Good for you! As you’re reading this article it’s likely you’re thinking about learning new skills to change career – so already you’ve made a start. Only one in ten of us are satisfied with our careers, but no action is ever taken. You could join a select group who take responsibility for their future.
We recommend you seek advice first – find someone who knows the industry; an advisor who can discover your ideal job, and then show you the courses you may be suited to:
* Is working with other people your thing? Are you better with new people or those you know well? Maybe you like to deal with tasks that you deal with by yourself?
* Do you have a preference which market sector you could be employed in? (In this economy, it’s vital to choose carefully.)
* Do you want this to be the only time you’ll have to retrain?
* Would it be useful for the course you’re re-training in to be in an area where you believe your chances of gainful employment are high up to retirement age?
A predominant industry in the UK that can satisfy a trainee’s demands is the IT sector. There’s a need for more skilled people in this sector, simply have a look at a local job site and you’ll discover what we mean. But don’t think it’s all nerdy people sitting in front ofscreens all day long – there’s a lot more to it than that. The majority of employees in the industry are just like the rest of us, but they enjoy their work and get well paid.
Usually, the normal person doesn’t know in what direction to head in IT, or what area they should be considering getting trained in.
What are the chances of us grasping what is involved in a particular job if we’ve never been there? Often we don’t even know anybody who does that actual job anyway.
The key to answering this dilemma in the best manner stems from a full conversation around a variety of topics:
* Your personal interests and hobbies – as they can define what areas will give you the most reward.
* Are you hoping to get certified because of a particular motive – for example, do you aim to work at home (self-employment possibly?)?
* Where is the salary on a scale of importance – is an increase your main motivator, or is day-to-day enjoyment further up on your list of priorities?
* Learning what the normal IT roles and markets are – and what differentiates them.
* How much time you’re prepared to spend on the training program.
Ultimately, the best way of checking this all out is via a meeting with a professional that knows the industry well enough to give you the information required.
An advisor that doesn’t ask many questions – it’s likely they’re just a salesperson. If they’re pushing towards a particular product before learning about your history and current experience level, then it’s definitely the case.
Don’t forget, if you’ve got 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.
Where this will be your first attempt at studying for an IT examination then you should consider whether to start out with some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first.
An important area that is sometimes not even considered by trainees considering a training program is ‘training segmentation’. Essentially, this is the method used to break up the program for drop-shipping to you, which vastly changes what you end up with.
You may think that it makes sense (with most training taking 1-3 years to gain full certified status,) that a training provider will issue the courseware in stages, as you complete each part. Although:
Maybe the order of study pushed by the company’s salespeople doesn’t suit all of us. And what if you don’t finish all the elements at the speed required?
Truth be told, the best solution is to obtain their recommendation on the best possible order of study, but to receive all the materials up-front. You’re then in possession of everything should you not complete it at their required pace.
A useful feature that many training companies provide is a programme of Job Placement assistance. This is designed to steer you into your first IT role. Ultimately it isn’t a complex operation to get a job – as long as you’re correctly trained and certified; because there’s still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.
You would ideally have help with your CV and interview techniques though; additionally, we would recommend any student to update their CV as soon as they start a course – don’t delay until you’ve qualified.
Various junior support jobs have been bagged by students who are in the process of training and haven’t got any qualifications yet. This will at least get you on your way.
The most efficient companies to help get you placed are usually local IT focused employment agencies. As they’re keen to place you to receive their commission, they’re perhaps more focused on results.
A regular grievance of many course providers is how hard people are focused on studying to become certified, but how un-prepared they are to work on getting the position they’re acquired skills for. Get out there and hustle – you might find it’s fun.
(C) 2009 S. Edwards. Look at Click Here or it-training-com.co.uk.