Just ten percent of adults in the UK today are enjoying job satisfaction. Inevitably, huge numbers will do nothing about it. The reality of your getti...
Just ten percent of adults in the UK today are enjoying job satisfaction. Inevitably,
huge numbers will do nothing about it. The reality of your getting here at least means that you've realised change must come.
Before embarking on a course, look for some advice - talk to a knowledgeable person; an advisor who can get to the bottom of what you'll like in a job, and offer only the courses which are appropriate for you:
* Would you like to work with others? If the answer's yes, would you enjoy being part of a team or do you want to meet lots of new people? Maybe you'd rather be left alone to get on with things?
* Banking and building are not coping well right now, so think carefully about the sector that would give you the most options?
* Once you've qualified, would you like this skill to serve you till you retire?
* Do you believe that retraining in your chosen sector will make you employable, and offer the chance to keep you in work up to retirement age?
It would be an idea for you to find out more about the computer industry - there are greater numbers of positions than people to do them, and it's one of the few choices of career where the sector is growing. Despite what some people believe, IT isn't all techie people gazing at their computer screens the whole time (if you like the sound of that though, they do exist.) The majority of jobs are done by people like you and me who enjoy a very nice lifestyle due to better than average wages.
Don't put too much store, as a lot of students can, on the accreditation program. Your training isn't about getting a plaque on your wall; you're training to become commercially employable. Begin and continue with the end in mind. It's a terrible situation, but a great many students kick-off study that often sounds magnificent in the prospectus, but which gets us a career that is of no interest at all. Speak to a selection of university students to see what we mean.
You must also consider your leanings around earning potential and career progression, and if you're ambitious or not. It makes sense to understand what the role will demand of you, what accreditations are required and where you'll pick-up experience from. Look for help from an experienced professional that has commercial knowledge of your chosen market-place, and will be able to provide 'A typical day in the life of' outline of of what you'll be doing during your working week. It makes good sense to ensure you're on the right track well before you embark on your training program. There's really no reason in starting to train and then discover you're on the wrong course.
The market provides a plethora of job availability in the IT industry. Deciding which one could be right in this uncertainty often proves challenging. How can most of us possibly understand the day-to-day realities of any IT job when it's an alien environment to us? Maybe we don't even know anybody who performs the role either. Consideration of the following points is vital when you need to reveal the right solution that will work for you:
* What nature of individual you reckon you are - which things you find interesting, and on the other side of the coin - what don't you like doing.
* What time-frame are you looking at for retraining?
* Have you thought about salary vs job satisfaction?
* When taking into account all that the IT industry covers, it's a requirement that you can understand what is different.
* You should also think long and hard about the level of commitment you're going to invest in your training.
To completely side-step all the jargon and confusion, and find the best route for you, have an informal chat with an industry-experienced advisor; an individual that can impart the commercial reality whilst covering the accreditations.
Don't accept anything less than an accredited exam preparation programme as part of your training package. Due to the fact that most IT examination boards tend to be American, it's essential to understand how exam questions will be phrased and formatted. It's no use merely answering any old technical questions - they have to be in the same format as the actual exams. Clearly, it is vital to know that you're completely ready for the real exam before taking it. Practicing 'mock' tests helps build your confidence and will save a lot of money on failed exams.
Ignore any salesman who offers any particular course without a decent chat to assess your abilities and level of experience. They should be able to select from a large product range from which they could provide you with what's right for you. With a bit of real-world experience or base qualifications, it may be that your starting point of study is not the same as someone new to the industry. Starting with a foundation course first will sometimes be the most effective way to get into your IT studies, but depends on your skill level.
