Saturday, September 26, 2009

CompTIA Career Retraining Uncovered

By Jason Kendall

The CompTIA A+ training program covers four areas of training; you're thought of as an A+ achiever once you've passed your exams for half of them. This is why it's usual for colleges to offer only two of the training courses. In reality you will need the teaching in all areas as a lot of employment will be looking for an awareness of each specialist area. It's not essential to pass exams in all of them, however we'd advise that you learn about all four.

Qualifying in CompTIA A+ on its own will give you the ability to repair and fix stand-alone PC's and MAC's; ones which are usually not part of a network - which is for the most part the home market.

Should you want to work towards being responsible for networks of computers, you'll need to add CompTIA Network+ to your training package. This qualification will prepare you to command a more senior job role. You may also want to consider the route to networking via Microsoft, in the form of MCP's, MCSA or the full MCSE.

We can all agree: There really is very little evidence of individual job security available anymore; there can only be market or business security - a company will let anyone go whenever it fits the business' trade requirements.

Where there are escalating skills deficits together with growing demand though, we often find a fresh type of market-security; driven by the constant growth conditions, businesses are struggling to hire the influx of staff needed.

Looking at the IT sector, a key e-Skills study showed a more than 26 percent skills deficit. Therefore, out of each 4 positions that are available throughout IT, businesses are only able to find certified professionals for three of them.

Accomplishing in-depth commercial IT accreditation is consequently a 'Fast Track' to achieve a life-long and rewarding profession.

As the Information Technology market is expanding at the speed it is, it's unlikely there's any better market worth taking into account for retraining.

A useful feature that many training companies provide is a programme of Job Placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you get your first commercial position. Sometimes, this feature is bigged up too much, as it is actually not that hard for well qualified and focused men and women to land work in this industry - as there is such a shortage of well trained people.

Work on polishing up your CV right away however (advice can be sought on this via your provider). Don't wait till the exams have actually been passed.

Many junior support roles have been bagged by people who are still studying and haven't got any qualifications yet. This will at least get you into the 'maybe' pile of CV's - rather than the 'No' pile.

The most efficient companies to help you land that job are most often independent and specialised local recruitment services. As they're keen to place you to receive their commission, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.

A big frustration for various training companies is how hard people are focused on studying to pass exams, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the role they've trained for. Don't give up when the best is yet to come.

Usually, trainers will provide piles of reference manuals and workbooks. Obviously, this isn't much fun and not ideal for remembering.

We see a huge improvement in memory retention when we use multiple senses - educational experts have expounded on this for years now.

Locate a program where you'll receive a selection of CD and DVD based materials - you'll begin by watching videos of instructors demonstrating the skills, and then have the opportunity to use virtual lab's to practice your new skills.

It makes sense to see examples of the courseware provided before you sign the purchase order. You should expect video tutorials, instructor demo's and interactive modules with audio-visual elements.

It is generally unwise to choose training that is only available online. Due to the variable nature of connection quality from most broadband providers, ensure that you have access to CD or DVD ROM based materials.

At times individuals don't comprehend what information technology is doing for all of us. It's thrilling, changing, and means you're working on technology affecting everyones lives in the 21st century.

We're at the dawn of starting to comprehend what this change will mean to us. How we correlate with the world as a whole will be profoundly affected by technology and the internet.

A typical IT technician across the UK is likely to earn significantly more than his or her counterpart outside of IT. Typical remuneration packages are around the top of national league tables.

Because the IT market sector is still growing with no sign of a slow-down, it's predictable that the requirement for certified IT professionals will continue actively for decades to come.

'Exam Guarantees' are often bundled with training offers - this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, at the start of your training. Before you jump at a course with such a promise, why not look at the following:

Thankfully, today we have to be a bit more aware of hype - and generally we grasp that it is actually an additional cost to us - it's not because they're so generous they want to give something away!

The honest truth is that if a student pays for their own exams, one by one, the chances are they're going to qualify each time - since they're aware of the cost and so will prepare more thoroughly.

Go for the best offer you can find when you're ready, and hang on to your cash. You'll also be able to choose where to take your exam - which means you can stay local.

A lot of extra profit is secured by some training companies who incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. Many students don't take them for one reason or another but the company keeps the money. Astoundingly enough, there are providers that rely on that fact - as that's how they make a lot of their profit.

It's worth noting that exam re-takes through organisations with an 'Exam Guarantee' are monitored with tight restrictions. They'll insist that you take mock exams first until you've proven that you're likely to pass.

With average Prometric and VUE examinations coming in at approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain, by far the best option is to pay for them as you take them. Not to fork out thousands extra in up-front costs. A commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.

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