There are four specialist areas of training in a full CompTIA A+ program; you’re seen as competent at A+ when you’ve gained exams for two of the four areas. Because of this, most colleges only have two of the courses on their syllabus. In reality it’s necessary to have the training for all four areas as industry will be looking for an understanding of each specialist area. You don’t have to complete all 4 certifications, however we’d advise that you study for all four areas.
Passing the A+ exam in isolation will set you up to mend and maintain computers and Macs; ones which are usually not part of a network – essentially the domestic or small business sector.
If you add Network+ to your A+ course, you will additionally be able to assist with or manage networks of computers, giving you the facility to move further up the career path.
A subtle way that colleges make more money is through up-front charges for exams then giving it ‘Exam Guarantee’ status. It looks like a good deal, but let’s just examine it more closely:
You’ll pay for it by some means. You can be assured it’s not a freebie – it’s simply been shoe-horned into the price as a whole.
Those who take exams one at a time, funding them as they go are far more likely to pass first time. They’re conscious of what they’ve paid and take the necessary steps to be up to the task.
Shouldn’t you be looking to find the best exam deal or offer when you’re ready, not to pay the fees marked up by a training company, and to do it in a local testing office – rather than in some remote centre?
Is there a good reason to pay interest on a bigger loan than is necessary because you’ve paid early for examinations when you didn’t need to? A great deal of money is made by companies charging upfront for all their exams – and then cashing in when they’re not all taken.
Re-takes of any failed exams through training course providers who offer an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are monitored with tight restrictions. You’ll be required to sit pre-tests to make sure they think you’re going to pass.
Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is foolish – when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.
A question; why might we choose commercial certification instead of traditional academic qualifications obtained from schools, colleges or universities?
Corporate based study (as it’s known in the industry) is far more specialised and product-specific. The IT sector has become aware that specialisation is necessary to handle an increasingly more technical world. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the key players in this arena.
Patently, a necessary degree of associated knowledge needs to be learned, but essential specialised knowledge in the exact job role gives a commercially trained student a distinct advantage.
What if you were an employer – and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What is easier: Pore through a mass of different academic qualifications from graduate applicants, asking for course details and which workplace skills they have, or choose a specific set of accreditations that precisely match your needs, and draw up from that who you want to speak to. Your interviews are then about personal suitability – rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
Finding your first job in the industry sometimes feels easier to handle if you’re supported with a Job Placement Assistance service. Don’t get overly impressed with this service – it isn’t unusual for training companies to overplay it. Ultimately, the massive skills shortage in this country is why employers will be interested in you.
However, don’t leave it until you’ve completed your exams before polishing up your CV. As soon as your training commences, enter details of your study programme and place it on jobsites!
Quite frequently, you will get your first role whilst still on the course (even when you’ve just left first base). If you haven’t updated your CV to say what you’re studying (and it hasn’t been posted on jobsites) then you aren’t even in the running!
The top companies to help you find a job are normally local IT focused employment agencies. As they’re keen to place you to receive their commission, they’ll work that much harder to get a result.
Not inconsiderable numbers of people, it would appear, are prepared to study their hearts out (sometimes for years), only to give up at the first hurdle when attempting to secure their first job. Sell yourself… Work hard to get yourself known. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.
Doing your bit in revolutionary new technology is as thrilling as it comes. You become one of a team of people creating a future for us all.
Computing technology and dialogue through the internet will noticeably change our lives in the future; remarkably so.
Should receiving a good salary be high on your goal sheet, then you’ll welcome the news that the regular income for IT employees in general is noticeably more than salaries in the rest of the economy.
With the IT marketplace emerging at an unprecedented rate, it’s likely that demand for certified IT specialists will flourish for a good while yet.
Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Navigate to This Site or www.learninglolly.com/A_Training_Courses.html.
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