Posts Tagged ‘reference’

If it’s Cisco training you’re after, but you haven’t worked with network switches or routers, we’d recommend taking the Cisco CCNA qualification. This will give you knowledge and skills to work with routers. The internet is made up of hundreds of thousands of routers, and big organisations with many locations also utilise routers to allow their networks to keep in touch.

You must have a good understanding of the operation and function of computer networks, as networks are connected to routers. If not, the chances are you’ll fall behind. You might find a course teaching the basics in networking (for example Network+, perhaps with A+) prior to starting your CCNA. Some companies will design a bespoke package for you.

Having the right skills and knowledge ahead of starting your Cisco CCNA course skills is very important. Therefore, discuss the requirements expected of you with someone who will be able to help you.

How do we reach an educated decision then? With all this potential, it’s imperative to understand where to investigate – and of course, what to actually be digging for.

A proficient and professional advisor (vs a salesman) will cover in some detail your current experience level and abilities. This is vital for understanding your study start-point. Remember, if you’ve got any work-experience or certification, then you may be able to pick-up at a different starting-point to someone new to the industry. For those students starting IT studies and exams for the first time, it can be useful to avoid jumping in at the deep-end, starting with some basic PC skills training first. This is often offered with most training packages.

Full support is of the utmost importance – find a program providing 24×7 full access, as anything less will frustrate you and could hamper your progress. Locate training schools with help available at any time of day or night (even if it’s early hours on Sunday morning!) You want direct access to tutors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you’re consistently being held in a queue for a call-back – probably during office hours.

If you look properly, you’ll find professional companies that provide their students online direct access support all the time – including evenings, nights and weekends. If you fail to get yourself online 24×7 support, you’ll very quickly realise that you’ve made a mistake. You might not want to use the service in the middle of the night, but you’re bound to use weekends, late evenings or early mornings.

The classroom style of learning we remember from school, involving piles of reference textbooks, is often a huge slog for most of us. If this sounds like you, dig around for more practical courses which feature interactive and multimedia modules. Many years of research has constantly confirmed that an ‘involved’ approach to study, where we utilise all our senses, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.

Locate a program where you’ll receive a selection of CD and DVD ROM’s – you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, followed by the chance to practice your skills in interactive lab’s. Any company that you’re considering should willingly take you through a few samples of their training materials. Make sure you encounter videos of instructor-led classes and a wide selection of interactive elements.

Go for CD and DVD ROM based physical training media every time. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with the variability of broadband quality and service.

Many trainers are still using a now out-dated method of training – in-centre classes. Often sold as a benefit, if you talk to a student who has had to attend a few, you’ll most likely hear about many or most of these:

* Frequent back and forth visits – normally 100′s of miles or more.

* Workshop availability; normally Mon-Fri and two or three days in a row. It’s never convenient to take the required time off work.

* I think you’d agree that we usually end up feeling four weeks vacation allowance is not really enough. Take away over half of it for training events and see your problems doubled.

* Because of the cost involved, most schools make the classes quite large – not really ideal (and with less one-on-one time).

* Many attendees are trying to maintain a quick pace, but some like to take it easier and not be pushed beyond their comfort-zone. This generates tension and bad atmosphere in most workshops.

* Let’s not forget the increased cost of driving or taking public transport or accommodation either. Don’t be surprised to find this become hundreds and even thousands of pounds extra. Take some time to add it all up – it’ll shock and surprise you.

* It’s important to maintain privacy. We wouldn’t want to run the risk of giving up any possible promotion that could awarded to us because of our studies.

* Many of us find that, at times, it’s uncomfortable to raise questions in a room full of other students – because none of us wants to look like we don’t understand.

* If you occasionally work away from home, it’s a fact of life that days in-centre are now awkward to keep up – unfortunately however, they’ve been paid for in advance.

Why not watch a video and study with instructors one-to-one via ready-made modules, doing them when it’s convenient for you, not someone else. Study can happen anywhere that suits. If you’ve got a laptop, you could get some sunshine outside while you study. If any problem raises its head then get onto the live 24×7 support. You can come back to any of the modules as many times as you want to brush up. And of course, you don’t have to jot down any notes as you have the lesson indefinitely. While this doesn’t take away every problem, it surely reduces stress and eases things. Plus you’ve got less travel, hassle and costs.

Being at the forefront of revolutionary new technology is about as exciting as it can get. You’re involved with creating a future for us all. Technological changes and interaction via the internet is going to spectacularly shape our lifestyles over future years; remarkably so.

If money is high on your goal sheet, then you will appreciate the fact that the income on average for a typical IT worker is a lot higher than with the rest of the economy. It would appear there is a lot more room for IT jobs development across Britain. The market sector is continuing to expand enormously, and as we have a significant shortage of skilled professionals, it’s most unlikely that this will change significantly for years to come.

Nice One! As you’re reading this article you’re probably toying with the idea of getting re-qualified for a new job – so you’ve already done more than most. Less of us than you’d think are pleased to go to work each day, but it’s rare anyone does more than moan. So, why not be one of the few who decide to make the change.

Before we even think about specific training programs, discuss your thoughts with an industry expert who will be able to guide you on which area will be right for you. Someone who has the ability to ask questions about your likes and dislikes, and discover what type of job will be right for you:

* Do you see yourself dealing with people? Would you prefer to work with a small team or with a lot of new people? It could be working by yourself with your own methodology would be more your thing?

* What criteria are fundamentally important with regard to the industry you’ll work in?

* Is it important that this should be a one off time that you’ll have to retrain?

* Do you have the assurance that the training program you’ve chosen can help you find employment, and will have the ability to keep you in work until retirement?

We would advise you to find out more about the computer industry – there are more jobs than workers to do them, plus it’s one of the few choices of career where the sector is on the grow. Contrary to the beliefs of some, it isn’t just geeks staring at their computers the whole day (though naturally some jobs are like that.) The majority of jobs are done by ordinary people who like receiving larger than average salaries.

It’s clear nowadays: There really is no such thing as individual job security anymore; there can only be market or sector security – any company is likely to let anyone go if it suits the company’s trade interests. We could however locate security at market-level, by looking for areas in high demand, together with work-skill shortages.

Taking a look at the computing market, the recent e-Skills investigation highlighted an over 26 percent skills deficit. Alternatively, you could say, this clearly demonstrates that the country can only locate 3 trained people for each 4 job positions that are available at the moment. Gaining the appropriate commercial computing accreditation is accordingly a quick route to succeed in a continuing as well as pleasing line of work. Quite simply, acquiring professional IT skills throughout the next year or two is almost definitely the best career direction you could choose.

How are we supposed to go about making the right decisions then? With all this potential, it’s essential to be guided as to where to look – and what we should be searching for.

Of course: the actual training program or a qualification isn’t what this is about; the job or career that you’re getting the training for is. A lot of colleges seem to over-emphasise just the training course. It’s quite usual, for example, to obtain tremendous satisfaction from a year of studying only to end up putting 20 long years into a tiresome job role, as an upshot of not doing the correct level of soul-searching at the outset.

Prioritise understanding what industry will expect from you. Which qualifications they’ll want you to gain and in what way you can gain some industry experience. Spend some time thinking about how far you wish to get as it may present a very specific set of accreditations. Long before starting a particular study course, trainees are advised to chat over the specific job requirements with an industry professional, in order to be sure the learning path covers all the necessary elements.

There is no way of over emphasising this: Always get full 24×7 support from professional instructors. You will have so many problems later if you don’t adhere to this. Locate training schools where you can receive help at any time you choose (even 1am on Sunday morning!) Ensure you get direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors, and not a message system as this will slow you down – waiting for tutors to call you back at a convenient time for them.

The best trainers use multiple support centres active in different time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, at any time you choose, there is always help at hand, avoiding all the delays and problems. You can’t afford to accept anything less. Direct-access 24×7 support is the only kind to make the grade when it comes to IT learning. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; but for most of us, we’re at work during the provided support period.

If you’re like many of the students we talk to then you’re a practical sort of person – a ‘hands-on’ type. Typically, the painful task of reading endless manuals is something you’ll make yourself do if you have to, but it’s not ideal. Check out video-based multimedia instruction if you’d really rather not use books. Learning psychology studies show that much more of what we learn in remembered when all our senses are involved, and we get practically involved in what we’re studying.

Interactive full motion video involving demonstration and virtual lab’s will forever turn you away from traditional book study. And you’ll actually enjoy doing them. It’s very important to see examples of the study materials provided by each company you’re contemplating. Be sure that they contain video demo’s and interactive elements such as practice lab’s.

It is generally unwise to select online only courseware. Because of the variable quality and reliability of all internet service providers, make sure you get CD or DVD ROM based materials.

Qualifications from the commercial sector are now, most definitely, already replacing the older academic routes into the IT sector – why then should this be? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs becoming a tall order for many, alongside the IT sector’s general opinion that corporate based study often has more relevance in the commercial field, we have seen a great increase in Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA accredited training courses that create knowledgeable employees for much less time and money. Essentially, the learning just focuses on what’s actually required. Actually, it’s not quite as pared down as that, but the most important function is always to focus on the exact skills required (including a degree of required background) – without attempting to cover a bit about all sorts of other things (as universities often do).

Just like the advert used to say: ‘It does what it says on the label’. All an employer has to do is know what they need doing, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. That way they can be sure they’re interviewing applicants who can do the job.

It’s not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees – this always means you have to pay for the exams when you pay for the rest of your course. However, prior to embracing this so-called guarantee, be aware of the facts:

We all know that we’re still footing the bill for it – it’s quite obvious to see that it’s already in the overall figure from the course provider. It’s definitely not free – and it’s insulting that we’re supposed to think it is! Evidence shows that when students fund each examination, at the time of taking them, they will be much more likely to pass every time – since they are conscious of what they’ve paid and so will prepare more thoroughly.

Isn’t it outrageous to have to pay a training company early for examination fees? Find the best exam deal or offer at the time, rather than pay marked up fees – and do it locally – instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call. A lot of questionable training colleges secure huge profits through getting in the money for examinations upfront then banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. Also, you should consider what an ‘exam guarantee’ really means. The majority of organisations will not pay for you to re-take until you have demonstrated conclusively that you won’t fail again.

On average, exams cost around the 112 pounds mark in the last 12 months when taken at VUE or Pro-metric centres in the UK. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra to get ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when it’s obvious that the responsible approach is consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software.

Be careful that the accreditations you’re considering doing will be recognised by employers and are up-to-date. The ‘in-house’ certifications provided by many companies are often meaningless. All the major commercial players such as Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco have nationally recognised proficiency programs. Major-league companies like these will give some sparkle to your CV.

If you’re looking to gain accredited qualifications at the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) level of study, some of the best training tools on sale are for computer based interactive, hands-on study. So if you are a professional but are looking to gain acknowledged certifications, or are new to network support, you’ll discover technologically advanced MCSA courses to fit your requirements. Each scenario needs a different type of course, so pay attention to check you’re on the right one prior to getting going. Look for a training provider that talks with you so they learn what you hope to do, and will give you direction on how it will all work, well before they start talking about courses.

What are the questions we should pose if we want to take in the understanding we want? Because it’s evident there are many fairly unique possibilities for us all to mull over.

If an advisor doesn’t ask many questions – the likelihood is they’re really a salesperson. If they’re pushing towards a particular product before understanding your background and current experience level, then it’s very likely to be the case. An important point to note is that, if you’ve got any work-experience or certification, then you will often be able to start at a different point than a trainee with no history to speak of. Always consider starting with some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first. This can set the scene for your on-going studies and make the learning curve a a little easier.

Make sure that all your accreditations are current and what employers are looking for – forget studies which provide certificates that are worthless because they’re ‘in-house’. All the major IT organisations like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco all have widely renowned proficiency courses. Huge conglomerates such as these will give some sparkle to your CV.

Usually, trainers will provide a bunch of books and manuals. It’s not a very interesting way to learn and isn’t the best way to go about taking things in. If we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, then we normally see dramatically better results.

Study programs now come on CD and DVD discs, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Through video streaming, you can watch instructors demonstrating how something is done, with some practice time to follow – via the interactive virtual lab’s. Make sure to obtain a look at some courseware examples from the school that you’re considering. The materials should incorporate slide-shows, instructor-led videos and interactive labs where you get to practice.

Often, companies will only use just online versions of their training packages; sometimes you can get away with this – but, consider what happens when you don’t have access to the internet or you get intermittent problems and speed issues. A safer solution is the provision of physical CD or DVD discs which will not have these problems.

The area most overlooked by new students thinking about a course is the issue of ‘training segmentation’. Essentially, this is the method used to break up the program for timed release to you, which can make a dramatic difference to the point you end up at. The majority of training companies will set up a program spread over 1-3 years, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you get to the end of each exam. On the surface this seems reasonable – until you consider the following: What happens when you don’t complete every single section? And what if the order provided doesn’t meet your requirements? Because of nothing that’s your fault, you may go a little slower and therefore not end up with all the modules.

An ideal situation would be to have all the training materials packed off to your home before you even start; the entire thing! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede your capacity to get everything done.

If you forget everything else – then just remember this: You absolutely must have proper 24×7 instructor and mentor support. You will have so many problems later if you don’t adhere to this. Never buy training courses that only support students through a call-centre messaging system after 6-9pm in the evening and during weekends. Trainers will try to talk you round from this line of reasoning. But, no matter how they put it – you need support when you need support – not when it’s convenient for them.

Top training companies utilise several support facilities from around the world. They use an online interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, irrespective of the time you login, help is just a click away, with no hassle or contact issues. Don’t ever make the mistake of taking second best with the quality of your support. The vast majority of would-be IT professionals who drop-out or fail, would have had a different experience if they’d got the right support package in the first place.

Review the following facts and pay great regard to them if you believe that over-used sales technique about a guarantee for your exam looks like a reason to buy:

Of course it isn’t free – you’re still footing the bill for it – it’s just been included in your package price. Students who go in for their examinations when it’s appropriate, paying for them just before taking them are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They are thoughtful of their investment and so are more inclined to be up to the task.

Shouldn’t you be looking to find the best exam deal or offer when you take the exam, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to a college, and to do it in a local testing office – rather than in some remote centre? What’s the point in paying early for examination fees when you don’t need to? Big margins are made by companies charging upfront for all their exams – and hoping either that you won’t take them, or it will be a long time before you do. Re-takes of previously unsuccessful exams with companies who offer an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are tightly controlled. They will insist that you take pre-tests first until you’ve proven that you’re likely to pass.

With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE tests in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, the most cost-effective way to cover the cost is by paying when you need them. Not to fork out thousands extra in up-front costs. Consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

Finding job security nowadays is problematic. Companies will drop us out of the workplace with very little notice – whenever it suits. Where there are escalating skills shortfalls together with rising demand of course, we always hit upon a new kind of security in the marketplace; driven by conditions of continuous growth, organisations find it hard to locate the influx of staff needed.

The Information Technology (IT) skills-gap throughout Great Britain falls in at roughly twenty six percent, according to the latest e-Skills study. This shows that for every 4 jobs in existence in Information Technology (IT), we have only 3 certified professionals to fill that need. This one concept alone clearly demonstrates why Great Britain urgently requires so many more trainees to become part of the IT sector. Unquestionably, this really is such a perfect time to retrain into the computer industry.

Should you fancy a career in web design, then you need training in Adobe Dreamweaver. In order to use Dreamweaver commercially in web design, a thorough comprehension of the full Adobe Web Creative Suite (which incorporates Flash and Action Script) is in our opinion essential. Having such skills means, you have the choice to become either an Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) or an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE).

Making websites is only the first aspect of the skills needed by professional web-designers today. Why not find a course with a range of specialist features, for example PHP, HTML and MySQL to enable you to understand how to create traffic, maintain content and program dynamic sites that are database driven.

Arriving at a sensible career development choice is very difficult – so what research do we need to do and which questions should we be asking?

Beware of putting too much emphasis, as many people do, on the accreditation program. Training is not an end in itself; this is about employment. Focus on the end-goal. It’s a sad fact, but the majority of trainees kick-off study that often sounds spectacular from the marketing materials, but which delivers a career that is of no interest. Talk to many college leavers for a real eye-opener.

You also need to know how you feel about career development, earning potential, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. You need to know what will be expected of you, what accreditations will be required and in what way you can develop commercial experience. It’s worth seeking help from a professional that can best explain the industry you think may suit you, and who can offer ‘A day in the life of’ type of explanation for that career-path. This is of paramount importance because you obviously have to know if you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Only consider learning paths that’ll grow into industry approved qualifications. There are far too many minor schools offering ‘in-house’ certificates that are essentially useless when it comes to finding a job. Only properly recognised qualifications from the likes of Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA and Adobe will open the doors to employers.

Full support is of the utmost importance – ensure you track down something offering 24×7 direct access to instructors, as anything less will not satisfy and will also impede your ability to learn. Be wary of any training providers who use ‘out-of-hours’ call-centres – with the call-back coming in during typical office hours. This is useless when you’re stuck and need help now.

The best training colleges tend to use an online 24×7 package utilising a variety of support centres across the globe. You get an environment which switches seamlessly to the best choice of centres irrespective of the time of day: Support available as-and-when you want it. Seek out a training provider that gives this level of learning support. Only proper 24×7 round-the-clock live support truly delivers for technical programs.

Traditional teaching in classrooms, using textbooks and whiteboards, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If this sounds like you, check out study materials which feature interactive and multimedia modules. Many studies have proved that memory is aided when all our senses are involved, and we put into practice what we’ve been studying.

Search for a course where you’ll get a host of CD and DVD ROM’s – you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, followed by the chance to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions. It’s very important to see examples of the study materials provided by any company that you may want to train through. You’ll want to see that they include instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab’s.

You should avoid purely online training. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where available, as you need to be able to use them whenever it’s convenient for you – and not be totally reliant on a good broadband connection all the time.

Adding in the cost of examination fees up-front and offering an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is common for a good many training companies. But look at the facts:

Thankfully, today we’re a bit more aware of hype – and generally we know that for sure it is something we’re paying for (it’s not a freebie because they like us so much!) It’s well known in the industry that if a student pays for their relevant examinations, when they’re ready to take them and not before, they’ll be in a better position to pass every time – as they are conscious of what they’ve paid and their application will be greater.

Do your exams somewhere local and find the best deal for you at the time. A lot of extra profit is netted by a significant number of organisations who get money upfront for exam fees. For quite legitimate reasons, a number of students don’t get to do their exams but the company keeps the money. Astoundingly enough, there are providers who rely on that fact – as that’s very profitable for them. The majority of companies will insist on pre-tests and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you’ve completely proven that you’re likely to pass – which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.

Splashing out often many hundreds of pounds extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is foolish – when a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools is what will get you through.

Now, why might we choose commercial certification instead of more traditional academic qualifications gained through schools and Further Education colleges? Key company training (as it’s known in the industry) is most often much more specialised. Industry is aware that a specialist skill-set is essential to cope with an acceleratingly technical workplace. CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA are the big boys in this field. Essentially, the learning just focuses on what’s actually required. It isn’t quite as lean as that might sound, but the principle remains that students need to cover the precise skills needed (along with a certain amount of crucial background) – without overdoing the detail in everything else (as universities often do).

Assuming a company knows what areas need to be serviced, then they simply need to advertise for someone with a specific qualification. The syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and don’t change between schools (as academic syllabuses often do).

It would be wonderful to believe that our careers will remain secure and our work futures are protected, but the growing reality for the majority of jobs in the UK currently appears to be that security may be a thing of the past. However, a marketplace with high growth, with a constant demand for staff (through a growing shortfall of trained people), enables the possibility of lasting job security.

With the computing sector as an example, the most recent e-Skills study showed major skills shortages in the United Kingdom of over 26 percent. Or, to put it differently, this shows that the country is only able to source 3 trained people for each 4 job positions existing today. Achieving in-depth commercial Information Technology qualification is accordingly a ‘Fast Track’ to a life-long and satisfying profession. No better time or market settings will exist for acquiring training in this quickly increasing and budding industry.