If you’re looking for a Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) course, be aware that training varies from company to company; some are much better than others. You’ll come across a variety of courses, whether you’re a beginner, or an experienced technician ready to gain acknowledged certifications. To become certified at the level of MCSA it’s necessary to achieve pass marks in four MCP’s (Microsoft Certified Professional exams). If you’re joining the industry for the first time, you’ll probably need to improve your skill-set before studying for the MCP exams. Identify a training company that has a team of advisors who can guide you towards the ideal program for you and who will get you started in the right place.
Often, folks don’t really get what IT is doing for all of us. It’s stimulating, innovative, and means you’re a part of the huge progress of technology affecting everyones lives in the 21st century. Society largely thinks that the increase in technology we’ve been going through is lowering its pace. All indicators point in the opposite direction. We have yet to experience incredible advances, and the internet significantly will be the biggest thing to affect the way we live.
The money in IT isn’t to be sniffed at also – the usual income in the UK for the usual IT professional is a lot higher than average salaries nationally. It’s a good bet that you’ll receive a much greater package than you’d expect to earn doing other work. There is a considerable national demand for qualified IT professionals. It follows that with the constant growth in the marketplace, it is likely there will be for years to come.
Apparently, the UK computer industry offers exceptional possibilities. Yet, to fully investigate, what kind of questions should we pose, and which are the most important considerations?
Don’t put too much store, as a lot of students can, on the certification itself. Training for training’s sake is generally pointless; you should be geared towards the actual job at the end of it. Focus on the end-goal. Students often train for a single year but end up doing the job for 20 years. Don’t make the mistake of finding what seems like a very ‘interesting’ program only to waste your life away with an unrewarding career!
You also need to know how you feel about earning potential, career development, plus your level of ambition. You need to know what the role will demand of you, which accreditations they want you to have and in what way you can develop commercial experience. All students are advised to speak to an experienced advisor before following a particular training program. This is essential to ensure it contains the commercially required skills for that career path.
Those that are drawn to this type of work are usually quite practically-minded, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and poring through books and manuals. If this could be you, use multimedia, interactive learning, where you can learn everything on-screen. Memory is vastly improved when multiple senses are involved – this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for years now.
Programs are now found in the form of CD and DVD ROM’s, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Through video streaming, you will be able to see the instructor presenting exactly how it’s all done, and then practice yourself – via the interactive virtual lab’s. Any company that you’re considering should be able to show you some samples of the materials provided for study. You should hope for instructor-led videos and a wide selection of interactive elements.
It’s unwise to opt for on-line only training. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across the ISP (internet service provider) market, make sure you get disc based courseware (On CD or DVD).
One thing you must always insist on is full 24×7 support with professional mentors and instructors. It’s an all too common story to find providers that only provide support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later (but not weekends usually). Locate training schools with proper support available at any time you choose (irrespective of whether it’s the wee hours on Sunday morning!) You want direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors, and not access to a call-in service which takes messages – so you’re parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back – probably during office hours.
The very best programs utilise an internet-based 24×7 facility pulling in several support offices over many time-zones. You will have an interface which seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate irrespective of the time of day: Support when you need it. If you accept anything less than support round-the-clock, you’ll regret it. You might not want to use the service during late nights, but you may need weekends, early mornings or late evenings.
A number of trainees think that the tech college or university route is still the best way into IT. So why are commercially accredited qualifications slowly and steadily replacing it? With fees and living expenses for university students spiralling out of control, plus the IT sector’s increasing awareness that corporate based study is closer to the mark commercially, there’s been a great increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA authorised training programmes that create knowledgeable employees for much less time and money. Academic courses, as a example, clog up the training with too much loosely associated study – and much too wide a syllabus. This holds a student back from learning the core essentials in sufficient depth.
Think about if you were the employer – and you needed to take on someone with a very particular skill-set. What is easier: Trawl through a mass of different academic qualifications from several applicants, having to ask what each has covered and what vocational skills have been attained, or pick out specific commercial accreditations that specifically match what you’re looking for, and then select who you want to interview from that. You’ll then be able to concentrate on getting a feel for the person at interview – rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
Exam ‘guarantees’ are sometimes offered as part of a training package – this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, at the very beginning of your studies. Before you get carried away with a course with such a promise, why not look at the following:
It’s become essential these days that we have to be a bit more aware of hype – and the majority of us ought to realise that of course it is something we’re paying for – they’re not just being charitable and doling out freebies! Passing first time is everyone’s goal. Taking your exams progressively one by one and paying as you go sees you much better placed to get through first time – you prepare appropriately and are mindful of the investment you’ve made.
Do your exams as locally as possible and hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take it. Including money in your training package for examination fees (plus interest – if you’re financing your study) is insane. It’s not your job to boost the training company’s account with your hard-earned cash only to please their Bank Manager! There are those who hope that you won’t get round to taking them – but they won’t refund the cash. It’s worth noting, with the majority of Exam Guarantees – the company decides when you can re-take the exam. You’ll have to prove conclusively that you can pass before they’ll pay for another exam.
Paying maybe a thousand pounds extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is short-sighted – when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is actually the key to your success.
Many training companies supply a practical Job Placement Assistance program, to help you get your first job. The honest truth is that it isn’t so complicated as you might think to land your first job – as long as you’re correctly trained and certified; employers in this country need your skills.
Help with your CV and interview techniques should be offered (if not, see one of our sites for help). Make sure you bring your CV right up to date right away – don’t leave it till you pass the exams! You might not even have got to the exam time when you land your first junior support position; however this won’t be the case unless your CV is with employers. The most efficient companies to help you find a job are generally specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. As they will get paid by the employer when they’ve placed you, they’re perhaps more focused on results.
Not inconsiderable numbers of men and women, it seems, are prepared to study their hearts out (sometimes for years), and then just stop instead of attempting to secure a good job. Promote yourself… Do everything you can to get in front of employers. Good jobs don’t just knock on your door.