Monday, January 18, 2010

Programming Careers Courses - Update

By Jason Kendall

What can a student searching for Microsoft authorised training expect to discover? Clearly, training providers should be offering a range of course choices that cover the range of training tracks certified by Microsoft.

It's a good idea to talk to industry experts, who can give you some ideas on whereabouts in industry would be best, and the kind of responsibilities that are correct for someone with your character and ability.

When you've chosen the area you want to get into, an applicable training course needs to be picked that's is in line with your ability level and skill set. This can be personally tailored for you.

Potential Students hopeful to begin an IT career usually haven't a clue what route to consider, or even what area to build their qualifications around.

I mean, without any experience in IT in the workplace, how can you expect to know what any qualified IT worker fills their day with? Let alone arrive at which accreditation path provides the best chances for your success.

To attack this, a discussion is necessary, covering a number of unique issues:

* Personality plays a starring part - what gets you 'up and running', and what are the things that put a frown on your face.

* For what reasons you're getting involved with IT - maybe you want to overcome a particular goal like working from home for example.

* What are your thoughts on salary vs the travel required?

* Considering all that IT encapsulates, you really need to be able to absorb how they differ.

* You will need to understand the differences across all the training areas.

For most people, getting to the bottom of all these ideas needs a long talk with someone who can explain things properly. And we're not only talking about the accreditations - but also the commercial requirements besides.

Student support is absolutely essential - look for a package that provides 24x7 direct access, as not obtaining this level of support will severely hold up your pace and restrict your intake.

Find a good quality service where you can access help at any time of day or night (even if it's early hours on Sunday morning!) You'll need access directly to professional tutors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you're consistently being held in a queue for a call-back when it's convenient for them.

Keep your eyes open for study programmes that incorporate three or four individual support centres across multiple time-zones. Each one should be integrated to offer a simple interface and access round-the-clock, when it's convenient for you, with no hassle.

Always pick a training company that goes the extra mile. As only true 24x7 round-the-clock live support provides the necessary backup.

There is a tidal wave of change coming via technology over the next few decades - and it only gets more exciting every day.

There are people who believe that the increase in technology we have experienced is cooling down. This couldn't be more wrong. Terrific advances are ahead of us, and most especially the internet will be the most effective tool in our lives.

And keep in mind that typical remuneration in the IT market over Britain as a whole is significantly more than the national average salary, so in general you will be in a good position to earn a lot more as an IT specialist, than you would in most typical jobs.

It's no secret that there is a considerable UK-wide demand for trained and qualified IT technicians. It follows that as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it seems this pattern will continue for years to come.

You should remember: the training itself or an accreditation is not the ultimate goal; the job or career that you want is. Too many training companies put too much weight in the piece of paper.

Imagine training for just one year and then end up performing the job-role for decades. Ensure you avoid the fatal error of taking what may be a program of interest to you and then spend decades in something you don't even enjoy!

It's a good idea to understand the exact expectations industry will have. What particular exams they will want you to have and in what way you can gain some industry experience. It's also worth spending time assessing how far you reckon you're going to want to go as often it can control your selection of accreditations.

Seek advice from a professional advisor, even if there's a fee involved - it's usually much cheaper and safer to find out at the beginning if your choices are appropriate, rather than realise after several years of study that you've picked the wrong track and have to start from the beginning again.

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