In the fast-paced world we live in, support workers who can fix networks and PC’s, plus give daily help to users, are hugely valuable in every part of the economy. Because our society becomes progressively reliant on advanced technology, we in turn find ourselves increasingly more reliant upon the well trained network engineers, who ensure the systems function properly.
Of course: the training program or the accreditation is not the ultimate goal; a job that you’re getting the training for is. Too many training companies place too much importance on the qualification itself. Don’t let yourself become one of the unfortunate masses that choose a course that seems ‘fun’ or ‘interesting’ - only to end up with a qualification for something they’ll never enjoy.
It’s a good idea to understand the expectations of your industry. Which particular certifications you’ll need and how you’ll go about getting some commercial experience. Spend some time considering how far you reckon you’re going to want to build your skill-set as often it can present a very specific set of accreditations. Talk to a skilled advisor that understands the work you’re contemplating, and who’ll explain to you an in-depth explanation of the kind of things you’ll be doing on a daily basis. Researching these areas well before beginning a training path will prevent a lot of wasted time and effort.
Full support is of the utmost importance - look for a package providing 24×7 full access, as anything less will frustrate you and could impede your ability to learn. Avoid, like the plague, any organisations who use messaging services ‘out-of-hours’ - with your call-back scheduled for office hours. This is no use if you’re stuck and want support there and then.
World-class organisations provide a web-based 24×7 system utilising a variety of support centres across the globe. You will be provided with an easy to use interface that seamlessly selects the best facility available no matter what time of day it is: Support when it’s needed. If you opt for less than online 24×7 support, you’ll end up kicking yourself. You may not need it in the middle of the night, but consider weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point
It’s likely that you’ve always enjoyed practical work - the ‘hands-on’ individual. If you’re like us, the painful task of reading endless manuals can be just about bared when essential, but it doesn’t suit your way of doing things. Check out video-based multimedia instruction if learning from books is not your thing. Many studies have proved that long term memory is improved when we involve as many senses as possible, and we get physically involved with the study process.
Programs are now found in disc format, where your computer becomes the centre of your learning. Using video-streaming, you can watch instructors demonstrating how it’s all done, followed by your chance to practice - in a virtual lab environment. All companies must be able to demonstrate samples of their courseware. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and a wide selection of interactive elements.
It’s folly to select online only courseware. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across all internet service providers, make sure you get physical media such as CD or DVD ROM’s.
Workshops are often touted as a great feature by many training companies. After a good chat with the majority of computer industry hopefuls that have tried them out, you’ll likely realise that they’ve now become a mistake because of many things:
* Loads of visits to the workshops - often hundreds of miles.
* Workshop access; normally Monday to Friday and usually 2-3 days at a time. It’s never convenient to take the required days away from work.
* I think you’d agree that we usually think 20 days holiday per year is barely enough. Take away a big chunk of this for educational classes and watch how much harder things become.
* ‘In-Centre’ workshop days can fill up very quickly and often end up larger than is ideal.
* The ‘pace’ - classes often consist of trainees of varying talent, so there is often tension between students with more background knowledge and those who want to go a little slower.
* The cost of travel - travelling to and from the training facility plus accommodation can start to get expensive with each visit. Assuming just an average of 5 to 10 workshops costing around 35 pounds for a single over-night room, plus 40 pounds for petrol and 15 pounds for food, that equates to four to nine hundred pounds of extra costs to cover.
* You should never risk the possibility of getting passed-over for a lift up the ladder or wage increases because your employer knows you’re retraining.
* It’s quite usual for trainees not to put a question forward that they would like answered - just because they’re in front of other people.
* Where students have to sometimes live or work away from home, consider the added problems of reaching the necessary days in-centre, when time is at a premium.
Why not simply watch and learn with instructors one-on-one in pre-filmed classes, doing them when it suits you - not somebody else. Whenever you experience difficulties, use the provided 24×7 live support (that you should have insisted on for any technical study.) You should remember, if you own a notebook PC, study isn’t restricted to the home or office. You have the ability to watch and re-watch the study modules whenever you need to. And of course, you won’t need to jot down any notes because the class is available whenever you want it. The outcome: Much less stress and hassle, saved money, and you’ve got no travelling to do.
Huge changes are coming via technology over the next generation - and the industry becomes more ground-breaking every year. There are people who believe that the increase in technology we’ve had over recent years is cooling down. There is no truth in this at all. There are huge changes to come, and the internet significantly will be the biggest thing to affect the way we live.
Incomes in IT are not a problem also - the usual income over this country as a whole for the usual IT worker is a lot better than in the rest of the economy. Odds are that you’ll receive a much greater package than you would in most other jobs. Demand for well trained and qualified IT technicians is assured for a good while yet, due to the ongoing development in IT dependency in commerce and the huge skills gap still in existence.
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