Of Worlds

As you’re researching MCSE training programs, you’re most likely in one of two situations: You might be wondering about completely changing your working life to get into the IT field, and research demonstrates there’s a growing demand for qualified people. On the other hand you’re someone with a certain amount of IT knowledge - and you’d like to consolidate your skill-set with an MCSE.

As you discover more about training providers, steer clear of those who reduce their costs by failing to provide the latest version from Microsoft. Ultimately, this will cost the student a lot more due to the fact that they’ve been taught from an outdated MCSE course which will need updating very quickly. A computer training organisation’s attention must be based upon doing the best thing for their clients, and the whole company should care about getting things right. Career study isn’t just about passing exams - it should initially look at helping you work out the most valid way forward for you.

We’d all like to believe that our careers are secure and our work futures are protected, however, the truth for the majority of jobs around England at the moment seems to be that the marketplace is far from secure. Where there are increasing skills shortfalls mixed with rising demand of course, we often locate a newly emerging type of security in the marketplace; driven forward by conditions of continuous growth, businesses are struggling to hire the staff required.

With the computer business as an example, a key e-Skills analysis highlighted a skills gap across the UK around the 26 percent mark. That means for every four jobs in existence around computing, we’ve only got three properly trained pro’s to fill that need. This basic fact reveals the validity and need for more commercially qualified computer professionals throughout the United Kingdom. Because the IT sector is increasing at such a quick pace, could there honestly be a better sector worth taking into account for retraining.

How do we arrive at an educated decision then? With all this potential, it’s important to know where to dig - and of course, what to actually be investigating.

Looking around, we find a glut of job availability in Information Technology. Arriving at the correct choice for yourself is a mammoth decision. Therefore, if you don’t have any understanding of the IT market, how are you equipped to know what someone in a particular field actually does day-to-day? Let alone decide on which educational path will be most suitable for a successful result. To get to the bottom of this, a discussion is necessary, covering many different aspects:

* The kind of individual you are - which things you enjoy, and conversely - what don’t you like doing.

* Are you aiming to pull off a specific aspiration - like working from home in the near future?

* Where is the salary on a scale of importance - is it of prime importance, or do you place job satisfaction further up on the scale of your priorities?

* Many students don’t properly consider the time needed to attain their desired level.

* It’s wise to spend some time thinking about any sacrifices you’ll need to make, as well as what commitment and time you’re going to invest in the accreditation program.

When all is said and done, your only chance of checking this all out is through a good talk with a professional who knows the industry well enough to lead you to the correct decision.

People attracted to this sort of work are usually quite practically-minded, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and slogging through piles of books. If you’re thinking this sounds like you, use multimedia, interactive learning, where learning is video-based. Memory is vastly improved when we use multiple senses - this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for as long as we can remember.

Study programs now come in the form of CD and DVD ROM’s, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Utilising the latest video technology, you can watch instructors demonstrating how to do something, and then practice yourself - in a virtual lab environment. You’ll definitely want a training material demonstration from the training company. The materials should incorporate instructor videos, demonstrations, slide-shows and interactive labs where you get to practice.

Purely on-line training should be avoided. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where offered, so that you have access at all times - it’s not wise to be held hostage to your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.

The way in which your courseware is broken down for you is often missed by many students. In what way are your training elements sectioned? And in what sequence and how fast does each element come? Many companies enrol you into some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and send out each piece as you pass each exam. On the surface this seems reasonable - until you consider the following: What if you find the order prescribed by the provider doesn’t suit you. And what if you don’t finish all the sections inside their defined time-scales?

To avoid any potential future issues, it’s not unusual for students to have all their training materials (which they’ve now paid for) posted to them in one go, with nothing held back. It’s then your own choice at what speed and in which order you’d like to take your exams.

Training support for students is an absolute must - ensure you track down something that includes 24×7 access, as anything else will annoy you and definitely hamper your progress. Don’t buy certification programs which can only support you through an out-sourced call-centre message system when it’s outside of usual working hours. Training schools will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The simple fact of the matter is - support is needed when it’s needed - not when it suits them.

The very best programs offer an online access 24×7 service combining multiple support operations over many time-zones. You get an easy to use interface that seamlessly selects the best facility available no matter what time of day it is: Support when you need it. Look for a training company that goes the extra mile. Only true live 24×7 round-the-clock support delivers what is required.

A valuable training course package should also offer wholly authorised exam simulation and preparation packages. As most examining boards for IT are American, you need to become familiar with their phraseology. You can’t practice properly by simply understanding random questions - they have to be in the same format as the actual exams. For many reasons, it is vital to be confident that you’re absolutely ready for the real exam prior to going for it. Going over ‘mock’ exams helps build your confidence and will avoid you getting frustrated with wasted exam attempts.

A useful feature that several companies offer is a programme of Job Placement assistance. It’s intention is to assist your search for your first position. The honest truth is that it’s not as hard as some people make out to secure employment - as long as you’re correctly trained and certified; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.

Bring your CV up to date as soon as possible however (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don’t procrastinate and leave it until you’ve graduated or passed any exams. It’s not unusual to find that you will be offered your first job whilst still on the course (sometimes when you’ve only just got going). If you haven’t updated your CV to say what you’re studying (and it isn’t in the hands of someone with jobs to offer) then you aren’t even in the running! If it’s important to you to find work near your home, then you’ll often find that a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service could be of more use than the trainer’s recruitment division, due to the fact that they are much more inclined to know local employment needs.

Not inconsiderable numbers of trainees, apparently, put a great deal of effort into their studies (sometimes for years), and just give up when it comes to looking for the right position. Introduce yourself… Work hard to get yourself known. A job isn’t just going to bump into you.

PC and network support staff are ever more sought after in the UK, as businesses are becoming more reliant upon their knowledge and skills. Whilst our society becomes growingly reliant on technology, we simultaneously become more dependent on the well trained network engineers, who ensure the systems function properly.

Without a doubt, the IT industry shows unparalleled opportunities. However, to investigate fully, which questions should we pose, and which are the most important considerations?

Far too many companies only concern themselves with gaining a certificate, and forget the reasons for getting there - getting yourself a new job or career. Always begin with the end goal - too many people focus on the journey. Students often train for a single year but end up doing a job for a lifetime. Ensure you avoid the fatal error of finding what seems like an ‘interesting’ training program and then spend decades in an unrewarding career!

Stay focused on what you want to achieve, and formulate your training based on that - not the other way round. Stay on target and ensure that you’re training for an end-result that’ll reward you for many long and fruitful years. It’s worth seeking help from someone who can explain the market you think may suit you, and is able to give you ‘A day in the life of’ outline of what you actually do on the job. All of these things are essential because you obviously have to know if this change is right for you.

Proper support should never be taken lightly - find a program providing 24×7 full access, as anything else will annoy you and definitely hamper your progress. Email support is too slow, and telephone support is usually to a call-centre that will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor - who will attempt to call you within 24-48 hrs, at a time suitable for them. This is no good if you’re stuck and can’t continue and can only study at specific times.

It’s possible to find professional companies which offer online support 24×7 - including evenings, nights and weekends. You can’t afford to accept less than you need and deserve. Support round-the-clock is the only kind that ever makes the grade when it comes to computer-based study. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; often though, we’re out at work while the support is live.

We’d hazard a guess that you probably enjoy fairly practical work - the ‘hands-on’ personality type. If you’re like us, the world of book-reading and classrooms can be just about bared when essential, but it’s not ideal. You should use video and multimedia based materials if book-based learning really isn’t your style. Years of research and study has time and time again confirmed that connecting physically with our study, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.

Search for a course where you’re provided with an array of CD and DVD based materials - you’ll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, and then have the opportunity to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions. It makes sense to see some of the typical study materials provided before you hand over your cheque. The minimum you should expect would be video tutorials, instructor demo’s and a variety of audio-visual and interactive sections.

Avoid training that is purely online. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where possible, as you need to be able to use them whenever it’s convenient for you - and not be totally reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.

Many certification companies are still using the rather old-fashioned idea of classroom lessons. Very often portrayed as a huge benefit, if you talk to a student who has had to attend a few, you’ll most likely hear about many or all of these issues:

* Loads of journeys to the workshop centre - sometimes quite a distance away.

* Mon-Fri access to classes is the norm, and getting two to three days out of work causes a lot of problems for most working students.

* Don’t overlook lost vacation time. We typically get 4 weeks annual leave. If over 50 percent is used in classes, then there’s very little left over for us.

* Training events fill up fast and can sometimes be too big - so they’re not personal enough.

* You may prefer to move at a slower or quicker pace than the rest of the class. This can create a classic case of ‘classroom tension’.

* The growing costs associated with travel - driving or taking public transport to the training centre and of course several days bed and breakfast can mount up with each visit. If you only assumed 5-10 classes costing around 35 pounds for one over-night room, plus a petrol cost of 40 pounds and food at 15 pounds, that equates to four to nine hundred pounds of add-on cost.

* The majority of attendees want their studies to remain private thus avoiding all come-back from their current employer.

* It’s very common for people to hide the fact that they want to raise a question - purely because they’re amongst other classmates.

* For students working away from home occasionally, it’s a fact of life that events are now very hard to attend - and yet, the money has already been paid.

It really does make more sense to be trained when it’s convenient for you - not the company - and exploit instructor-led videos with interactive lab’s. Just imagine… Utilising a laptop then you’re free to learn wherever you happen to be at that time. And live 24 hr-a-day support is only a web-click away in case of difficulty. Just watch and re-watch the modules whenever you want to. There’s absolutely no need to jot down any notes as the teaching is yours forever. The final outcome: Reduced hassle and stress, saved money, and absolutely no travelling.

Let’s face it: There really is absolutely no individual job security available anymore; there’s only industry and sector security - any company is likely to let anyone go if it suits the business’ trade needs. Security only exists now in a swiftly rising marketplace, driven by a lack of trained workers. It’s this alone that creates the appropriate setting for a secure market - definitely a more pleasing situation.

The computer industry skills-gap around the UK clocks in at roughly twenty six percent, as reported by the 2006 e-Skills survey. This shows that for every 4 jobs that exist in Information Technology (IT), we’ve only got three properly trained pro’s to fulfil that role. This worrying fact clearly demonstrates the requirement for more properly certified computing professionals in the country. It’s unlikely if a better time or market state of affairs will exist for gaining qualification for this rapidly emerging and developing business.

There are four A+ exams and specialised sectors, but you only need to get certified in 2 to qualify for your A+. Because of this, a great number of colleges simply offer two. Yet learning about all 4 will equip you with a more confident perspective of the subject, something you’ll discover is a Godsend in industry.

If you decide to become a student on the A+ training course you’ll be taught how to build, fix, repair and work in antistatic conditions. You’ll also cover fault finding and diagnostics, through both hands-on and remote access. If you feel it appropriate to add Network+ to your CompTIA A+ training course, you’ll also have the ability to assist with or manage networks of computers, allowing you to expect a better remuneration package.

Bearing in mind the sheer volume of discussion covering Information Technology (IT) right now, how can we recognize what precisely to look for?

Beginning with the understanding that we have to locate the employment that excites us first and foremost, before we’re able to chew over what method of training would meet that requirement, how are we supposed to find the right path? Consequently, if you don’t have any understanding of the IT market, how could you possibly know what some particular IT person actually does day-to-day? And of course decide on what accreditation path is the most likely for your success. To get to the bottom of this, a discussion is necessary, covering many different aspects:

* The kind of person you reckon you are - which things you enjoy, and don’t forget - what don’t you like doing.

* What time-frame are you looking at for your training?

* What salary and timescale needs you have?

* There are many ways to train in Information Technology - you’ll need to achieve some background information on what sets them apart.

* Taking a serious look at what commitment and time you can give.

For the majority of us, dissecting all these ideas will require meeting with an advisor who knows what they’re talking about. And not just the qualifications - you also need to understand the commercial requirements also.

We’d hazard a guess that you probably enjoy fairly practical work - the ‘hands-on’ person. Typically, the unfortunate chore of reading reference guides is something you’ll make yourself do if you have to, but you’d hate it. So look for on-screen interactive learning packages if books just don’t do it for you. Many studies have proved that long term memory is improved when we use all our senses, and we take action to use what we’ve learned.

Modern training can now be done at home via interactive discs. By watching and listening to instructors on video tutorials you’ll learn your subject through the demonstrations and explanations. Knowledge can then be tested by utilising the practice lab’s and modules. Any company that you’re considering should willingly take you through a few samples of the type of training materials they provide. You’re looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and interactive areas to practice in.

Some companies only have access to purely on-line training; and although this is okay the majority of the time, imagine the problems when you don’t have access to the internet or you get intermittent problems and speed issues. It is usually safer to have DVD or CD discs that don’t suffer from these broadband issues.

Often, students don’t think to check on something that can make a profound difference to their results - how their company actually breaks down and delivers the physical training materials, and into how many parts. Trainees may consider it sensible (with a typical time scale of 1-3 years to pass all the required exams,) that a training provider will issue one module at a time, as you achieve each exam pass. But: What if there are reasons why you can’t finish every section? And what if you find the order of the modules counter-intuitive? Through no fault of your own, you might take a little longer and not get all the study materials as a result.

In a perfect world, you’d ask for every single material to be delivered immediately - meaning you’ll have all of them to come back to in the future - irrespective of any schedule. You can also vary the order in which you attack each section where a more intuitive path can be found.

Most trainers only give support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later; It’s rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. You’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and phone support is usually just a call-centre which will take the information and email an instructor - who will then call back sometime over the next 24hrs, at a suitable time to them. This is not a lot of use if you’re lost and confused and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.

The very best programs offer an online 24 hours-a-day system pulling in several support offices throughout multiple time-zones. You’ll have a single, easy-to-use environment that seamlessly selects the best facility available no matter what time of day it is: Support on demand. Don’t under any circumstances take less than you need and deserve. Direct-access 24×7 support is the only viable option for IT study. Maybe late-evening study is not your thing; usually though, we’re out at work while the support is live.

You should only consider training courses that’ll progress to industry recognised accreditations. There’s a plethora of small colleges suggesting unknown ‘in-house’ certificates which aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on when you start your job-search. If your certification doesn’t come from a big-hitter like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco, then it’s likely it will have been a waste of time - because no-one will recognise it.

One crafty way that colleges make extra profits is by charging for exams up-front and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. It looks impressive, till you look at the facts:

They’ve allowed costings for it somehow. One thing’s for sure - it isn’t free - it’s simply been shoe-horned into the price as a whole. The fact is that when students fund each examination, one after the other, the chances are they’re going to qualify each time - because they’re aware of what they’ve paid and their application will be greater.

Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the time, and keep hold of your own money. You’ll also be able to choose where to do the examinations - meaning you can choose a local testing centre. A great deal of money is netted by some training companies that incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. For quite legitimate reasons, a number of students don’t get to do their exams and so the company is quids-in. Astoundingly enough, providers exist who depend on students not taking their exams - and that’s how they increase their profits. In addition to this, ‘Exam Guarantees’ often aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. The majority of companies won’t pay again for an exam until you’ve completely satisfied them that you’re ready this time.

Due to typical VUE and Prometric exams coming in at around 112 pounds in the UK, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. There’s no sense in throwing away maybe a thousand pounds extra at the start of your studies. Study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

Can job security really exist anywhere now? In a marketplace like the UK, with industry changing its mind on a whim, there doesn’t seem much chance. Whereas a marketplace with high growth, where there just aren’t enough staff to go round (as there is a big shortage of trained workers), provides a market for real job security.

The computing Industry skills shortage around the UK clocks in at around 26 percent, according to a recent e-Skills analysis. Basically, we’re only able to fill three out of 4 positions in the computer industry. This one idea in itself shows why the country needs a lot more workers to get trained and enter the IT sector. With the market evolving at such a speed, could there honestly be a better market worth taking into account as a retraining vehicle.