IT Career Training Courses Considered

By: Jason Kendall It's really great that you're on the right track! Just ten percent of people are happy and satisfied by their jobs, but most of us just bitch about it and that's it. As you've reached this page we have a hunch that you're at least considering retraining, which means you're already ahead of the pack. What comes next is discover where you want to go and get going.

We'd politely request that before you start a training course, you chat with an expert who can see the bigger picture and can point you in the right direction. Such a person will go through personality profiling with you and assist in finding the right role for you:

* Do you want to interact with other people? If you say yes, are you a team player or are you more comfortable dealing with strangers? Alternatively, do you like to deal with your responsibilities alone?

* What's important that you get from the area of industry you choose? (If it's stability you're after, you might think twice about banks or the building industry right now.)

* And how many years do you want to get out of your retraining, and will the industry provide you with that possibility?

* Are you worried about your chances of new employment opportunities, and keeping a job all the way until retirement?

Prioritise the IT sector, that's our recommendation - unusually, it's one of the growing market sectors in this country and overseas. In addition, salaries and benefits exceed most other industries.

It's usual for students to get confused with a single training area which doesn't even occur to them: The method used to 'segment' the courseware before being couriered to your address. Delivery by courier of each element one piece at a time, as you complete each module is how things will normally arrive. While seeming sensible, you must understand the following: It's not unusual for trainees to realise that their training company's standard order of study doesn't suit. Sometimes, a different order of study is more expedient. Could it cause problems if you don't get everything done within their exact timetable?

In an ideal situation, you'd get ALL the training materials right at the beginning - giving you them all for the future to come back to - at any time you choose. Variations can then be made to the order that you attack each section if you find another route more intuitive.

Don't accept anything less than the most up to date Microsoft (or Cisco, CompTIA etc.) authorised exam preparation and simulation materials. Because the majority of IT examining boards come from the United States, it's essential to understand how exam questions will be phrased and formatted. It's not sufficient simply going through the right questions - they must be in an exam format that exactly replicates the real thing. A way to build self-confidence is if you verify your depth of understanding by doing quizzes and simulated exams to get you ready for the real deal.

One useful service that many training companies provide is job placement assistance. This is to help you find your first job in the industry. In reality it isn't a complex operation to find employment - assuming you're well trained and qualified; because there's still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.

Update your CV at the beginning of your training though (advice can be sought on this via your provider). Don't delay until you've qualified. Many junior support jobs have been offered to students who are still learning and haven't even passed a single exam yet. This will at the very least get you into the 'maybe' pile of CV's - rather than the 'No' pile. Normally you'll get quicker results from a specialised and independent local recruitment service than you will through a training course provider's centralised service, as they'll know local industry and the area better.

A slight grievance for many training providers is how hard men and women are prepared to work to pass exams, but how ill-prepared they are to market themselves for the position they're trained for. Don't give up when the best is yet to come.

Don't forget: the training program or a qualification isn't the end-goal; a job that you want to end up in is. Far too many training organisations completely prioritise just the training course. You may train for one year and then end up doing the job for 20 years. Don't make the error of opting for what may seem to be an 'interesting' training program and then put 10-20 years into a job you don't like!

Spend some time thinking about how much you want to earn and what level of ambition fits you. Sometimes, this affects which precise qualifications will be required and how much effort you'll have to give in return. We advise all students to speak to an experienced professional before following a particular training path. This helps to ensure it features what is required for the career path that has been chosen.

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