subject: Thoughts On Cbt Computer Certification In It [print this page] Well done! Hitting upon this feature proves you must be pondering over your options, and if you're considering retraining then you've already got further than most others. Are you aware that just one in ten of us would say we are fulfilled in our working life - but the majority will just put up with it. We encourage you to liberate yourself and make a start - think about how you could enjoy Monday mornings.
On the subject of training, it's important to first define your expectations from the career you're looking to get into. It's important to discover if things would be a lot better before your energies are focused on altering your life's plans. We recommend looking at the whole story first, to make an informed decision:
* Is it your preference to work in isolation or do you find company is an important option?
* What ideas are important to you regarding the industry you're looking to get into?
* Do you want this to be the only time you will need more qualifications?
* Do you believe that the training program you've chosen is commercially viable, and will have the ability to keep you in work up to retirement age?
It's important that you don't overlook the IT industry - everyone knows that it's getting bigger. It's not full of geeky individuals staring at computers all day - naturally those roles do exist, but the majority of roles are filled with Joe averages who get on very well.
Getting into your first IT role can be a little easier if you're offered a Job Placement Assistance program. The fact of the matter is it isn't so complicated as you might think to find a job - once you're trained and certified; because there's still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.
However, don't procrastinate and wait until you have passed your final exams before bringing your CV up to date. As soon as you start studying, enter details of your study programme and place it on jobsites!
You may not have got to the stage where you've passed your first exam when you will get your initial junior support role; however this can't and won't happen if your CV isn't in front of employers.
If you'd like to get employment in your home town, then it's quite likely that a specialist locally based employment agency could serve you better than the trainer's recruitment division, as they are much more inclined to be familiar with local employment needs.
To bottom line it, if you put as much hard work into securing your first IT position as into training, you're not likely to experience problems. Some people strangely spend hundreds of hours on their training course and then just stop once they've passed their exams and seem to expect employers to find them.
A knowledgeable and practiced advisor (in direct contrast to a salesman) will want to thoroughly discuss your current experience level and abilities. This is vital for establishing your starting point for training.
Of course, if you have some relevant previous certification, then you will often be able to pick-up at a different starting-point to someone who is new to the field.
Commencing with a user skills course first is often the best way to start into your computer training, depending on your current skill level.
Massive developments are coming via technology over the next generation - and this means greater innovations all the time.
We're at the dawn of starting to understand how all this change will affect us. The way we interact with the world will be massively affected by computers and the internet.
If making decent money is high on your scale of wants, you'll be happy to know that the average salary for most men and women in IT is considerably better than salaries in most other jobs or industries.
Experts agree that there's a great nationwide requirement for professionally qualified IT workers. Also, as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it appears this pattern will continue for years to come.
'Exam Guarantees' are often bundled with training offers - inevitably that means paying for the exams when you pay for the rest of your course. Before you jump at a course with such a promise, why not look at the following:
Clearly it's not free - you are paying for it - it's just been wrapped up in the price of the package.
Trainees who take exams one at a time, funding them as they go are much more likely to pass. They are 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 hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take it.
What's the point in paying early for exam fees when there's absolutely nothing that says you have to? A lot of profit is secured by training companies charging upfront for all their exams - and hoping either that you won't take them, or it will be a long time before you do.
The majority of organisations will require you to do mock exams and not allow you to re-take an exam until you've proven conclusively that you can pass - which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.
Exams taken at VUE and Prometric centres are approximately 112 pounds in the United Kingdom today. Why spend so much more on fees for 'exam guarantees' (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) - when good quality study materials, the proper support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what's required.
