Legal Blog For Professionals

Just ten percent of adults in Great Britain are happy with what they do for a living. Of course, most will take no action. The fact that you’re reading this surely suggests that you’ve realised change must come.

We suggest that you discuss your ideas first – talk to someone who’s familiar with your chosen field; an advisor who can get to the bottom of what you’ll like in a job, and offer only the learning programs which will get you there:

* Is having company at work important to you? Is it meeting new people or being part of a team? Maybe you like to deal with tasks that only you know how to deal with?

* Have you given much thought to which area you choose to work in? (In this economy, it’s even more crucial to get it right.)

* Is this the last time you imagine you’ll re-train, and if it is, will this new career give you scope to do that?

* Would you like your training course to be in an area where you believe you’ll remain employable until your pension kicks in?

We ask you to have a good look at Information Technology – there are a larger number of jobs than people to do them, and it’s a rare career choice where the industry is on the grow. Despite what some people believe, IT isn’t all techie people gazing at their computer screens the whole day (though naturally some jobs are like that.) The vast majority of roles are occupied by ordinary people who want to earn a very good living.

Many certification companies are still maintaining the slightly musty old method of in-centre classes. Usually touted as a major benefit, after discussion with someone who has first-hand experience, you’ll find them listing some or all of the following problems:

* Loads of driving back and forth from the training centre – normally 100’s of miles.

* Asking for frequent time off work – many training providers will only provide availability during weekdays – typically grouping 2 or 3 days together. This is generally difficult for those of us who work for a living, and it’s made more problematic if you include the travel time on top.

* Lost annual leave – most IT hopefuls are given only twenty days of leave annually. If over half of it is swallowed up by study workshops, vacation time is going to be quite short for students and their families.

* Because of the cost involved, a lot of schools really push the size of the class – certainly not ideal (and much less personal).

* Some trainees lean towards a pace that is different to the other class members. Often this can bring about tension in the class.

* Let’s not disregard the added expense of driving or bed and breakfast for the night either. This may well run to many hundreds of pounds more – sometimes thousands. Take some time to add it all up – it’ll shock and surprise you.

* We all enjoy our privacy. We don’t want to risk throwing away any potential advancement that we’re owed while we retrain.

* We all find that, at times, it’s uncomfortable to raise questions when surrounded by other students – who wants to look like they’re the only one who doesn’t get it?

* If you on occasion work elsewhere in the country for several days at a time, imagine the increased difficulty in reaching the necessary events, when time is at a premium.

Many students discover a more flexible approach is to make use of ready-made, videoed lessons at home, in comfort – taking them when it’s convenient to you – not someone else.

Think… If you’ve got a notebook PC you have the ability to learn in any location you choose. And 24×7 support is an online click away if you hit challenges.

It really doesn’t matter how often you would like to re-take a quiz or test, on-screen teachers can never get frustrated with you! And don’t forget, with this method, note-taking is gone forever. Everything is already there for you.

Could it get any simpler: No wasted time or money, travelling is avoided; and you end up with a more comfortable study setting.

Commencing from the viewpoint that we need to locate the area of most interest first, before we can even consider which training program would meet that requirement, how can we choose the correct route?

How can we possibly grasp the tasks faced daily in an IT career when we’ve never done it? Maybe we don’t know someone who works in that sector anyway.

To attack this, we need to discuss a number of unique issues:

* Your hobbies and interests – as they can show the possibilities will give you the most reward.

* Are you aiming to pull off a specific aim – for instance, working from home as quickly as possible?

* Does salary have a higher place on your priority-list than some other areas.

* Considering the huge variation that computing covers, it’s a requirement that you can understand how they differ.

* Having a serious look at the level of commitment, time and effort that you’re going to put into it.

When all is said and done, the best way of investigating all this is via a meeting with an advisor or professional who has enough background to provide solid advice.

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When you decide upon a training program it’s crucial that the qualification it leads to falls in line with the needs of industry. As well as this, be sure that the program is a match for you, and is pitched at the right level.

The courses range from Microsoft User Skills up to career training for Databases, Programming, Networking and Web Design. There’s a lot to choose from and so the chances are you’ll want to chat to an experienced advisor prior to deciding which way to go: you don’t want to get on the wrong course for a job you’d actually hate!

By utilising modern training techniques and keeping costs to a minimum, there is a new type of course provider supplying a superior brand of teaching and assistance for hundreds of pounds less.

Have you recently questioned how safe your job is? For most of us, this isn’t an issue until something dramatic happens to shake us. But in today’s marketplace, the painful truth is that job security doesn’t really exist anymore, for the vast majority of people.

It’s possible though to hit upon market-level security, by looking for areas of high demand, together with a lack of qualified workers.

Looking at the Information Technology (IT) industry, a recent e-Skills study brought to light an over 26 percent shortfall of skilled workers. This shows that for every 4 jobs existing across computing, there are only 3 trained people to perform that task.

Gaining full commercial IT certification is therefore a quick route to succeed in a long-term as well as pleasing livelihood.

Without a doubt, this really is a fabulous time to join Information Technology (IT).

Review the points below in detail if you’ve been persuaded that that over-used sales technique about examination guarantees seems like a good idea:

Obviously it’s not free – you are paying for it – it’s just been wrapped up in the price of the package.

Students who take exams one at a time, funding them as they go are much better placed to get through first time. They’re thoughtful of what they’ve paid and prepare more appropriately to be ready for the task.

Does it really add up to pay your training college in advance for exam fees? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take the exam, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance – and sit exams more locally – not at somewhere of their bidding.

What’s the point in paying early for exams when there was no need to? Huge profits are secured by training companies charging upfront for all their exams – and then hoping that you won’t take them all.

Also, you should consider what an ‘exam guarantee’ really means. The majority of organisations won’t pay again for an exam until you can prove to them you’re ready to pass.

Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on ‘Exam Guarantees’ is remiss – when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is actually the key to your success.

Authorised exam preparation and simulation materials are a must – and really must be offered by your training supplier.

Avoid depending on unauthorised exam preparation systems. The type of questions asked is sometimes startlingly different – and sometimes this can be a real headache when the proper exam time arrives.

Be sure to have some simulated exam questions that will allow you to check your comprehension at all times. Simulations of exams add to your knowledge bank – then you won’t be quite so nervous at the actual exam.

Qualifications from the commercial sector are now, undoubtedly, beginning to replace the more academic tracks into the IT industry – so why should this be?

Industry is now aware that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, certified accreditation from such organisations as Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised – saving time and money.

Higher education courses, for instance, often get bogged down in too much loosely associated study – and a syllabus that’s too generalised. This prevents a student from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials.

When it comes down to the nitty-gritty: Recognised IT certifications provide exactly what an employer needs – it says what you do in the title: for example, I am a ‘Microsoft Certified Professional’ in ‘Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003′. Consequently companies can identify just what their needs are and which qualifications are required to fulfil that.

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There are some people who seem to breeze through life, rejoicing from one triumph to the next. By contrast, there are others who never quite make it, and always have a reason why life has dealt them a hard blow. Society is made up of victors and victims, and the difference can very often be boiled down to one key factor – attitude.

It’s essential when moving into a new career direction to adopt the habits of the victor to achieve the right outcome. Victims attempt actions over-cautiously, hoping for good things, but never really feeling they’re worthy of great things. The victors mentally commit to a successful outcome, and support their actions with emotion.

Take two tennis players about to play for a championship. One says “It’s my last chance – I’ll give it my best shot,” but the other says “Winning is my destiny.” No prizes for guessing who’ll win the tournament. They may both put in the same hours, but the victor spends more time on his mental training to win.

We can define the victor by the word OAR (Ownership, Accountability and Responsibility) – a figure paddling towards success. The victim is defined by the word BED (Blame, Excuses and Denial) – one who stays in bed and gives up.

The victor doesn’t expect someone else to lead the way – and takes ownership of his or her tasks. He’s liable for his actions, and so takes them seriously (seeing things through by tackling problems not creating them). He takes responsibility for the results of his actions, and doesn’t allow excuses from himself.

In the victim’s eyes, there’s always a reason why he’s not achieving, and it’s rarely to do with himself. It’s always someone else’s fault – he feels out of control so justifies it by blaming someone else. He makes excuses for his lack of performance, but the only person he’s convincing is himself. With this continual pattern of blame and excuses, the victim lives a life of complete denial, convinced that there’s absolutely nothing he can do about his situation.

To stack the odds in their favour, a mental work-out may be needed for some students approaching a life-changing training program. Anyone who’s a fully paid up member of the victim society must address their issues before they get going, to fully embrace the potential in front of them.

The two sets of attitudes are both just habits. With constant repetition over time, habits can be changed. Listen to the little voice in your head – if it’s obviously a victim, then consciously stop it and verbalise why you can achieve. Nobody else is any better than you are – some have just conquered their demons and emerged victorious.

“There is no such thing as a hero, only those who rise to the occasion”. Those were the words of Winston Churchill, and they’re just as valid today. We need to have the attitude of a winner in order to become a winner, both in learning and in life.

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I’m not professing that IT training and careers within IT are the be-all and end-all of futures on this planet. God forbid where we would be without the highly paid football stars to entertain us so well on a week by week basis. Yet there has to be a reason why more and more people are studying for careers within the IT industry.

A development I find interesting has been the increase in IT training amongst people who are seeking a career change or an enhancement to their existing skill sets. Reviewing this, I’m intrigued as to why IT continues to offer the attraction, and is this really a viable option?

Whilst we all accept that in relationships, people and key elements can change. A boyfriend or girlfriend at the age of 10 is often considered a cute thing, but not expected to last. Relationships at the age of 18-20 are often less transient, but again have a higher rate of short-term lifespan than others later in life.

Equally our young people are asked to plan and make decisions about their working career quite early on in life, and yet historically there appears to be an inherent resistance to change as times progresses. If we accept that life changes, and we also accept that circumstances change, surely it’s prudent for us to accept that career paths should and could change?

The continued dependence of modern society on IT, and IT related factors, leads many people to assume that a career in this field would be reliable and well paid, based on simple economics of supply and demand. Many people see a direct transfer of how they utilise IT systems in a social environment (such as playing games and social interaction on the internet e.g. facebook etc.) into a career. Is this a genuine realism of a career within IT, and what factors would actually lead towards a successful career?

I believe that a key element in answering this is an understanding that a career in IT is as dependent on factors such as an employer (or client base if self-employed,) and economic issues, as any other career path. However, there is considerable evidence to suggest that professional people within the IT industry can move between employers and industry sectors more freely, due to the wide dependence on IT services across both geographic and industry models.

One of the key elements here is the term ‘Professional IT People’. Just as in any other industry, employers consistently seek human resources where skills can be proven by both experience and an approved benchmark. This applies whether that is a degree, or a recognised apprenticeship that leads to an industry standard qualification, such as plumber and electrician.

It’s no different in the IT industry. Just because many people have a computer at home, and can experience many areas of the IT industry domestically, this is vastly different in many cases from the skills and resources required in the commercial sector. I’m sure we’d all acknowledge that playing games for four hours a night or surfing the internet doesn’t make us a qualified games designer, or a qualified webmaster.

Professional qualifications such as MCSE or MCSA within the IT field are instantly recognisable as an industry standard. Employers can rely upon the skills offered. This means there’s a reduced risk of breach of commercial insurance policies for work and services provided by such people, whether they are directly employed or self-employed.

Anyone seriously considering a future within this field must look at how best to position themselves to become attractive to an employer – and surely holding a professional qualification goes a long way towards this. As it’s the employer or client who pays the salary, we should at least be aware of what they’re looking for in recruitment or engagement.

We have plenty of data in existence to support the view that the IT sector growth is faster and more resilient than many other industry sectors. We’re seeing a transitional shift in industry sectors, from the first world over to the third world. Many growing or ‘tiger’ economies are adapting to (and embracing) long standing IT systems at a very fast rate indeed.

Up to now in this article we’ve looked at the trends, which with the slow down and in some cases demise of traditional industry (and therefore traditional job-for-life expectancies), there will be an increasing propensity towards several jobs and career paths over our lifetime.

What’s more, we’ve noted that the IT industry remains attractive consistently as it continues to provide both supply and demand across geographical boundaries and across industry sectors. Todays forecasts also predict the increasing long-term dependence on IT systems overall. This includes the professional individuals who develop, utilise and maintain those systems, as they remain integral to many organisations long-term requirements.

Salary expectations remain high within this field, and there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that this is achievable. However, it’s worth noting that in many other industries the top-people get paid the top-money, and simply ‘being there’ is not good enough and does not guarantee the top-money.

We have also put forward the case that employers review recruitment for IT skills as no different to any other facet of their business, and they expect the individuals to formally demonstrate their skills and qualifications, in exactly the same way as they expect their electricians and accountants to be professionally qualified to do the work they’re employed to do.

It’s my belief that there is considerable evidence to view a career in IT as a strong and viable option for many people in today’s economic and social climate. Significant salaries are definitely achievable. And yet, it’s equally clear and only common sense to expect to have to gain a recognisable professional IT qualification. This not only clearly demonstrate one’s own ability, but at the very least it displays the attitude that your prospective employer can rely on you in the commercial field and that you are serious about this career path.

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Recently published long term studies have indicated that on average, it costs a total of 193,000 pounds to bring up a child in the UK – equating to approximately 26-28 pounds each day. This news was received with a swathe of cynical reactions from long suffering parents, few of whom were totally shocked.

Many people are now weighing up the current recession and its effect on traditional education systems. Consistent reference is being made to the strategies to survive adopted by parents, educators and students in the recession of the 1990’s.

Analysis suggests that on average up to 40 percent of the entire household disposable income is spent on education and schooling overall. With the hardening attitude towards bank lending and mortgage allocation this figure could rise as our young people stay with their parents for longer before leaving the nest and lengthen their education programs – almost as a by product of something to do whilst we wait for things to get better.

The cost of living is increasingly monopolising the family focus. Additionally, many companies are cutting back on training and development programs. So people feel it’s pointless spending money on training when they do not know for certain that they will not be made redundant – it is little wonder that many are now re-accessing their method of personal development and the subject matter that they study in.

Historically, public services, banking and the like have all been thought of as stable long term employers and attracted people accordingly. Over the last decade or so this has largely been superseded by the perception of employment offered within the IT industry.

Unlike training in the motor industry or engineering, where key skills often have to be gained in a practical environment, IT training can be predominantly home based. Whilst it is difficult to transport a complete car production line into the home, computer based training is easily at hand. Developments in the intellectual property field such as IT have grown exponentially as a result of this and the continued enhancements in the way the skills are taught and learnt.

New training methods using round the clock remote access to highly skilled lecturers adds weight to the strategy and results in certification in a field that is widely sought after all over the world. Along with visably quantified salary and career structures it is not surprising that IT training is so attractive.

With many people unsure of their future, whether early on in their career or mid way through life, home based training in subjects such as IT can often be seen as a superb, low cost, easy paced development program; gaining skills that are easily accepted anywhere in the world and highly resilient in a changeable economic environment.

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Breaking down the different stages of learning can be really helpful when we’re trying to work out where we are and how far we can go. It can be quite scary to look at the big goal – perhaps professional web designer with a large portfolio of clients who rely on our expertise, when it’s as much as we can do to remember the names of the software we’ll be using to learn!

Let’s look at four different levels of understanding. Whenever we take on anything new, we all experience these stages, and recognising them helps us to evaluate ourselves and our progress.

Unconscious Incompetent, Conscious Incompetent, Conscious Competent and Unconscious Competent.

Career changers frequently begin at stage one – Unconscious Incompetent. We know we want to change at this stage, but we don’t yet know what we don’t know, what we need to know, how to learn it or where it might lead us! It sounds pretty desperate, but knowing we want to change is the important thing – we can be taught everything else .

The essential thing is to get advice. By talking things through with an experienced advisor, the stage one person can discover what’s involved in the process; find out where they want to go and what they need to learn.

Next comes stage two – Conscious Incompetent. We’re now probably at the start of our training course. Having been explained the different options, we’ve decided on our career path. So we now know what we have to learn – in other words we’re conscious of what we don’t know yet, or what we’re currently incompetent at.

It’s important to comprehend this, and have the wisdom of knowing where we are. If we understand conscious incompetence, we won’t get so frustrated in our early stages of learning – we’re maybe not very good at it (particularly if it’s been a while since school…) but we do know we’ll get better. This process is accelerated with modern interactive training, so we don’t have to stay at this stage for very long.

Then we reach stage three, which is Conscious Competent. Now we’re in the zone of the learning environment, and pick things up much faster. We still have to think consciously about what we’re doing all the time, but we can learn competently. Whilst in this learning stage we’ll probably complete our studies and successfully pass our exams. It’s likely to also extend into our working life too.

Think about learning to drive a car. We’d got to conscious competency at the time of our test – still consciously aware of every maneuver but good enough to pass the exam. It wasn’t until we gained more experience along with the knowledge that we moved into stage four.

Unconsciously Competent – In IT, we’ll probably be several years into our working experience before we reach stage four. We understand what we need to know, and no longer have to consciously think about why we do something. Although for the true professional school’s never over, (and definitely in computer-related careers the joy is there’s always more to learn) achieving these dizzy heights of understanding makes all the hard work worth it.

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