Network and computer support technicians are constantly in demand in Great Britain, as organisations become progressively more dependent upon their knowledge and ability to fix and repair. Whereupon we become massively more reliant on advanced technology, we also become more dependent on the technically knowledgeable IT professionals, who keep the systems going.
There is a tidal wave of change washing over technology over the next generation - and it only gets more exciting every day. There are people who believe that the technological revolution that's been a familiar part of our recent lives is lowering its pace. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are huge changes to come, and the internet particularly will be the biggest thing to affect the way we live.
If earning a good living is high on your list of priorities, you'll welcome the news that the average salary for IT employees in general is noticeably greater than with much of the rest of industry. Excitingly, there's no easing up for IT development in the UK. The sector continues to grow enormously, and we don't have anywhere near enough qualified skilled IT professionals to fill current job vacancies, so it's not likely that things will be any different for decades to come.
An important area that is sometimes not even considered by new students considering a training program is that of 'training segmentation'. Essentially, this is the breakdown of the materials to be delivered to you, which makes a huge difference to what you end up with. Most companies will sell you some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and send out each piece as you complete each section or exam. On the surface this seems reasonable - until you consider the following: What could you expect if you didn't actually complete each element at the proposed pace? Sometimes their preference of study order won't be as easy as some other structure would for you.
In an ideal situation, you want ALL the study materials up-front - so you'll have them all to return to any point - whenever it suits you. You can also vary the order in which you complete your exams if another more intuitive route presents itself.
Including exam fees as an inclusive element of the package price and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is common for many training course providers. Consider the facts:
Patently it isn't free - you're still paying for it - the cost has just been rolled into the whole training package. It's well known in the industry that if students pay for their own exams, at the time of taking them, they will be much more likely to qualify each time - since they're aware of their payment and their application will be greater.
Find the best exam deal or offer available when you're ready, and hang on to your cash. You also get more choice of where you do your exams - meaning you can choose a local testing centre. Paying in advance for exam fees (and interest charges if you're borrowing money) is a false economy. Don't line companies bank accounts with additional funds only to please their Bank Manager! A lot bank on the fact that you don't even take them all - but they won't refund the cash. It's worth noting that exam re-takes with organisations with an 'Exam Guarantee' are tightly controlled. They will insist that you take pre-tests first until you've proven that you're likely to pass.
Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on 'Exam Guarantees' is short-sighted - when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will get you through.
Have a conversation with any expert advisor and they'll entertain you with many awful tales of salespeople ripping-off unsuspecting students. Make sure you deal with someone who asks some in-depth questions to find out what's appropriate to you - not for their wallet! You need to find an ideal starting-point that fits you. An important point to note is that, if in the past you've acquired any accreditation or direct-experience, then you may be able to pick-up at a different starting-point to someone who is new to the field. If this is going to be your first attempt at an IT exam then you might also want to start out with a user-skills course first.
Copyright 2009 Jason Kendall. Go to Career Change Help or Career Opportunity.
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