Good for you! By landing here you\’ve doubtless been pondering on retraining for a new career – so already you\’ve made a start. Only one in ten of us are happy and fulfilled in our work, but most complain but just stay there. You could join a select group who take responsibility for their future.
We recommend you seek advice first – find an industry expert; an advisor who can discover your ideal job, and analyse the courses that will suit you:
* Do you like to be around others at work? Are you better with new people or those you know well? Perhaps you prefer not to be disturbed and enjoy responsibilities that you can get on with on your own?
* Are you thinking carefully about which area you choose to work in? (These days, it\’s more important than ever to choose well.)
* Do you want this to be the only time re-training is necessary?
* Do you have niggles about the chance of getting new work, and being in demand in the employment market to the end of your working life?
We ask you to really explore the computer industry – there are more jobs than employees, and it\’s a rare career choice where the industry is expanding. Despite what some people would have you think, IT is not full of nerdy individuals looking at screens the whole day (though those jobs exist.) Most positions are done by ordinary people who want to earn a very good living.
A lot of training companies will only provide office hours or extended office hours support; not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly.
some companies only provide email support (slow), and phone support is usually just a call-centre which will just take down the issue and email it over to their technical team – who will then call back sometime over the next 24hrs, at a time suitable for them. This is no good if you\’re stuck and can\’t continue and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.
Be on the lookout for training programs that incorporate three or four individual support centres from around the world. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to offer a simple interface together with 24 hours-a-day access, when it suits you, with the minimum of hassle.
You can\’t afford to accept less than this. Direct-access 24×7 support is the only way to go when it comes to computer-based study. Perhaps you don\’t intend to study during the evenings; often though, we\’re out at work during the provided support period.
Considering the amount of options that are available, there\’s no surprise that a large percentage of students balk at what job they will follow.
How can we possibly grasp what is involved in a particular job when we\’ve never done it? Often we have never met anyone who performs the role either.
To come through this, we need to discuss a variety of definitive areas:
* Personalities play a significant part – what gets you \’up and running\’, and what are the things that really turn you off.
* Are you looking to reach an important objective – like working for yourself sometime soon?
* What are your thoughts on travelling time and locality vs salary?
* Some students don\’t fully understand the amount of work required to achieve their goals.
* Taking a good look at how much time and effort you can give.
The bottom line is, the only real way of understanding everything necessary is from a good talk with someone that knows the industry well enough to provide solid advice.
A top of the range training package will have fully authorised exam preparation systems.
Because a lot of examination boards in IT tend to be American, you must be prepared for the way exams are phrased. It\’s no use simply understanding random questions – it\’s essential that you can cope with them in the proper exam format.
Practice exams can be very useful as a resource to you – so that when you come to take your actual exams, you don\’t get uptight.
A subtle way that colleges make a lot more is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course then giving it \’Exam Guarantee\’ status. This sounds impressive, but let\’s just examine it more closely:
These days, we tend to be a tad more knowledgeable about sales gimmicks – and most of us know that for sure it is something we\’re paying for – it\’s not because they\’re so generous they want to give something away!
If it\’s important to you to pass first time, evidence suggests you must pay for one exam at a time, give it the necessary attention and give the task sufficient application.
Why pay the college in advance for exam fees? Go for the best offer when you\’re ready, rather than pay marked up fees – and take it closer to home – not at somewhere of their bidding.
Big margins are netted by some training companies who take the exam money up-front. Many students don\’t take them for one reason or another but the company keeps the money. Astoundingly enough, there are companies around who actually bank on it – as that\’s where a lot of their profit comes from.
Additionally, exam guarantees often have very little value. Many training companies won\’t pay for re-takes until you have demonstrated conclusively that you won\’t fail again.
Exams taken at local centres are in the region of 112 pounds in this country. What\’s the point of paying huge charges for \’Exam Guarantees\’ (usually wrapped up in the course package price) – when a quality course, support and consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.
(C) S. Edwards 2009. Visit Learn Programming or ccnatraining4.co.uk.
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