by some companies, via a Job Placement Assistance service. Often, too much is made of this feature, as it is actually not that hard for a well trained and motivated person to secure work in IT – because there’s a great need for trained staff.
Advice and support about getting interviews and your CV should be offered (if not, see one of our sites for help). Ensure you work on your old CV today – don’t wait until you’ve finished your exams!
A good number of junior support jobs have been bagged by people who are still learning and have yet to take their exams. This will at least get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile.
If you’d like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then you’ll probably find that a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service can generally work much better for you than a national service, because they’re far more likely to know the local job scene.
Essentially, if you put as much hard work into getting a position as into training, you’re not likely to experience problems. A number of trainees strangely invest a great deal of time on their learning program and just give up once they’ve got certified and seem to expect employers to find them.
All programs you’re considering really needs to work up to a nationally (or globally) recognised certification as an end-goal – not a useless ‘in-house’ diploma – fit only for filing away and forgetting.
If your certification doesn’t come from a big-hitter like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA, then it’s likely it will be commercially useless – because it won’t give an employer any directly-useable skills.
Always expect the current Microsoft (or Cisco, CompTIA etc.) accredited exam simulation and preparation packages.
Some students can get thrown by going through practice questions that aren’t from authorised sources. Sometimes, the phraseology can be completely unlike un-authorised versions and it’s vital that you know this.
Obviously, it’s essential to ensure that you’re completely ready for your final certified exam before taking it. Revising ‘mock’ exams logs the information in your brain and helps to avoid failed exams.
Copyright 2009 S. Edwards. Pop to Network Training Courses or Microsoft Training.