The CompTIA A+ training program covers four areas of training; you’re qualified as an achiever in A+ when you’ve passed the test for 2 out of 4 subjects. This is the reason that the majority of training establishments limit themselves to 2 study areas. In fact to carry out a job effectively, you’ll need the information on each subject as a lot of employment will require knowledge and skills of the entire course. It’s not essential to take all four exams, although it would seem prudent that you study for all four areas. In addition to learning about the ins and outs of building and maintaining computers, trainees of A+ will be shown how to operate in antistatic conditions, along with remote access, fault finding and diagnostics. You might also choose to consider supplementing the A+ with Network + as you’ll then be in a position to work with networks, which is where the bigger salaries are.
Working on progressive developments in new technology is about as exciting as it can get. You become one of a team of people creating a future for us all. We’re at the dawn of starting to comprehend how all this change will affect us. The way we correlate with the world as a whole will be significantly affected by technology and the internet. The regular IT professional in the United Kingdom is likely to earn noticeably more money than his or her counterpart in other market sectors. Mean average salaries are amongst the highest in the country. The search for properly certified IT professionals is guaranteed for a good while yet, due to the constant expansion in the marketplace and the very large deficiency still in existence.
Arriving at the most fitting career choice is hard enough - so what research do we need to do and what sort of questions should we raise?
It’s important to understand: a actual training or a certification isn’t the end-goal; a job that you want is. A lot of colleges seem to place too much importance on the qualification itself. You could be training for only a year and end up doing a job for a lifetime. Ensure you avoid the fatal error of taking what may be an ‘interesting’ course only to waste your life away with a job you hate! Never let your focus stray from what it is you’re trying to achieve, and build your study action-plan from that - avoid getting them back-to-front. Keep on track and begin studying for a job you’ll enjoy for years to come. Speak to an experienced advisor who has a background in the industry you’re considering, and is able to give you an in-depth explanation of what tasks are going to make up a typical day for you. Researching these areas before starting out on a training program will prevent a lot of wasted time and effort.
There is no way of over emphasising this: You absolutely must have proper 24×7 instructor and mentor support. You will have so many problems later if you let this one slide. Avoid, like the plague, any organisations who use messaging services ‘out-of-hours’ - where an advisor will call back during standard office hours. This is no use if you’re stuck and need an answer now. It’s possible to find the very best companies that offer online direct access support at all times - no matter what time of day it is. Never settle for less than you need and deserve. 24×7 support is the only way to go with technical learning. Perhaps you don’t intend to study during the evenings; often though, we’re out at work at the time when most support is available.
People attracted to this sort of work often have a very practical outlook on work, and won’t enjoy sitting at a desk in class, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If this is putting you off studying, try the newer style of interactive study, where you can learn everything on-screen. Research over recent years has consistently shown that connecting physically with our study, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories. Locate a program where you’ll receive a library of CD and DVD based materials - you’ll begin by watching videos of instructors demonstrating the skills, with the facility to practice your skills in interactive lab’s. Don’t take any chances and look at some of the typical study materials provided before you sign on the dotted line. You should expect video tutorials, instructor demo’s and a variety of audio-visual and interactive sections. It’s unwise to opt for on-line only training. Because of the variable quality and reliability of all internet service providers, you should always obtain disc based courseware (On CD or DVD).
Students will sometimes miss checking on a painfully important area - the way the company breaks up the training materials, and into what particular chunks. Delivery by courier of each element piece by piece, taking into account your exam passes is the typical way that your program will arrive. This sounds logical, but you should consider these factors: What if for some reason you don’t get to the end of every single exam? Maybe the prescribed order won’t suit you? Because of nothing that’s your fault, you may go a little slower and not receive all the modules you’ve paid for. An ideal situation would be to have all the training materials couriered to you right at the start; the entire package! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede your capability of finishing.
You’ll come across courses which guarantee examination passes - inevitably that means paying for the exams before you’ve even made a start on the course. Before you jump at a course with such a promise, why not think about this: Everybody’s aware that they’re still being charged for it - it’s quite obvious to see that it’s been added into the overall price charged by the training company. It’s certainly not free (it’s just marketing companies think we’ll fall for anything they say!) Should you seriously need to get a first time pass, then the most successful route is to fund each exam as you take it, give it the necessary attention and give the task sufficient application. Does it really add up to pay your training company early for examinations? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you’re ready, instead of paying a premium - and sit exams more locally - rather than in some remote place. Is there a good reason to pay interest on a bigger loan than is necessary because you’ve paid early for examination fees when you didn’t need to? Huge profits are made by companies charging upfront for all their exams - and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. Remember, with ‘Exam Guarantees’ from most places - they control when and how often you can re-take the exam. You’ll have to prove conclusively that you can pass before they’ll pay for another exam. Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is foolish - when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is actually the key to your success.
Many trainers will provide a useful Job Placement Assistance program, to help you get your first job. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though - it isn’t unusual for eager sales people to make it sound harder than it is. At the end of the day, the need for well trained IT people in Britain is the reason you’ll find a job. You would ideally have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we’d recommend everybody to work on polishing up their CV as soon as they start a course - don’t procrastinate and leave it for when you’re ready to start work. It’s possible that you won’t have even taken your exams when you’ll secure your initial junior support role; yet this isn’t going to happen unless you’ve posted your CV on job sites. You can usually expect better performance from a specialised and independent local recruitment service than you will through a course provider’s national service, because they will understand the local industry and employment needs. A big grievance for many training companies is how much men and women are focused on studying to train, but how little effort that student will then put into getting the job they’re trained for. Get out there and hustle - you might find it’s fun.
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