Considering CompTIA A Plus Retraining Clarified

The CompTIA A+ course covers 4 different sectors - the requirement is exam passes in 2 specialities to be seen as competent in A+. Because of this, many training establishments restrict their A+ to just two of the 4 sectors. To us, this is selling you short - of course you can gain accreditation, but knowledge of every section will set you apart in industry, where you'll need a more comprehensive understanding. That's the reason why you should train in everything.

A+ computer training courses are about fault finding and diagnosing - both remote access and hands-on, as well as building and fixing and working in antistatic conditions.

If you aspire to being responsible for networks of computers, add the very comprehensive Network+ to your training package. Taking this course as well will prepare you to command a more senior job role. Other ones that might be interesting to you are the Microsoft networking qualifications (MCP, MCSA and MCSE).

Beware of putting too much emphasis, as can often be the case, on the accreditation program. Training is not an end in itself; this is about gaining commercial employment. Focus on the end-goal.

It's a testament to the marketing skills of the big companies, but the majority of trainees kick-off study that often sounds wonderful in the prospectus, but which gets us a career that is of no interest. Try talking to typical university leavers for a real eye-opener.

Stay tuned-in to what you want to achieve, and create a learning-plan from that - not the other way round. Keep on track and ensure that you're training for an end-result that'll reward you for many long and fruitful years.

We recommend that students always seek guidance and advice from a professional advisor before you begin a learning path, so you're sure from the outset that the content of a learning package provides the skills necessary.

We're often asked why academic qualifications are being replaced by more commercially accredited qualifications?

With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, the IT sector has moved to specific, honed-in training only available through the vendors themselves - in other words companies such as Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA. Frequently this is at a far reduced cost both money and time wise.

Vendor training works through concentrating on the skills that are really needed (together with an appropriate level of associated knowledge,) instead of going into the heightened depths of background 'extras' that computer Science Degrees often do (because the syllabus is so wide).

If an employer is aware what areas need to be serviced, then all it takes is an advert for the exact skill-set required to meet that need. Commercial syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and do not vary between trainers (as academic syllabuses often do).

A service offered by some training providers is a programme of Job Placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you get your first commercial position. The fact of the matter is it isn't so complicated as you might think to land your first job - once you're trained and certified; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.

Help with your CV and interview techniques may be available (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). Ensure you update that dusty old CV right away - not after you've qualified!

It's not uncommon to find that junior support roles have been offered to students who are still learning 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.

If you'd like to get employment in your home town, then you may well find that a local IT focused recruitment consultancy might serve you better than the trainer's recruitment division, because they're far more likely to have insider knowledge of the jobs that are going locally.

Do ensure you don't conscientiously work through your course materials, only to stop and imagine someone else is miraculously going to secure your first position. Get off your backside and start looking for yourself. Put as much resource into securing your first job as you did to gain the skills.

It's abundantly clear: There's pretty much no personal job security now; there's really only industry or business security - a company will fire a solitary member of staff if it fits their commercial needs.

However, a marketplace with high growth, where staff are in constant demand (as there is a massive shortage of properly qualified professionals), enables the possibility of real job security.

The Information Technology (IT) skills shortage throughout the country falls in at approximately twenty six percent, as shown by the most recent e-Skills study. So, for each 4 job positions available in Information Technology (IT), companies are only able to locate enough qualified individuals for 3 of them.

Appropriately trained and commercially grounded new employees are accordingly at a complete premium, and it seems it will continue to be so for a long time to come.

Quite simply, acquiring professional IT skills over the coming years is almost definitely the safest choice of careers you could make.

Written by Scott Edwards. Browse around Access 2003 Training or CLICK HERE.

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