Good for you! Discovering this piece suggests you're contemplating your career, and if it's re-training you're considering that means you've taken it further than most. Can you believe that a small minority of us consider ourselves satisfied and happy at work - yet the vast majority of us won't do a thing about it. We implore you to be different and make a start - think about how you could enjoy Monday mornings.
Before embarking on a course, look for some advice - find an industry expert; someone who'll give you career advice based on what works best for you, and then show you the courses that will suit you:
* Do you hope for interaction with others? If so, do you like working with the same people or are you hoping to meet new people? Maybe you'd rather be left alone to get on with things?
* What criteria are fundamentally important when considering the market sector you're looking to get into?
* Having completed your retraining, would you like this skill to get you jobs for the rest of your working life?
* Is it important for the course you're re-training in to be in an industry where you're comfortable you'll have a job until retirement?
The biggest industry in the UK that fulfils the above criteria is the IT industry. There's a need for more skilled staff in this sector, just check out any jobs website and there'll be a long list. Don't misunderstand and think it's full of techie geeks staring at theirscreens all day long - there are loads more jobs than that. The majority of the people in IT are people of average intelligence, with well paid and stimulating jobs.
A successful training package will undoubtedly also offer Microsoft (or key company) simulation materials and exam preparation packages.
Be sure that your practice exams are not just posing the correct questions on the correct subjects, but ask them in the way that the actual final exam will structure them. This can really throw some trainees if the phraseology and format is completely different.
Be sure to ask for testing modules so you'll be able to verify your knowledge whenever you need to. Simulations of exams add to your knowledge bank - then the actual exam is much easier.
If you forget everything else - then just remember this: Always get full 24x7 instructor and mentor support. You will have so many problems later if you let this one slide.
Avoid, like the plague, any organisations which use call-centres 'out-of-hours' - where an advisor will call back during standard office hours. It's not a lot of help when you've got study issues and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.
The most successful trainers have many support offices active in different time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, no matter what time you login, help is just seconds away, without any contact issues or hassle.
Never compromise when you're looking for the right support service. Most students who drop-out or fail, just need the right support system.
A number of people think that the school and FE college route is still the most effective. So why then are commercially accredited qualifications becoming more popular with employers?
As demand increases for knowledge about more and more complex technology, industry has of necessity moved to specialist courses that can only be obtained from the actual vendors - in other words companies like Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA. This usually turns out to involve less time and financial outlay.
Obviously, a necessary degree of relevant additional knowledge needs to be learned, but essential specifics in the areas needed gives a vendor educated student a distinct advantage.
As long as an employer is aware what they're looking for, then they simply need to advertise for the particular skill-set required. Vendor-based syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and don't change between schools (like academia frequently can and does).
Commencing from the idea that it's good to home-in on the market that sounds most inviting first, before we're even able to mull over which development program fulfils our needs, how can we choose the right path?
What is our likelihood of grasping what is involved in a particular job when we haven't done that before? Often we have never met anyone who performs the role either.
Usually, the way to come at this issue properly flows from a deep conversation around several areas:
* Your individual personality as well as your interests - the sort of work-related things you like and dislike.
* For what reasons you're stepping into the IT industry - maybe you'd like to overcome some personal goal like self-employment for instance.
* What priority do you place on salary vs the travel required?
* Getting to grips with what the main job roles and sectors are - including what sets them apart.
* Our advice is to think deeply about any sacrifices you'll need to make, as well as what commitment and time that you will set aside for your education.
Ultimately, your only chance of checking this all out is by means of a meeting with an experienced advisor that has enough background to be able to guide you.
Before embarking on a course, look for some advice - find an industry expert; someone who'll give you career advice based on what works best for you, and then show you the courses that will suit you:
* Do you hope for interaction with others? If so, do you like working with the same people or are you hoping to meet new people? Maybe you'd rather be left alone to get on with things?
* What criteria are fundamentally important when considering the market sector you're looking to get into?
* Having completed your retraining, would you like this skill to get you jobs for the rest of your working life?
* Is it important for the course you're re-training in to be in an industry where you're comfortable you'll have a job until retirement?
The biggest industry in the UK that fulfils the above criteria is the IT industry. There's a need for more skilled staff in this sector, just check out any jobs website and there'll be a long list. Don't misunderstand and think it's full of techie geeks staring at theirscreens all day long - there are loads more jobs than that. The majority of the people in IT are people of average intelligence, with well paid and stimulating jobs.
A successful training package will undoubtedly also offer Microsoft (or key company) simulation materials and exam preparation packages.
Be sure that your practice exams are not just posing the correct questions on the correct subjects, but ask them in the way that the actual final exam will structure them. This can really throw some trainees if the phraseology and format is completely different.
Be sure to ask for testing modules so you'll be able to verify your knowledge whenever you need to. Simulations of exams add to your knowledge bank - then the actual exam is much easier.
If you forget everything else - then just remember this: Always get full 24x7 instructor and mentor support. You will have so many problems later if you let this one slide.
Avoid, like the plague, any organisations which use call-centres 'out-of-hours' - where an advisor will call back during standard office hours. It's not a lot of help when you've got study issues and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.
The most successful trainers have many support offices active in different time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, no matter what time you login, help is just seconds away, without any contact issues or hassle.
Never compromise when you're looking for the right support service. Most students who drop-out or fail, just need the right support system.
A number of people think that the school and FE college route is still the most effective. So why then are commercially accredited qualifications becoming more popular with employers?
As demand increases for knowledge about more and more complex technology, industry has of necessity moved to specialist courses that can only be obtained from the actual vendors - in other words companies like Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA. This usually turns out to involve less time and financial outlay.
Obviously, a necessary degree of relevant additional knowledge needs to be learned, but essential specifics in the areas needed gives a vendor educated student a distinct advantage.
As long as an employer is aware what they're looking for, then they simply need to advertise for the particular skill-set required. Vendor-based syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and don't change between schools (like academia frequently can and does).
Commencing from the idea that it's good to home-in on the market that sounds most inviting first, before we're even able to mull over which development program fulfils our needs, how can we choose the right path?
What is our likelihood of grasping what is involved in a particular job when we haven't done that before? Often we have never met anyone who performs the role either.
Usually, the way to come at this issue properly flows from a deep conversation around several areas:
* Your individual personality as well as your interests - the sort of work-related things you like and dislike.
* For what reasons you're stepping into the IT industry - maybe you'd like to overcome some personal goal like self-employment for instance.
* What priority do you place on salary vs the travel required?
* Getting to grips with what the main job roles and sectors are - including what sets them apart.
* Our advice is to think deeply about any sacrifices you'll need to make, as well as what commitment and time that you will set aside for your education.
Ultimately, your only chance of checking this all out is by means of a meeting with an experienced advisor that has enough background to be able to guide you.
About the Author:
Copyright Scott Edwards 2009. Check out CareerSkillsAdvice.co.uk or Career Change Job.
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