There are four A+ exams and sections to study, but you only have to get your exams in 2 of them to qualify for your A+. Because of this, many educational establishments restrict their course to just 2 areas. But allowing you to learn about all 4 options will equip you with a much wider knowledge and understanding of the subject, which you'll come to realise is essential in the working environment.
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.
It could be a good idea to consider supplementing the A+ with Network + as it will enable you to take care of computer networks, which is where the bigger salaries are.
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.
Never let yourself become part of that group who select a program that seems 'fun' or 'interesting' - and get to the final hurdle of an accreditation for a job they hate.
Make sure you investigate your leanings around earning potential and career progression, and how ambitious you are. You should understand what (if any) sacrifices you'll need to make for a particular role, what particular qualifications they want you to have and how to develop your experience.
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.
Commercially accredited qualifications are now, without a doubt, starting to replace the older academic routes into the IT sector - why then should this be?
Industry now recognises that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, proper accreditation from the likes of Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised - saving time and money.
In a nutshell, students are simply taught the necessary specifics in depth. It's slightly more broad than that, but principally the objective has to be to cover the precise skills needed (alongside some required background) - without trying to cram in everything else - in the way that academic establishments often do.
Just as the old advertisement said: 'It does what it says on the tin'. The company just needs to know what they need doing, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. They'll know then that all applicants can do what they need.
Finding your first job in the industry can be a little easier if you're supported with a Job Placement Assistance program. With the great skills shortage in the UK at the moment, it's not too important to get too caught up in this feature though. It really won't be that difficult to land employment as long as you've got the necessary skills and qualifications.
Ideally you should have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we'd encourage everyone to work on polishing up their CV right at the beginning of their training - don't procrastinate and leave it until you've graduated or passed any exams.
Quite often, you will get your first role whilst you're still studying (even in the early stages). If your CV doesn't say what you're learning (and it hasn't been posted on jobsites) then you don't stand a chance!
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.
A good number of people, it would appear, conscientiously work through their course materials (for years sometimes), and then just stop instead of attempting to secure the right position. Sell yourself... Work hard to let employers know about you. Don't think a job's just going to jump out in front of you.
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.
This single truth on its own shows why the country urgently requires so many more new trainees to join the industry.
Because the IT sector is expanding at such a speed, there really isn't any other market worth considering for a new career. - 33376
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.
It could be a good idea to consider supplementing the A+ with Network + as it will enable you to take care of computer networks, which is where the bigger salaries are.
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.
Never let yourself become part of that group who select a program that seems 'fun' or 'interesting' - and get to the final hurdle of an accreditation for a job they hate.
Make sure you investigate your leanings around earning potential and career progression, and how ambitious you are. You should understand what (if any) sacrifices you'll need to make for a particular role, what particular qualifications they want you to have and how to develop your experience.
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.
Commercially accredited qualifications are now, without a doubt, starting to replace the older academic routes into the IT sector - why then should this be?
Industry now recognises that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, proper accreditation from the likes of Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised - saving time and money.
In a nutshell, students are simply taught the necessary specifics in depth. It's slightly more broad than that, but principally the objective has to be to cover the precise skills needed (alongside some required background) - without trying to cram in everything else - in the way that academic establishments often do.
Just as the old advertisement said: 'It does what it says on the tin'. The company just needs to know what they need doing, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. They'll know then that all applicants can do what they need.
Finding your first job in the industry can be a little easier if you're supported with a Job Placement Assistance program. With the great skills shortage in the UK at the moment, it's not too important to get too caught up in this feature though. It really won't be that difficult to land employment as long as you've got the necessary skills and qualifications.
Ideally you should have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we'd encourage everyone to work on polishing up their CV right at the beginning of their training - don't procrastinate and leave it until you've graduated or passed any exams.
Quite often, you will get your first role whilst you're still studying (even in the early stages). If your CV doesn't say what you're learning (and it hasn't been posted on jobsites) then you don't stand a chance!
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.
A good number of people, it would appear, conscientiously work through their course materials (for years sometimes), and then just stop instead of attempting to secure the right position. Sell yourself... Work hard to let employers know about you. Don't think a job's just going to jump out in front of you.
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.
This single truth on its own shows why the country urgently requires so many more new trainees to join the industry.
Because the IT sector is expanding at such a speed, there really isn't any other market worth considering for a new career. - 33376
About the Author:
Copyright 2009 S. Edwards. Check out Training Managers or www.RetrainingCourses.co.uk/vrecourse.html.
