In the fast-paced world we live in, support workers who can solve problems with computers and networks, along with giving constant assistance to users, are vital in all sections of the economy. With the increasingly multifaceted levels of technology, greater numbers of trained staff are being sought to look after the various different areas we rely on.
One of the most important things to insist on has to be 24×7 round-the-clock support with professional mentors and instructors. Too many companies only provide office hours (or extended office hours) support.
Find a good quality service where you can access help at any time of day or night (no matter if it\’s in the middle of the night on a weekend!) You want direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you\’re parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back during office hours.
It\’s possible to find professional training packages that offer online direct access support all the time – at any time of day or night.
Never compromise when you\’re looking for the right support service. The majority of would-be IT professionals that throw in the towel, are in that situation because of support (or the lack of).
Don\’t get hung-up, as a lot of students can, on the accreditation program. You\’re not training for the sake of training; you should be geared towards the actual job at the end of it. Stay focused on what it is you want to achieve.
It\’s common, in some situations, to thoroughly enjoy one year of training but end up spending 10 or 20 years in a tiresome job role, simply because you did it without some quality research when you should\’ve – at the outset.
It\’s well worth a long chat to see what industry will expect from you. Which qualifications you\’ll need and how to gain experience. It\’s also worth spending time setting guidelines as to how far you reckon you\’re going to want to progress your career as it will force you to choose a particular set of qualifications.
Seek guidance and advice from an experienced industry professional, even if you have to pay a small fee – it\’s much safer and cheaper to find out at the start if your choices are appropriate, rather than find out following two years of study that the job you\’ve chosen is not for you and have to return to the start of another program.
Qualifications from the commercial sector are now, most definitely, already replacing the traditional academic paths into the IT industry – but why is this?
The IT sector now acknowledges that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, the right accreditation from the likes of Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe most often has much more specialised relevance – and a fraction of the cost and time.
Essentially, only that which is required is learned. It\’s slightly more broad than that, but the principle remains that students need to master the precisely demanded skill-sets (alongside some required background) – without going into too much detail in all sorts of other things – in the way that academic establishments often do.
It\’s a bit like the TV advert: \’It does what it says on the label\’. The company just needs to know where they have gaps, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. They\’ll know then that all applicants can do what they need.
Many trainers offer a Job Placement Assistance program, to help you into your first commercial role. Often, there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, because it\’s relatively easy for a well trained and motivated person to get work in the IT environment – because companies everywhere are seeking trained staff.
However, what is relevant is to have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we\’d recommend all students to bring their CV up to date the day they start training – don\’t put it off till you\’ve finished your exams.
You\’ll often find that you\’ll secure your first role while still studying (even when you\’ve just left first base). If your CV doesn\’t show your latest training profile (and it\’s not being looked at by employers) then you won\’t even be considered!
Generally, you\’ll receive better performance from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than you\’ll get from a course provider\’s employment division, because they\’ll know the local area and commercial needs better.
A constant frustration of a number of course providers is how hard men and women are focused on studying to get qualified, but how little effort that student will then put into getting the position they\’re acquired skills for. Have confidence – the IT industry needs YOU.
Copyright Scott Edwards 2009. Check out AdultRetrainingCourses.co.uk/eadreco.html or Computer Courses Online.
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