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.
Once you start your A+ computer training course you will develop an understanding of how to work in antistatic conditions and build and fix computers. You’ll also cover fault-finding and diagnostic techniques, both remotely and via direct access.
If you would like to be a man or woman who works for a larger company – fixing and supporting networks, build on A+ with Network+, or consider the Microsoft networking route (MCSA – MCSE) because it’s necessary to have a wider knowledge of how networks work.
We need to make this very clear: You have to get round-the-clock 24×7 instructor and mentor support. We can tell you that you’ll strongly regret it if you don’t follow this rule rigidly.
You’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and phone support is often to a call-centre who will make some notes and then email an advisor – who will attempt to call you within 24-48 hrs, at a suitable time to them. This is no use if you’re sitting there confused over an issue and only have a specific time you can study.
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.
If you opt for less than online 24×7 support, you’ll quickly find yourself regretting it. You may not need it in the middle of the night, but consider weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point.
An all too common mistake that students everywhere can make is to concentrate on the course itself, and take their eye off the desired end-result. Training academies are brimming over with direction-less students who took a course because it seemed fun – in place of something that could gain them their end-goal of a job they enjoyed.
You could be training for only a year and end up doing a job for a lifetime. Avoid the mistake of taking what may be an ‘interesting’ course and then spend decades in a job you don’t like!
Prioritise understanding what industry will expect from you. Which particular certifications they’ll want you to gain and how you’ll build your experience level. It’s definitely worth spending time assessing how far you’d like to get as often it can force you to choose a particular set of accreditations.
Sense dictates that you look for advice and guidance from an experienced industry professional before making your final decision on some particular training course, so there’s little doubt that the chosen route will give you the skill-set required for your career choice.
Getting into your first IT role sometimes feels easier to handle if you’re supported with a Job Placement Assistance program. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though – it’s quite easy for eager sales people to overplay it. Ultimately, the still growing need for IT personnel in this country is what will make you attractive to employers.
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.
Quite often, you’ll land your initial role while you’re still a student (even when you’ve just left first base). If you haven’t updated your CV to say what you’re studying (and it isn’t in the hands of someone with jobs to offer) then you aren’t even in the running!
Most often, a local IT focused employment agency (who will, of course, be keen to place you to receive their commission) will be more pro-active than a centralised training company’s service. They should, of course, also know the local area and commercial needs.
Many people, apparently, conscientiously work through their course materials (for years sometimes), only to give up at the first hurdle when finding a job. Market yourself… Do everything you can to put yourself out there. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.
Throw out the typical salesman who offers any particular course without an in-depth conversation so as to understand your abilities plus your experience level. They should be able to select from a generous product range so they’re actually equipped to give you an appropriate solution.
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.
If this is going to be your opening crack at an IT exam then you may want to start with a user-skills course first.
Written by Scott Edwards. Pop to AdultTrainingCourse.co.uk/aadtrc.html or Computer Based Training.
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