Good for you! By landing here we guess you must be considering re-training to work in a different industry – so you’ve already done more than most. Less of us than you’d think are satisfied with our careers, but most just moan and do nothing about it. Why not be one of a small number who decide to make the change.
We’d strongly advise that prior to beginning any study program, you run through some things with a mentor who is familiar with the working environment and can advise you. Such a person will go through personality profiling with you and assist in finding the right role for you:
* Would you like lots of contact with people? If so, do you like working with the same people or are you hoping to meet new people? Or would you rather work alone with a task?
* What do you need 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.)
* Once you’ve trained, how many years work do anticipate working, and can your chosen industry provide you with that possibility?
* Are you worried with regard to the chance of getting new work, and being in demand in the employment market right up to retirement?
We would advise that your number one choice is IT – it’s common knowledge that it’s getting bigger. IT isn’t all techie geeks lost in their computer screens every day – we know there are those roles, but most jobs are done by ordinary people who do very well out of it.
A lot of training companies only give basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); very few go late in the evening or at weekends.
Locate training schools with help available at any time you choose (no matter if it’s in the middle of the night on a weekend!) Ensure you get 24×7 direct access to mentors and instructors, and not simply some messaging service that means you’re waiting for tutors to call you back at a convenient time for them.
World-class organisations offer a web-based round-the-clock package pulling in several support offices over many time-zones. You’re offered an environment that accesses the most appropriate office no matter what time of day it is: Support on demand.
Find a trainer that is worth purchasing from. Only true round-the-clock 24×7 support provides the necessary backup.
Commercial certification is now, undoubtedly, beginning to replace the more academic tracks into IT – why then is this happening?
Accreditation-based training (as it’s known in the industry) is far more specialised and product-specific. Industry has become aware that such specialised knowledge is necessary to cope with a technologically complex workplace. CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA are the key players in this arena.
The training is effectively done by concentrating on the particular skills that are needed (along with an appropriate level of related knowledge,) rather than going into the heightened depths of background ‘padding’ that degrees in computing often do – to fill a three or four year course.
As long as an employer understands what areas they need covered, then they just need to look for the exact skill-set required to meet that need. Syllabuses are all based on the same criteria and aren’t allowed to deviate (as academic syllabuses often do).
Always expect the current Microsoft (or Cisco, CompTIA etc.) authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages.
Due to the fact that many IT examination boards are American, you’ll need to be used to the correct phraseology. You can’t practice properly by merely going through the right questions – they must be in an exam format that exactly replicates the real thing.
‘Mock’ or practice exams will prove invaluable as a resource to you – so when it comes to taking your actual exams, you will be much more relaxed.
Starting with the understanding that it’s good to home-in on the job we want to do first and foremost, before we can even mull over what development program would meet that requirement, how are we supposed to find the right direction?
How likely is it for us to understand the tasks faced daily in an IT career when we haven’t done that before? Maybe we don’t even know anybody who works in that sector anyway.
Consideration of these different factors is most definitely required when you want to discover the right answers:
* Personality factors plus what interests you – the sort of working tasks you enjoy or dislike.
* Are you aiming to achieve a specific aspiration – for instance, becoming self-employed as quickly as possible?
* What salary and timescale requirements you may have?
* With so many different sectors to gain certifications for in computing – you will have to achieve some key facts on what separates them.
* You need to understand what differentiates each individual training area.
The best way to avoid all the jargon and confusion, and uncover the most viable option for your success, have a good talk with an advisor with years of experience; an individual that will cover the commercial realities and truth while explaining each certification.
(C) Jason Kendall. Browse LearningLolly.com for intelligent advice on CompTIA Training and Computer Training.