Computer Career Training In The UK - Thoughts
Posted: Wednesday, September 23, 2009
by Jason Kendall
Congratulate yourself that you're on the right track! A fraction of the population enjoy their work and find it stimulating, but most of us simply moan about it and that's it. Because you've done research we can guess that you're giving retraining some thought, so even now you're ahead of the game. Now you just need to find out more and then take action.
* Is it your preference to work in isolation or is being part of a team an essential criteria for you?
* Which criteria's are important to you with regard to the industry you'll be employed in?
* Would you like this to be the only time re-training is necessary?
* Do you believe that your industry training course will offer you employment opportunities, and have the ability to be employed up to retirement age?
The most significant market sector in this country that fulfils the above criteria is the computer industry, particularly IT. There's a demand for more skilled workers in this sector, simply have a look at a local jobsite and you will find them yourself. Don't misunderstand and think it's all techie people looking at their computerscreens all day long - it's much more diverse than that. Large numbers of staff in the computer industry are ordinary people, but they enjoy their work and get well paid.
Please understand this most important point: It's essential to obtain proper 24x7 round-the-clock instructor and mentor support. You'll definitely experience problems if you don't heed this. Email support is too slow, and phone support is usually just a call-centre that 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 only have certain times available in which to do your studies.
It's possible to find professional companies which offer online direct access support around the clock - no matter what time of day it is. Never compromise when you're looking for the right support service. Many trainees who throw in the towel, are in that situation because of a lack of support.
An important area that is sometimes not even considered by people considering a training program is the issue of 'training segmentation'. This is essentially the method used to break up the program for drop-shipping to you, which makes a huge difference to how you end up. Students often think it makes sense (with most training taking 1-3 years for a full commercial certification,) for a training company to release one section at a time, as you complete each part. But: Many students find that their training company's 'standard' path of training is not what they would prefer. You may find that a different order of study is more expedient. Perhaps you don't make it at the pace they expect?
To avoid any potential future issues, it's not unusual for students to request that all their modules (now paid for) are posted to them in one go, with nothing held back. It's then up to you in which order and at what speed you want to work.
Have a conversation with a practiced consultant and they'll regale you with many awful tales of salespeople ripping-off unsuspecting students. Only deal with an industry professional who quizzes you to find out what's appropriate to you - not for their bank-account! You need to find the very best place to start for you. With some commercial experience or some accreditation, your starting-point of learning is now at a different level to a new student. Where this will be your first attempt at an IT exam then you should consider whether to begin with some basic user skills first.
Many trainees assume that the state educational track is still the best way into IT. Why then are commercially accredited qualifications beginning to overtake it? The IT sector is of the opinion that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, official accreditation from the likes of Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe is closer to the mark commercially - at a far reduced cost both money and time wise. Typically, students are simply taught the necessary specifics in depth. It isn't quite as lean as that might sound, but the principle remains that students need to concentrate on the fundamentally important skill-sets (alongside some required background) - without overdoing the detail in every other area - in the way that academic establishments often do.
When an employer is aware what areas need to be serviced, then all it takes is an advert for the exact skill-set required to meet that need. The syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and can't change from one establishment to the next (as academic syllabuses often do).
(C) Jason Kendall. Pop to LearningLolly.com for intelligent ideas on IT Course and SQL Course.
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