by Jason Kendall
In the UK today, industry could not function efficiently without assistance from support workers fixing PC’s and networks, while recommending solutions to users on a constant basis. Because we become massively more beholden to technology, we also become more dependent on the skilled and qualified IT networkers, who keep the systems going.
Have you recently questioned your job security? For the majority of us, this issue only becomes a talking point when something goes wrong. But really, the lesson often learned too late is that our job security simply doesn’t exist anymore, for nearly everyone now. Security only exists now via a quickly escalating market, driven by a shortfall of trained staff. These circumstances create the correct conditions for a secure market – a far better situation.
Taking the IT sector as an example, the 2006 e-Skills investigation demonstrated a skills gap throughout Great Britain in excess of 26 percent. Meaning that for each 4 job positions that exist in computing, there are only 3 trained people to fulfil that role. This worrying notion shows an urgent requirement for more properly accredited computing professionals around the United Kingdom. With the market developing at the speed it is, could there honestly be a better sector worth looking at for a new future.
Reaching the most suitable job choice can be very hard – so what research do we need to do and what are the questions we should be raising?
Any advisor who doesn’t ask many questions – the likelihood is they’re just a salesperson. If they’re pushing towards a particular product before getting to know your background and current experience level, then you know it’s true. With a strong background, or maybe some work-based experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then it’s likely the point from which you begin your studies will vary from a student that is completely new to the industry. If this is going to be your first effort at an IT exam then you might also want to cut your teeth on some basic PC skills training first.
At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be full 24×7 support from professional mentors and instructors. Far too often we see trainers who only seem to want to help while they’re in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Be wary of any training providers who use ‘out-of-hours’ messaging systems – with the call-back coming in during typical office hours. This is no use if you’re stuck and need help now.
If you look properly, you’ll find professional companies that provide their students direct-access online support 24×7 – even in the middle of the night. Don’t under any circumstances take anything less. Support round-the-clock is really your only option when it comes to IT study. It’s possible you don’t intend to study late evenings; usually though, we’re at work at the time when most support is available.
Students who consider this area of study are often very practical, and aren’t really suited to the classroom environment, and poring through books and manuals. If you’re thinking this sounds like you, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where learning is video-based. Memory is vastly improved with an involvement of all our senses – educational experts have expounded on this for decades now.
Fully interactive motion videos with demonstrations and practice sessions will forever turn you away from traditional book study. And you’ll find them fun and interesting. All companies must be able to demonstrate a few examples of the materials provided for study. You should hope for instructor-led videos and many interactive sections.
Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where offered, as you need to be able to use them whenever it’s convenient for you – and not be totally reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.
Commercial certification is now, undoubtedly, already replacing the traditional routes into the industry – why then is this the case? With university education costs spiralling out of control, plus the IT sector’s general opinion that accreditation-based training most often has much more commercial relevance, there has been a great increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA accredited training programmes that educate students at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time. Clearly, a reasonable amount of associated detail has to be learned, but core specialisation in the particular job function gives a commercially trained student a distinct advantage.
The bottom line is: Commercial IT certifications give employers exactly what they’re looking for – everything they need to know is in the title: as an example – I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003′. So employers can identify exactly what they need and which qualifications are required to perform the job.
You’ll come across courses which guarantee examination passes – they always involve paying for the exam fees up-front, at the very beginning of your studies. However, prior to embracing this so-called guarantee, be aware of the facts:
We all know that we’re ultimately paying for it – obviously it has been inserted into the overall figure from the course provider. It’s definitely not free (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) Those who enter their exams one by one, funding them one at a time are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They’re thoughtful of what they’ve paid and take the necessary steps to be ready for the task.
Do your exams at a local pro-metric testing centre and look for the very best offer you can at the time. Big margins are made by many companies who get money upfront for exam fees. Many students don’t take them for one reason or another and so the company is quids-in. Surprising as it sounds, there are providers that actually rely on students not sitting all the exams – as that’s very profitable for them. Re-takes of any failed exams with training course providers who offer an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are tightly controlled. You’ll be required to sit pre-tests till you’ve proven conclusively that you can pass.
With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE tests in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. It’s not in the student’s interests to fork out hundreds or thousands of pounds for exams when enrolling on a course. A commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
Any program that you’re going to undertake really needs to work up to a fully recognised major certification at the end – not a useless ‘in-house’ piece of paper. From the perspective of an employer, only the top companies such as Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA (for instance) really carry any commercial clout. Nothing else hits the mark.
About the Author:
Jason Kendall has worked in the IT industry for 20 yrs. He should understand what he’s talking about by now. If you’re interested in
Network+ Certification, visit LearningLolly
Comptia Network+.