Sunday, January 10, 2010

CompTIA A Plus Training Providers - Thoughts

By Jason Kendall

CompTIA A + has a total of four exams and areas of study, but you only need to get certified in 2 to qualify for your A+. Because of this, many educational establishments simply offer two. But allowing you to learn about all 4 options will provide you with a much wider knowledge and understanding of it all, something you'll appreciate as a Godsend in professional employment.

As well as learning how to build PC's and fix them, students on an A+ training course will learn how to work in antistatic conditions, along with remote access, fault finding and diagnostics.

Should you decide to add Network+ training to your A+, you will additionally be able to look after networks, giving you the facility to command a higher salary.

Training support for students is an absolute must - ensure you track down something providing 24x7 full access, as not obtaining this level of support will severely hold up your pace and restrict your intake.

Find a good quality service with proper support available at any time you choose (even if it's early hours on Sunday morning!) Ensure you get direct access to tutors, and not access to a call-in service which takes messages - so you're constantly waiting for a call-back at a convenient time for them.

The very best programs tend to use an online 24 hours-a-day service combining multiple support operations throughout multiple time-zones. You will be provided with a simple environment which accesses the most appropriate office irrespective of the time of day: Support when you need it.

Never make do with less than this. Direct-access 24x7 support is the only viable option when it comes to technical study. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; usually though, we're out at work when traditional support if offered.

Remember: the actual training or an accreditation isn't what this is about; the particular job that you want to end up in is. Far too many training organisations put too much weight in the qualification itself.

It's possible, for instance, to obtain tremendous satisfaction from a year of studying only to end up putting 20 long years into something completely unrewarding, entirely because you stumbled into it without the correct level of soul-searching at the beginning.

You need to keep your eye on where you want to go, and formulate your training based on that - avoid getting them back-to-front. Keep on track - making sure you're training for something you'll still be enjoying many years from now.

Have a conversation with someone that has a commercial understanding of the realities faced in the industry, and who can give you a detailed description of what you actually do in that role. Getting all these things right long before commencement of any training programme will prevent a lot of wasted time and effort.

The sometimes daunting task of landing your first computer related job is often made easier by training colleges, through a Job Placement Assistance service. It can happen though that there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, for it's really not that difficult for well qualified and focused men and women to find work in this industry - because companies everywhere are seeking qualified personnel.

Update your CV at the beginning of your training though - you should get plenty of help from your training provider on this. Don't wait until you've qualified.

Getting your CV considered is more than not being regarded at all. A decent number of junior positions are bagged by people in the early stages of their course.

Generally, you'll receive better results from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than any training course provider's national service, because they will be more familiar with the area and local employers.

To bottom line it, as long as you focus the same level of energy into landing a job as into training, you're not going to hit many challenges. A number of people bizarrely put hundreds of hours into their training course and then call a halt once qualified and seem to suppose that interviewers know they're there.

A so-called advisor who doesn't dig around with lots of question - chances are they're actually nothing more than a salesman. If they push a particular product before looking at your personality and current experience level, then it's definitely the case.

Remember, if in the past you've acquired any qualifications that are related, then you will often be able to pick-up at a different starting-point to someone who is new to the field.

Always consider starting with some basic PC skills training first. Starting there can make the transition to higher-level learning a much more gentle.

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