The CompTIA A+ course covers 4 different sectors – the requirement is exam passes in 2 specialities to be seen as competent in A+. Because of this, many training establishments restrict their A+ to just two of the 4 sectors. To us, this is selling you short – of course you can gain accreditation, but knowledge of every section will set you apart in industry, where you\’ll need a more comprehensive understanding. That\’s the reason why you should train in everything.
As well as being taught how to build and fix computers, trainees on A+ courses will be shown how to work in antistatic conditions, along with remote access, fault finding and diagnostics.
If you aspire to being responsible for networks of computers, add the very comprehensive Network+ to your training package. Taking this course as well will prepare you to command a more senior job role. Other ones that might be interesting to you are the Microsoft networking qualifications (MCP, MCSA and MCSE).
Remember: the actual training program or a qualification isn\’t what this is about; a job you\’re training for is. Far too many training organisations place too much importance on the piece of paper.
Never let yourself become part of that group who select a program that seems \’fun\’ or \’interesting\’ – and get to the final hurdle of an accreditation for a job they hate.
Make sure you investigate your leanings around earning potential and career progression, and how ambitious you are. You should understand what (if any) sacrifices you\’ll need to make for a particular role, what particular qualifications they want you to have and how to develop your experience.
All students are advised to speak to an industry professional before they embark on a training program. This is required to ensure it has the required elements for the career that is sought.
We\’re often asked why academic qualifications are being replaced by more commercially accredited qualifications?
Industry now recognises that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, proper accreditation from the likes of Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised – saving time and money.
In a nutshell, students are simply taught the necessary specifics in depth. It\’s slightly more broad than that, but principally the objective has to be to cover the precise skills needed (alongside some required background) – without trying to cram in everything else – in the way that academic establishments often do.
The bottom line is: Accredited IT qualifications give employers exactly what they\’re looking for – the title is a complete giveaway: i.e. I am a \’Microsoft Certified Professional\’ in \’Windows XP Administration and Configuration\’. So employers can identify exactly what they need and what certifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.
A service offered by some training providers is a programme of Job Placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you get your first commercial position. The fact of the matter is it isn\’t so complicated as you might think to land your first job – once you\’re trained and certified; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.
Ideally you should have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we\’d encourage everyone to work on polishing up their CV right at the beginning of their training – don\’t procrastinate and leave it until you\’ve graduated or passed any exams.
Getting your CV considered is more than not being regarded at all. A decent number of junior jobs are bagged by trainees who are still at an early stage in their studies.
If you\’d like to get employment in your home town, then you may well find that a local IT focused recruitment consultancy might serve you better than the trainer\’s recruitment division, because they\’re far more likely to have insider knowledge of the jobs that are going locally.
Do ensure you don\’t conscientiously work through your course materials, only to stop and imagine someone else is miraculously going to secure your first position. Get off your backside and start looking for yourself. Put as much resource into securing your first job as you did to gain the skills.
When was the last time you considered how safe your job is? Typically, this issue only becomes a talking point when something goes wrong. Unfortunately, the painful truth is that our job security is a thing of the past, for the vast majority of people.
Where there are rising skills shortfalls coupled with growing demand of course, we often discover a newly emerging type of security in the marketplace; driven by the constant growth conditions, businesses are struggling to hire enough staff.
Recently, a national e-Skills analysis showed that over 26 percent of computing and IT jobs cannot be filled due to a lack of properly qualified workers. This shows that for each 4 job positions in existence around Information Technology (IT), there are only 3 trained people to fill that need.
This single truth on its own shows why the country urgently requires so many more new trainees to join the industry.
Quite simply, acquiring professional IT skills over the coming years is almost definitely the safest choice of careers you could make.
Copyright Scott Edwards. Go to Training Managers or CLICK HERE.
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