Should you be doing a search for Microsoft authorised training, you will no doubt be hoping for training providers to provide a wide selection of the most superior training courses on the market today.
Maybe you’d choose to talk about career options with an industry expert – and should you be confused, then have some guidance on what sort of job would be best, based on your personality and ability level.
When you’ve chosen the area you want to get into, your next search is for a relevant course personalised to be right for your current level of knowledge and ability. Your study program should more than match your expectations.
Exam ‘guarantees’ are sometimes offered as part of a training package – they always involve paying for the exam fees up-front, when you pay for the rest of your course. However, prior to embracing a course with such a promise, why not be aware of the facts:
We all know that we’re still paying for it – it’s not so hard to see that it’s been inserted into the overall figure from the course provider. It’s certainly not free – and it’s insulting that we’re supposed to think it is!
Qualifying on the first ‘go’ is what everyone wants to do. Going for exams one by one and paying as you go puts you in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt – you take it seriously and are conscious of what you’ve spent.
Go for the best offer you can find when you’re ready, and keep hold of your own money. You’ll then be able to select where you take your exam – which means you can stay local.
Paying in advance for exams (and interest charges if you’re borrowing money) is insane. It’s not your job to boost the training company’s account with your money simply to help their cash-flow! Many will hope you won’t get round to taking them – but they won’t refund the cash.
The majority of organisations will require you to do mock exams and not allow you to re-take an exam until you have proved to them you have a good chance of passing – which makes an ‘Exam Guarantee’ frankly useless.
VUE and Prometric examinations are around 112 pounds in Great Britain. Why pay exorbitant charges for ‘Exam Guarantees’ (most often hidden in the package) – when good quality study materials, the proper support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what’s required.
Many trainers will provide a useful Job Placement Assistance program, to help you into your first commercial role. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though – it’s easy for training companies to overplay it. At the end of the day, the huge shortage of staff in this country is the reason you’ll find a job.
CV and Interview advice and support is sometimes offered (if not, see one of our sites for help). It’s essential that you bring your CV right up to date right away – not when you’re ready to start work!
Having the possibility of an interview is more than not being known. Many junior positions are given to students (who’ve only just left first base.)
The best services to get you a new position are generally specialist locally based employment services. As they’re keen to place you to receive their commission, they’ll work that much harder to get a result.
Many men and women, apparently, put a great deal of effort into their studies (for years sometimes), and then just stop instead of attempting to secure a job. Market yourself… Make an effort to put yourself out there. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.
Often, individuals don’t catch on to what information technology means. It is electrifying, revolutionary, and puts you at the fore-front of developments in technology that will impact the whole world for generations to come.
There are people who believe that the technological revolution that’s been a familiar part of our recent lives is cooling down. This couldn’t be more wrong. Massive changes are on the horizon, and the internet particularly will be the most effective tool in our lives.
Let’s not ignore salaries also – the income on average in Great Britain for a typical man or woman in IT is noticeably more than in the rest of the economy. It’s a good bet that you’ll earn a whole lot more than you could reasonably hope to get in other industries.
The need for appropriately qualified IT professionals is certain for a good while yet, thanks to the continuous expansion in IT dependency in commerce and the huge shortage still in existence.
How the program is actually delivered to you is usually ignored by most students. In what way are your training elements sectioned? What is the specific order and do you have a say in when you’ll get each part?
Usually, you’ll enrol on a course requiring 1-3 years study and receive a module at a time. While this may sound logical on one level, consider this:
What if you find the order insisted on by the company won’t suit you. What if you find it hard to complete all the elements within their timetable?
For the perfect solution, you’d ask for every single material to be delivered immediately – giving you them all to come back to in the future – at any time you choose. This allows a variation in the order that you attack each section as and when something more intuitive seems right for you.
(C) Jason Kendall. Browse LearningLolly.com for logical career tips. MCDBA Courses or SQL Server Training Courses.