Monday, September 7, 2009

UK Networking Training Programs Compared

By Jason Kendall

Computer and network support workers are ever more sought after in Great Britain, as businesses become progressively more dependent on their technical advice and fixing and repairing abilities. Due to the progressively multifaceted levels of technological advances, growing numbers of trained staff are required to specialise in the many areas we need to be sure will work effectively.

Potential trainees looking to begin a career in computers and technology often have no idea of what route to follow, or even what market to obtain accreditation for.

Reading a list of IT job-titles is no use whatsoever. Most of us have no idea what our next-door neighbours do at work each day - so what chance do we have in understanding the complexities of a new IT role.

Generally, the way to deal with this predicament correctly lies in a full talk over several different topics:

* Our personalities play a starring role - what gives you a 'kick', and what are the areas that you really dislike.

* Are you aiming to realise a closely held aspiration - for instance, working from home sometime soon?

* Where is the salary on a scale of importance - is it the most important thing, or is job satisfaction a lot higher on the priority-scale?

* Often, trainees don't consider the work expected to achieve their goals.

* The level of commitment and effort you'll have available to spend on obtaining your certification.

In all honesty, the only way to seek advice on these issues tends to be through a good talk with an advisor or professional that has a background in IT (and more importantly it's commercial requirements.)

Accredited exam simulation and preparation software is essential - and absolutely ought to be obtained from your training supplier.

Due to the fact that a lot of examining boards for IT tend to be American, it's essential to understand how exam questions will be phrased and formatted. It's no use just going through the right questions - it's essential that you can cope with them in the proper exam format.

As you can imagine, it is vital to know that you've thoroughly prepared for your actual certification exam prior to doing it. Rehearsing mock-up tests adds to your knowledge bank and will save a lot of money on thwarted exam entries.

Get rid of a salesperson who just tells you what course you should do without a thorough investigation to assess your abilities as well as level of experience. Make sure they can draw from a expansive product range so they're able to give you a program that suits you..

Where you have a strong background, or even a touch of work-based 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.

For students starting IT studies and exams as a new venture, it's often a good idea to avoid jumping in at the deep-end, beginning with some basic user skills first. This can be built into most training packages.

Adding in the cost of exams up-front and offering an 'Exam Guarantee' is a popular marketing tool with a number of training colleges. However, let's consider what's really going on:

You'll be charged for it one way or another. It's definitely not free - it's simply been shoe-horned into the price as a whole.

People who take each progressive exam, funding them one at a time are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They're conscious of their investment and so are more inclined to ensure they are ready.

Go for the best offer you can find at the appropriate time, and avoid college mark-up fees. You'll then be able to select where you do your exams - which means you can stay local.

A lot of so-called credible training providers make huge profits by getting in the money for all the exam fees up-front and hoping either that you won't take them, or it will be a long time before you do.

The majority of organisations will require you to do mock exams and prohibit you from re-taking an exam until you've proven conclusively that you can pass - which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.

Paying maybe a thousand pounds extra on an 'Exam Guarantee' is naive - when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really guarantee success.

Commercial qualifications are now, without a doubt, starting to replace the older academic routes into IT - so why is this the case?

As demand increases for knowledge about more and more complex technology, industry has had to move to specific, honed-in training that can only be obtained from the actual vendors - for example companies such as Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe. Often this saves time and money for the student.

Clearly, an appropriate degree of associated information has to be learned, but core specialisation in the areas needed gives a commercially trained person a distinct advantage.

If an employer understands what they're looking for, then they just need to look for someone with a specific qualification. Syllabuses are set to exacting standards and aren't allowed to deviate (as academic syllabuses often do).

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