| Computer Training For CompTIA - Thoughts |
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| Written by JasonKendall | |
| Sunday, 10 January 2010 | |
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Four separate areas of study make up a full CompTIA A+; you're thought of as competent at A+ when you've gained exams for 2 out of 4 subjects. For this reason, the majority of training establishments offer only two of the training courses. In reality it's necessary to have the teaching in all areas as many jobs will ask for an awareness of the whole A+ program. It isn't necessary to qualify in them all, although it would seem prudent that you at least have a working knowledge of every area.
Four separate areas of study make up a full CompTIA A+; you're thought of as competent at A+ when you've gained exams for 2 out of 4 subjects. For this reason, the majority of training establishments offer only two of the training courses. In reality it's necessary to have the teaching in all areas as many jobs will ask for an awareness of the whole A+ program. It isn't necessary to qualify in them all, although it would seem prudent that you at least have a working knowledge of every area. Once you start your A+ computer training course you will develop an understanding of how to work in antistatic conditions and build and fix computers. You'll also cover fault-finding and diagnostic techniques, both remotely and via direct access. If you would like to be a man or woman who works for a larger company - fixing and supporting networks, build on A+ with Network+, or consider the Microsoft networking route (MCSA - MCSE) because it's necessary to have a wider knowledge of how networks work. We need to make this very clear: You have to get round-the-clock 24x7 instructor and mentor support. We can tell you that you'll strongly regret it if you don't follow this rule rigidly. Avoid, like the plague, any organisations which use messaging services 'out-of-hours' - with your call-back scheduled for standard office hours. It's not a lot of help when you've got study issues and need help now. Top training companies use multiple support centres around the globe in several time-zones. By utilising an interactive interface to link them all seamlessly, any time of the day or night, help is just a click away, without any problems or delays. Never make do with less than this. Direct-access 24x7 support is the only viable option when it comes to technical study. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; usually though, we're out at work when traditional support if offered. Remember: the actual training or an accreditation isn't what this is about; the particular job that you want to end up in is. Far too many training organisations put too much weight in the qualification itself. It's possible, for instance, to obtain tremendous satisfaction from a year of studying only to end up putting 20 long years into something completely unrewarding, entirely because you stumbled into it without the correct level of soul-searching at the beginning. Prioritise understanding what industry will expect from you. Which particular certifications they'll want you to gain and how you'll build your experience level. It's definitely worth spending time assessing how far you'd like to get as often it can force you to choose a particular set of accreditations. Have a conversation with someone that has a commercial understanding of the realities faced in the industry, and who can give you a detailed description of what you actually do in that role. Getting all these things right long before commencement of any training programme will prevent a lot of wasted time and effort. Getting into your first IT role sometimes feels easier to handle if you're supported with a Job Placement Assistance program. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though - it's quite easy for eager sales people to overplay it. Ultimately, the still growing need for IT personnel in this country is what will make you attractive to employers. However, don't procrastinate and wait until you have finished your training before polishing up your CV. As soon as you start studying, enter details of your study programme and get promoting! Getting your CV considered is more than not being regarded at all. A decent number of junior positions are bagged by people in the early stages of their course. Generally, you'll receive better results from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than any training course provider's national service, because they will be more familiar with the area and local employers. A big grievance for a number of training providers is how hard trainees are prepared to study to get top marks in their exams, but how ill-prepared they are to market themselves for the job they have trained for. Get out there and hustle - you might find it's fun. Have a conversation with a skilled consultant and they'll entertain you with many awful tales of how students have been duped by salespeople. Make sure you deal with a skilled professional that asks lots of questions to find out what's right for you - not for their bank-account! Dig until you find an ideal starting-point that fits you. Occasionally, the starting point of study for someone with some experience will be substantially different to the student with none. Always consider starting with some basic PC skills training first. Starting there can make the transition to higher-level learning a much more gentle. From the Webmaster: "Having the opportunity to share my hobbies and interests with so many people around the world gives me great satisfaction. As a bonus, I blog and produce websites about topics that interest me and receive ad revenue from the websites and Blogs."
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