Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Where To Do Your IT Course - Options

By Jason Kendall

CompTIA A+ computer training covers four specialised areas - you'll have to qualify in 2 different areas to be seen as competent in A+. You'll find that most training providers limit their course to 2 of the 4 sectors. We think this will under prepare you - of course you can gain accreditation, but training on all 4 will give you a distinct advantage in the workplace, where you'll need a more comprehensive understanding. So that's why you should train in everything.

As well as learning about building and fixing computers, trainees of A+ will have instruction on how to operate in antistatic conditions, along with remote access, fault finding and diagnostics.

Perhaps you see yourself as the kind of individual who is a member of a large organisation - supporting, fixing and maintaining networks, build on A+ with Network+, or follow the Microsoft route - MCP's, MCSA or MCSE to give you a better comprehension of the way networks operate.

Consider the following points and pay great regard to them if you're inclined to think that old marketing ploy of 'guaranteeing' exams sounds like a benefit to the student:

These days, we are a little bit more aware of sales ploys - and usually we realise that of course it is actually an additional cost to us (it's not a freebie because they like us so much!)

It's everybody's ambition to qualify on the first attempt. Taking your exams progressively when it's appropriate and paying as you go puts you in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt - you take it seriously and are mindful of the investment you've made.

Shouldn't you be looking to not pay up-front, but at the time, not to pay the fees marked up by a college, and to do it locally - rather than in some remote centre?

Many current training colleges net a great deal of profit through asking 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.

You should fully understand that re-takes with training companies with an 'Exam Guarantee' are always heavily controlled. They'll insist that you take mock exams first till you've proven conclusively that you can pass.

Exams taken at local centres are in the region of 112 pounds in Great Britain. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in fees for 'exam guarantees' (most often hidden in the package) - when the best course materials, the right level of support and consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

It only makes sense to consider training programmes which move onto industry approved qualifications. There are loads of small companies proposing 'in-house' certificates that are essentially useless in the real world.

Only fully recognised examinations from companies such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco and Adobe will open the doors to employers.

Commercially accredited qualifications are now, most definitely, taking over from the traditional routes into the IT sector - but why is this happening?

As demand increases for knowledge about more and more complex technology, the IT sector has been required to move to the specialised core-skills learning that the vendors themselves supply - for example companies such as CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA. Often this saves time and money for the student.

Clearly, a necessary degree of associated detail must be learned, but focused specialisation in the required areas gives a vendor trained student a huge edge.

Imagine if you were an employer - and your company needed a person with some very particular skills. Which is the most straightforward: Trawl through loads of academic qualifications from graduate applicants, asking for course details and which commercial skills they've mastered, or pick out specific commercial accreditations that precisely match your needs, and make your short-list from that. You can then focus on how someone will fit into the team at interview - rather than establishing whether they can do a specific task.

The right sort of training course package should also include wholly authorised exam preparation systems.

Don't fall foul of depending on non-official preparation materials for exams. The way they're phrased is often somewhat different - and sometimes this can be a real headache when the proper exam time arrives.

Ensure that you ask for testing modules in order to test your comprehension at any point. Simulated or practice exams log the information in your brain - then you're much more at ease with the real thing.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment