If it weren’t for a steady stream of well educated PC and network support staff, commercial enterprise in the United Kingdom (and around the world) would surely be drawn to a standstill. We have an ever growing requirement for technically able people to support both users and the systems they work with. The nation’s requirement for increasing numbers of skilled and qualified individuals grows, as we become consistently more dependent upon computers in the modern world.
Any program that you’re going to undertake really needs to work up to a properly recognised exam as an end-result – and not some unimportant ‘in-house’ plaque for your wall. The top IT companies such as Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe all have internationally renowned proficiency programs. These big-hitters can make sure you stand out at interview.
Have a conversation with any expert consultant and you’ll be surprised by their many horror stories of salespeople ripping-off unsuspecting students. Make sure you deal with an experienced industry advisor who digs deep to discover the most appropriate thing for you – not for their retirement-fund! It’s very important to locate the very best place to start for you. With a strong background, or maybe some commercial experience (maybe some existing accreditation?) then it’s likely the level you’ll need to start at will vary from someone who is just starting out. Always consider starting with user-skills and software training first. Beginning there can make the slope up to the higher-levels a much easier going.
Have you recently questioned your job security? For most people, this only rears its head when something goes wrong. Unfortunately, the painful truth is that true job security simply doesn’t exist anymore, for all but the most lucky of us. Where there are rising skills deficits together with escalating demand though, we always reveal a newer brand of security in the marketplace; driven by the conditions of constant growth, businesses struggle to find the staff required.
Offering the IT business as an example, the 2006 e-Skills study highlighted massive skills shortages in the United Kingdom of around 26 percent. To put it another way, this reveals that the United Kingdom only has three properly accredited workers for each 4 positions existing today. Attaining the appropriate commercial computing certification is accordingly a fast-track to succeed in a long-term as well as gratifying career. In actuality, gaining new qualifications in IT throughout the coming years is almost definitely the greatest career move you’ll ever make.
Many companies only concern themselves with gaining a certificate, and completely avoid the reasons for getting there – getting yourself a new job or career. Always begin with the end in mind – don’t make the journey more important than where you want to get to. Never let yourself become part of the group who set off on a track that seems ‘fun’ or ‘interesting’ – and end up with a certification for an unrewarding career path.
Never let your focus stray from where you want to go, and create a learning-plan from that – avoid getting them back-to-front. Keep your eyes on your goals and ensure that you’re training for a career that will keep you happy for many years. Have a conversation with an experienced industry advisor that has a commercial understanding of the realities faced in the industry, and could provide a detailed run-down of the kind of things you’ll be doing on a daily basis. Contemplating this before starting out on a retraining path will prevent a lot of wasted time and effort.
Your training program should always include the current Microsoft (or relevant organisation’s) authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages. Avoid depending on unofficial exam preparation systems. The type of questions asked is often somewhat different – and this leads to huge confusion when the proper exam time arrives. Why don’t you verify your knowledge by doing tests and practice in simulated exam environments before you take the real deal.
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