There are four specialist areas of training in a full CompTIA A+ program; you’re considered an A+ achiever when you’ve passed the test for two of the four areas. For this reason, the majority of training establishments offer only two of the training courses. In fact you will need the training for all four areas as a lot of employment will require an awareness of each specialist area. You don’t have to take all four exams, although it would seem prudent that you at least have a working knowledge of every area.
A+ computer training courses are about fault finding and diagnosing – via hands on and remote access, in addition to learning to build, repair and fix and having knowledge of antistatic conditions.
Perhaps you see yourself as a man or woman who is a member of a large organisation – fixing and supporting networks, add Network+ to your CompTIA A+, or alternatively look at doing an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft as you’ll need a deeper understanding of the way networks operate.
The way a programme is physically sent to you is usually ignored by most students. How many stages do they break the program into? And in what order and what control do you have at what pace it arrives?
Many companies enrol you into a program spread over 1-3 years, and send out each piece as you get to the end of each exam. This sounds reasonable until you consider the following:
It’s not unusual for trainees to realise that their providers usual training route isn’t ideal for them. Sometimes, a different order of study is more expedient. And what if you don’t get to the end within their exact timetable?
For the perfect solution, you’d ask for every single material to be delivered immediately – enabling you to have them all to come back to at any time in the future – at any time you choose. This allows a variation in the order that you attack each section if another more intuitive route presents itself.
A useful feature offered by some training providers is a programme of Job Placement assistance. This is designed to assist your search for your first position. Because of the huge skills shortage in the UK at the moment, it’s not necessary to make too much of this option though. It isn’t such a complex operation to find employment once you’re well trained and qualified.
Having said that, it’s important to have help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews though; additionally, we would recommend any student to update their CV as soon as training commences – don’t delay for when you’re ready to start work.
It’s not uncommon to find that junior support roles are offered to trainees who’re still on their course and haven’t even passed a single exam yet. This will at the very least get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile.
The most efficient companies to get you a new position are normally specialised and independent recruitment consultants. Because they make their money when they’ve found you a job, they have the necessary incentive to try that bit harder.
Essentially, if you put as much hard work into finding your first job as into training, you won’t find it too challenging. Some people bizarrely spend hundreds of hours on their course materials and then just stop once qualified and appear to be under the impression that jobs will come to them.
Any advisor who doesn’t ask you a lot of questions – the likelihood is they’re just a salesperson. If someone pushes specific products before getting to know your background and current experience level, then it’s very likely to be the case.
Often, the starting point of study for a trainee with some experience is often largely different to the student with none.
Commencing with a basic PC skills course first may be the ideal way to get up and running on your IT program, depending on your skill level at the moment.
When was the last time you considered how safe your job is? Normally, this only rears its head when we get some bad news. However, the lesson often learned too late is that job security has gone the way of the dodo, for nearly everyone now.
Whereas a marketplace with high growth, where there just aren’t enough staff to go round (due to a big shortfall of fully trained people), enables the possibility of lasting job security.
Offering the computing industry as an example, the last e-Skills survey demonstrated major skills shortages throughout the country in excess of 26 percent. To put it another way, this reveals that the country can only locate three qualified staff for every 4 jobs that are available today.
Achieving proper commercial computer exams is as a result a fast-track to succeed in a continuing and gratifying line of work.
With the market growing at such a rate, it’s unlikely there’s any better area of industry worth looking at for your new career.
Written by Scott Edwards. Visit HERE or www.CiscoCourse4PC.co.uk.