UK Networking Training Clarified
With hundreds of IT courses on the market today, it can be mind-boggling to know what to look for. Select one that’s in line with your character and abilities, and that’s needed commercially. You can select Microsoft User Skills packages, or more advanced IT professional certifications. User-friendly courses will soon propel you to achieving your goals.
By taking advantage of the latest training methods and getting rid of wasteful procedures, you will start to see a new kind of training provider supplying a better brand of training and mentoring for very competitive prices.
Since the UK Information Technology (IT) industry grants some phenomenal advancement opportunities for us all - then what kind of questions should we raise and what factors should we be considering?
Far too many companies focus completely on the certification process, and completely miss why you’re doing this - which is of course employment. Your focus should start with where you want to get to - don’t get hung-up on the training vehicle. It’s a sad testimony to the sales skills of many companies, but the majority of trainees begin programs that seem amazing in the syllabus guide, but which provides a job that doesn’t fulfil at all. Try talking to typical college graduates to see what we mean.
It’s well worth a long chat to see the expectations of your industry. What precise accreditations you’ll need and in what way you can gain some industry experience. Spend some time considering how far you wish to get as it will often affect your choice of qualifications. All students are advised to speak to a skilled professional before following a particular training programme. This is essential to ensure it contains the relevant skills for the chosen career path.
Ensure all your accreditations are what employers want - don’t even consider courses which provide certificates that are worthless because they’re ‘in-house’. All the major IT organisations such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe all have internationally approved proficiency programs. Major-league companies like these will ensure your employability.
Several companies supply a practical Job Placement Assistance service, to assist your search for your first position. But don’t place too much emphasis on it - it’s quite easy for their marketing department to make it sound harder than it is. The fact of the matter is, the need for well trained IT people in Britain is why employers will be interested in you.
CV and Interview advice and support is sometimes offered (if not, see one of our sites for help). Ensure you update that dusty old CV today - don’t leave it till you pass the exams! You may not have got to the stage where you’ve got to the exam time when you will get your initial junior support position; but this is not possible if your CV isn’t in front of employers. Most often, an independent and specialised local employment service (who will get paid commission to place you) should get better results than any centralised training company’s service. Also of course they should know the local industry and employment needs.
Many students, it seems, are prepared to study their hearts out (for years sometimes), and just give up when it comes to attempting to secure the right position. Promote yourself… Do your best to get in front of employers. Don’t expect a job to just fall into your lap.
A subtle way that training providers make a big mark-up is through up-front charges for exams and offering an exam guarantee. This looks like a great idea for the student, but let’s just examine it more closely:
They’ve allowed costings for it by some means. It certainly isn’t free - they’ve simply charged more for the whole training package. If you want to get a first time pass, evidence suggests you must fund each exam as you take it, give it the necessary attention and apply yourself as required.
Do the examinations somewhere close to home and hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take it. Big margins are secured by many companies that take the exam money up-front. Many students don’t take them for one reason or another but no refunds are given. Surprising as it sounds, there are companies around that actually rely on students not sitting all the exams - as that’s very profitable for them. It’s also worth noting that exam guarantees often have very little value. The majority of organisations will not pay again for an exam until you’ve completely satisfied them that you’re ready this time.
Exam fees averaged 112 pounds or thereabouts twelve months or so ago via local VUE or Pro-metric centres throughout the country. So what’s the point of paying maybe a thousand pounds extra for ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when it’s obvious that the best guarantee is consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software.