Sunday, January 17, 2010
By Jason Kendall
As you're in the process of finding out about courses for MCSE, it's possible you're in one of two situations: Maybe you're thinking of a dynamic move to get into the IT field, and all evidence points to a growing demand for properly qualified people. On the other hand you're someone with a certain amount of IT knowledge - and you'd like to consolidate your skill-set with the MCSE accreditation.
When researching MCSE's, you'll hit upon training companies that lower their out-goings by failing to provide the latest version from Microsoft. Avoid such training providers as you will face problems at exam time. If you are studying the wrong version, it will make it very difficult to pass.
A company's mission statement must be based upon doing the most for their students, and they should be passionate about their results. Working towards an MCSE isn't just about passing exams - the procedure must also be geared towards assisting you in working on the best action plan for your future.
Be watchful that any certifications you're studying for are recognised by industry and are current. 'In-house' exams and the certificates they come with are generally useless.
All the major IT organisations such as Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco each have globally renowned proficiency courses. These big-hitters will make your CV stand-out.
A service that many training companies provide is job placement assistance. This is to assist your search for your first position. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though - it's quite easy for eager sales people to overplay it. The fact of the matter is, the still growing need for IT personnel in the UK is why employers will be interested in you.
Update your CV at the beginning of your training though - look to your training company for advice on how to do this. Don't procrastinate and leave it for when you're ready to start work.
Various junior support jobs have been offered to trainees who are still learning and haven't even passed a single exam yet. At the very least this will get your CV into the 'possible' pile and not the 'no' pile.
If you'd like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then it's quite likely that an independent and specialised local employment service may be more appropriate than some national concern, for they're going to be familiar with the jobs that are going locally.
A regular aggravation of a number of training providers is how much men and women are prepared to study to get top marks in their exams, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the position they're qualified for. Have confidence - the IT industry needs YOU.
OK, why should we consider qualifications from the commercial sector rather than traditional academic qualifications gained through schools, colleges or universities?
Accreditation-based training (to use industry-speak) is most often much more specialised. The IT sector is aware that specialisation is essential to meet the requirements of a technologically complex workplace. CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA dominate in this arena.
Patently, a certain portion of closely linked knowledge must be taught, but essential specifics in the exact job role gives a vendor educated student a huge edge.
Assuming a company is aware what they're looking for, then all it takes is an advert for the particular skill-set required. The syllabuses are set to exacting standards and can't change from one establishment to the next (as academic syllabuses often do).
We can't make a big enough deal out of this point: It's essential to obtain proper 24x7 round-the-clock support from professional instructors. Later, you'll kick yourself if you don't heed this.
Be wary of any training providers which use 'out-of-hours' call-centres - with the call-back coming in during standard office hours. It's not a lot of help when you've got study issues and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.
As long as you look hard, you will find professional training packages that provide their students online support around the clock - no matter what time of day it is.
Don't accept second best when you're looking for the right support service. Most IT hopefuls who throw in the towel, are in that situation because of support (or the lack of).
When researching MCSE's, you'll hit upon training companies that lower their out-goings by failing to provide the latest version from Microsoft. Avoid such training providers as you will face problems at exam time. If you are studying the wrong version, it will make it very difficult to pass.
A company's mission statement must be based upon doing the most for their students, and they should be passionate about their results. Working towards an MCSE isn't just about passing exams - the procedure must also be geared towards assisting you in working on the best action plan for your future.
Be watchful that any certifications you're studying for are recognised by industry and are current. 'In-house' exams and the certificates they come with are generally useless.
All the major IT organisations such as Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco each have globally renowned proficiency courses. These big-hitters will make your CV stand-out.
A service that many training companies provide is job placement assistance. This is to assist your search for your first position. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though - it's quite easy for eager sales people to overplay it. The fact of the matter is, the still growing need for IT personnel in the UK is why employers will be interested in you.
Update your CV at the beginning of your training though - look to your training company for advice on how to do this. Don't procrastinate and leave it for when you're ready to start work.
Various junior support jobs have been offered to trainees who are still learning and haven't even passed a single exam yet. At the very least this will get your CV into the 'possible' pile and not the 'no' pile.
If you'd like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then it's quite likely that an independent and specialised local employment service may be more appropriate than some national concern, for they're going to be familiar with the jobs that are going locally.
A regular aggravation of a number of training providers is how much men and women are prepared to study to get top marks in their exams, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the position they're qualified for. Have confidence - the IT industry needs YOU.
OK, why should we consider qualifications from the commercial sector rather than traditional academic qualifications gained through schools, colleges or universities?
Accreditation-based training (to use industry-speak) is most often much more specialised. The IT sector is aware that specialisation is essential to meet the requirements of a technologically complex workplace. CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA dominate in this arena.
Patently, a certain portion of closely linked knowledge must be taught, but essential specifics in the exact job role gives a vendor educated student a huge edge.
Assuming a company is aware what they're looking for, then all it takes is an advert for the particular skill-set required. The syllabuses are set to exacting standards and can't change from one establishment to the next (as academic syllabuses often do).
We can't make a big enough deal out of this point: It's essential to obtain proper 24x7 round-the-clock support from professional instructors. Later, you'll kick yourself if you don't heed this.
Be wary of any training providers which use 'out-of-hours' call-centres - with the call-back coming in during standard office hours. It's not a lot of help when you've got study issues and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.
As long as you look hard, you will find professional training packages that provide their students online support around the clock - no matter what time of day it is.
Don't accept second best when you're looking for the right support service. Most IT hopefuls who throw in the towel, are in that situation because of support (or the lack of).
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