Training in IT PC Support - Insights

Well done! Hitting upon this feature suggests you're thinking about your future, and if it's re-training you're considering you've even now progressed more than the majority of people will. Are you aware that hardly any of us describe ourselves as contented at work - but most will do absolutely nothing about it. We encourage you to break free and make a start - don't you think you deserve it.

It's in your interests that prior to beginning any study program, you have a conversation with someone who can see the bigger picture and can give you advice. They can look at aspects of your personality and help you sort out a role to fit you:

* Do you want to interact with other people? If so, do you like working with the same people or are you more comfortable dealing with strangers? Alternatively, do you like to deal with your responsibilities alone?

* What thoughts are fundamental when considering the market sector you'll be employed in?

* Is this the final time you want to study, and based on that, will this new career allow you to do that?

* Do you feel uncomfortable with regard to the possibility of finding new employment, and being gainfully employed until you plan to retire?

The largest sector in Great Britain to meet the above criteria is Information Technology. There's a demand for more qualified technicians in the industry, just search any jobsite and there'll be a long list. But don't think it's all nerdy people gazing towards theirscreens all the time - it's much more diverse than that. Most of employees in the industry are just like the rest of us, but they enjoy their work and get well paid.

Now, why is it better to gain qualifications from the commercial sector rather than the usual academic qualifications taught at tech' colleges and universities? With the costs of academic degree's spiralling out of control, plus the IT sector's recognition that corporate based study most often has much more commercial relevance, there's been a dramatic increase in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA certified training routes that create knowledgeable employees at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time. Academic courses, for example, often get bogged down in a lot of loosely associated study - and much too wide a syllabus. Students are then prevented from understanding the specific essentials in enough depth.

If an employer knows what areas need to be serviced, then all they have to do is advertise for the particular skill-set required. Commercial syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and don't change between schools (in the way that degree courses can).

Remember: the training program or the accreditation is not what you're looking for; the particular job that you want is. Too many training companies put too much weight in just the training course. You could be training for only a year and end up doing the job for 20 years. Avoid the mistake of taking what may be a very 'interesting' program only to waste your life away with a job you hate!

Make sure you investigate what your attitude is towards earning potential and career progression, and how ambitious you are. It makes sense to understand what industry expects from you, what particular qualifications will be required and how you'll gain real-world experience. Seek help from an experienced industry professional who understands the sector you wish to join, and is able to give you 'A typical day in the life of' understanding of of what you'll be doing with each working day. It'd be sensible to discover if this is the right course of action for you long before you commence your studies. What's the point in kicking off your training and then find you've taken the wrong route.

Consider only learning courses that lead to commercially approved exams. There are loads of trainers promoting unknown 'in-house' certificates which are worthless when it comes to finding a job. Unless your qualification is issued by a conglomerate such as Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA, then chances are it won't be commercially viable - because it won't give an employer any directly-useable skills.

The way a programme is physically sent to you can often be overlooked. How is the courseware broken down? What is the order and what control do you have at what pace it arrives? Students often think it makes sense (with training often lasting 2 or 3 years to pass all the required exams,) for a training company to release one module at a time, as you pass each element. However: Often, the staged breakdown pushed by the company's salespeople doesn't suit all of us. What if you find it hard to complete each and every section at the speed required?

Truth be told, the perfect answer is to have a copy of their prescribed order of study, but to receive all the materials up-front. You then have everything should you not complete it as fast as they'd like.

A top of the range training program will also include accredited exam preparation systems. Don't go for training programs depending on unauthorised exam papers and questions. The terminology of their questions can be quite different - and this leads to huge confusion when it comes to taking the real exam. Why don't you analyse whether you're learning enough by doing quizzes and mock ups of exams to prepare you for taking the real thing.