Should you be looking for training tracks certified by Microsoft, you will no doubt be hoping for training companies to supply a large selection of the most superior training courses available today.
Maybe you’d choose to find advisors with experience of the IT industry, who can give you some ideas on which area of the industry would suit you most, and the kind of responsibilities that are appropriate for a person with your personality.
Once you’ve decided on the job you’d like to get into, a suitable training program needs to be singled out that’s suits your current skills and aptitude. This should be personalised for your requirements.
Those that are drawn to this type of work can be very practical by nature, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and slogging through piles of books. If this is putting you off studying, go for more modern interactive training, where everything is presented via full motion video.
Learning psychology studies show that much more of what we learn in remembered when we involve as many senses as possible, and we put into practice what we’ve been studying.
The latest audio-visual interactive programs featuring instructor demo’s and practice lab’s will turn you off book-based study for ever more. And you’ll actually enjoy doing them.
Make sure to obtain a demonstration of the study materials from the training company. The package should contain demo’s from instructors, slideshows and fully interactive skills-lab’s.
Select CD or DVD ROM based materials where possible. You can then avoid all the difficulties of internet connection failure and issues with signal quality.
Sometimes people presume that the state educational track is still the most effective. Why then are commercial certificates becoming more popular with employers?
Industry is now aware that for mastery of skill sets for commercial use, official accreditation from the likes of Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised - for considerably less.
Many degrees, as a example, can often get caught up in too much background study - and a syllabus that’s too generalised. This prevents a student from getting enough core and in-depth understanding on a specific area.
Imagine if you were an employer - and you wanted someone who could provide a specific set of skills. Which is the most straightforward: Wade your way through reams of different degrees and college qualifications from various applicants, having to ask what each has covered and what commercial skills they have, or choose a specific set of accreditations that exactly fulfil your criteria, and draw up from that who you want to speak to. You can then focus on how someone will fit into the team at interview - rather than establishing whether they can do a specific task.
Don’t get hung-up, as a lot of students can, on the certification itself. Training is not an end in itself; this is about employment. Begin and continue with the end in mind.
You could be training for only a year and end up performing the job-role for decades. Don’t make the error of choosing what sounds like a program of interest to you only to spend 20 years doing a job you don’t like!
It’s well worth a long chat to see the expectations of your industry. Which exams they will want you to have and in what way you can gain some industry experience. It’s also worth spending time assessing how far you wish to go as it will often present a very specific set of accreditations.
We’d recommend you take advice from an experienced professional before embarking on a learning course, so you’re sure from the outset that the specific package will give the skills for the job being sought.
Several companies supply a practical Job Placement Assistance program, to help you get your first job. Sometimes, people are too impressed with this facility, as it’s relatively easy for a well trained and motivated person to find work in the IT environment - as employers are keen to find appropriately well trained people.
CV and Interview advice and support may be available (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). Ensure you bring your CV right up to date right away - don’t leave it till you pass the exams!
Various junior support jobs have been offered to people who are still learning and have yet to take their exams. At the very least this will get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile.
The top companies to help you land that job are generally specialist locally based employment services. Because they only get paid when they place you, they have more incentive to get on with it.
Do ensure you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, then call a halt and leave it in the hands of the gods to secure your first position. Stop procrastinating and get on with the job. Put as much energy and enthusiasm into securing a good job as you did to get trained.
Copyright Scott Edwards 2009. Browse around Database Training or www.learninglolly.com/SQL_Server_Training_Courses.html.
Technorati Tags: advice, career, computer, education, games, hobbies, home, Home Business, money, self improvement, shop, software, Technology, web, work