Computer and network support technicians are constantly in demand in the United Kingdom, as organisations have come to depend upon their knowledge and fixing and repairing abilities. Our country’s need for better technically qualified people multiplies, as we become ever more dependent on computers in the twenty first century.
Discovering job security these days is very rare. Companies will throw us from the workforce at a moment’s notice – whenever it suits. We could however discover security at the market sector level, by looking for high demand areas, coupled with work-skill shortages.
The Information Technology (IT) skills deficit throughout the UK falls in at over twenty six percent, as noted by a recent e-Skills survey. Put simply, we only have the national capacity to fill just 3 out of each four job positions in Information Technology (IT). This one truth on its own underpins why the country needs many more people to become part of the IT sector. Unquestionably, now really is a fabulous time to retrain into IT.
So, what kind of questions should we pose if we’d like to take onboard the understanding necessary? Because it seems there are some pretty unique opportunities for us all to look at.
Don’t put too much store, as can often be the case, on the training course itself. Training is not an end in itself; this is about employment. Stay focused on what it is you want to achieve. It’s quite usual, for instance, to obtain tremendous satisfaction from a year of studying but end up spending 10 or 20 years in a career that does nothing for you, as an upshot of not doing some quality research at the outset.
It’s well worth a long chat to see what expectations industry may have of you. What accreditations they will want you to have and how you’ll build your experience level. It’s also worth spending time considering how far you think you’ll want to progress your career as it may affect your choice of accreditations. It’s worth seeking help from someone who can best explain the market you’re considering, and is able to give you ‘A typical day in the life of’ synopsis for each job considered. This is very important because you need to know if this change is right for you.
The old fashioned style of teaching, using textbooks and whiteboards, can be pretty hard going sometimes. If this describes you, dig around for more practical courses that are on-screen and interactive. Research into the way we learn shows that much more of what we learn in remembered when we receive multi-sensorial input, and we put into practice what we’ve been studying.
Find a course where you’ll receive a selection of CD and DVD ROM’s – you’ll be learning from instructor videos and demo’s, and be able to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions. Every company that you look at must be able to demonstrate a few samples of their courseware. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and a wide selection of interactive elements.
Plump for disc based courseware (On CD or DVD) wherever available. You’re then protected from broadband outages, failure and signal quality issues etc.
An area that’s often missed by new students considering a training program is the issue of ‘training segmentation’. Basically, this means the way the course is divided up for timed release to you, which makes a huge difference to the point you end up at. You may think it logical (with a typical time scale of 1-3 years to gain full certified status,) for many training providers to send out one module at a time, as you achieve each exam pass. However: What would happen if you didn’t finish each and every exam within the time limits imposed? Often the prescribed exam order won’t be as easy as an alternative path could be.
For maximum flexibility and safety, most students now choose to insist that all study materials are delivered immediately, and not in stages. It’s then your own choice in which order and at what speed you want to go.
One thing you must always insist on is proper direct-access 24×7 support through professional mentors and instructors. It’s an all too common story to find providers that only provide support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later (but not weekends usually). Avoid those companies who use ‘out-of-hours’ call-centres – with the call-back coming in during typical office hours. This is no use if you’re stuck and need help now.
Be on the lookout for colleges that use several support centres from around the world. Each one should be integrated to enable simple one-stop access as well as 24×7 access, when it’s convenient for you, with the minimum of hassle. Always choose a company that goes the extra mile. As only round-the-clock 24×7 support delivers what is required.
Always expect an accredited exam preparation programme as part of your course package. Don’t fall foul of depending on non-official exam preparation systems. Their phraseology can be completely unlike authorised versions – and this could lead to potential problems once in the actual exam. As you can imagine, it’s essential to be confident that you’re absolutely ready for your actual certification exam before embarking on it. Going over mock-up tests logs the information in your brain and will avoid you getting frustrated with unsuccessful attempts at exams.
Finding your first job in the industry can feel more straightforward if you’re supported with a Job Placement Assistance service. Sometimes, this feature is bigged up too much, as it is genuinely quite straightforward for a well trained and motivated person to secure a job in IT – as there is such a shortage of trained staff.
Help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews might be provided (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). Be sure to you work on your old CV today – don’t wait until you’ve finished your exams! Having the possibility of an interview is more than not being regarded at all. A surprising amount of junior support roles are offered to students (sometimes when they’ve only just got going.) Normally you’ll get quicker results from a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service than you will through a course provider’s recruitment division, because they will be more familiar with the area and local employers.
Not inconsiderable numbers of people, apparently, spend evenings and weekends on their training and studies (sometimes for years), and then just stop instead of finding a job. Introduce yourself… Make an effort to get yourself known. A job isn’t just going to bump into you.