In today’s high speed society, support workers who have the ability to solve problems with PC’s and networks, plus give regular help to users, are hugely valuable in every sector of the economy. Our country’s need for larger numbers of qualified personnel is growing, as society becomes ever more dependent on computers in these modern times.
Now, why is it better to gain commercially accredited qualifications and not the usual academic qualifications taught at schools and Further Education colleges?
With fees and living expenses for university students spiralling out of control, and the industry’s growing opinion that key company training often has more relevance in the commercial field, there’s been a great increase in Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe certified training programmes that educate students for considerably less.
Of course, a reasonable amount of associated knowledge must be learned, but focused specialisation in the particular job function gives a vendor educated student a real head start.
In simple terms: Recognised IT certifications provide exactly what an employer needs – it says what you do in the title: as an example – I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Windows XP Administration and Configuration’. So an employer can look at their needs and what certifications are required to perform the job.
One useful service that several companies offer is a Job Placement Assistance program. This is designed to steer you into your first IT role. The fact of the matter is it isn’t a complex operation to find employment – as long as you’ve got the necessary skills and qualifications; because there’s still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.
Nevertheless, don’t wait till you have passed your final exams before bringing your CV up to date. The day you start training, mark down what you’re doing and place it on jobsites!
A good number of junior support jobs have been bagged by people who are still learning and have yet to take their exams. This will at least get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile.
If you’d like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then you’ll probably find that a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service can generally work much better for you than a national service, because they’re far more likely to know the local job scene.
A good number of students, it seems, spend evenings and weekends on their training and studies (for years sometimes), and just give up when it comes to trying to get a job. Sell yourself… Do everything you can to get in front of employers. A job isn’t just going to bump into you.
All programs you’re considering really needs to work up to a nationally (or globally) recognised certification as an end-goal – not a useless ‘in-house’ diploma – fit only for filing away and forgetting.
To an employer, only the big-boys like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco (to give some examples) will get you short-listed. Anything less just won’t hit the right spot.
You should look for an authorised exam preparation system included in the package you choose.
Some students can get thrown by going through practice questions that aren’t from authorised sources. Sometimes, the phraseology can be completely unlike un-authorised versions and it’s vital that you know this.
Simulated exams will prove enormously valuable as a tool for logging knowledge into your brain – so that when you come to take the real thing, you don’t get uptight.
Written by Scott Edwards. Visit Network Training Courses or www.microsoft-interactive-training.co.uk.
Tags: advice, career, computer, education, games, hobbies, home, money, self improvement, shop, software, technology, Uncategorized, web, work
