Networking Training Across The UK Compared

Mar 19
08:25

2010

Jason Kendall

Jason Kendall

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

PC and network support technicians are more and more in demand in the United Kingdom, as companies rely heavily upon their knowledge and capacity to s...

mediaimage
PC and network support technicians are more and more in demand in the United Kingdom,Networking Training Across The UK Compared Articles as companies rely heavily upon their knowledge and capacity to solve problems. Our hunger for such skilled and qualified individuals is constantly growing, as commercial enterprise becomes vastly more reliant on computers.

The sometimes daunting task of getting your first job can be eased by some companies, via a Job Placement Assistance programme. The fact of the matter is it's not as difficult as you may be led to believe to land a job - as long as you're correctly trained and certified; employers in this country need your skills.

Work on polishing up your CV right away however (advice and support for this should come from your course provider). Don't procrastinate and leave it till you've finished your exams. Various junior support roles are offered to students who are in the process of training and have still to get qualified. This will at the very least get you on your way. You'll normally experience better performance from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than you will through a training company's centralised service, as they'll know local industry and the area better.

Essentially, if you put as much hard work into landing your first IT position as into training, you're not going to hit many challenges. Some men and women strangely conscientiously work through their learning program and then just stop once certified and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.

Commercially accredited qualifications are now, undoubtedly, starting to replace the more academic tracks into IT - but why should this be? Industry now acknowledges that for mastery of skill sets for commercial use, certified accreditation from companies such as Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe most often has much more specialised relevance - at a far reduced cost both money and time wise. Vendor training works by honing in on the skills that are really needed (together with an appropriate level of background knowledge,) instead of trawling through all the background 'padding' that academic courses can often find themselves doing (to fill up a syllabus or course).

Assuming a company understands what areas need to be serviced, then all it takes is an advert for the particular skill-set required. The syllabuses are set to exacting standards and don't change between schools (as academic syllabuses often do).

Trainees looking at this market are often very practical, and don't always take well to classrooms, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If this is putting you off studying, try the newer style of interactive study, with on-screen demonstrations and labs. Many studies have proved that long term memory is improved when we involve as many senses as possible, and we put into practice what we've been studying.

Programs are now found via DVD-ROM discs, where your computer becomes the centre of your learning. Video streaming means you will be able to see the instructor presenting exactly how something is done, and then have a go at it yourself - in a virtual lab environment. All companies must be able to demonstrate a few examples of the materials provided for study. Make sure you encounter videos of instructor-led classes and interactive areas to practice in.

Opt for physical media such as CD or DVD ROM's in all circumstances. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with broadband 'downtime' or slow-speeds.

A subtle way that course providers make a lot more is via an 'exam inclusive' package then giving it 'Exam Guarantee' status. It looks impressive, but is it really:

We all know that we're still paying for it - it's obviously been inserted into the gross price invoiced by the training provider. It's certainly not free (it's just marketing companies think we'll fall for anything they say!) Evidence shows that when trainees fund each progressive exam, when they're ready to take them and not before, there's a much better chance they'll get through on the first attempt - because they'll think of what they've paid and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.

Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the time, and avoid college mark-up fees. You'll also be able to choose where to sit the exam - so you can choose somewhere closer to home. Considerable numbers of current training providers make huge amounts of money through charging for exam fees early and cashing in if they're not all taken. Pay heed to the fact that, with 'Exam Guarantees' from most places - the company controls how often and when you can re-take the exam. Subsequent exam attempts are only authorised at the company's say so.

Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on an 'Exam Guarantee' is foolish - when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really see you through.

Article "tagged" as:

Categories: