Training in PC Support
Computer and network support staff are ever more sought after in the United Kingdom, as organisations have come to depend on their technical advice and ability to fix and repair. Whereupon we’re all becoming massively more dependent on our PC’s, we simultaneously emerge as more dependent on the commercially qualified IT networkers, who keep the systems going.
It would be wonderful to believe that our jobs are safe and our work prospects are protected, however, the truth for most sectors in Great Britain right now seems to be that the marketplace is far from secure. Where there are rising skills shortfalls together with increasing demand of course, we almost always locate a new kind of security in the marketplace; as fuelled by conditions of continuous growth, organisations struggle to find the number of people required.
Using the Information Technology (IT) business for example, the 2006 e-Skills investigation demonstrated major skills shortages throughout the United Kingdom in excess of 26 percent. Put directly, we only have the national capacity to fill just three out of each 4 job positions in the computing industry. This glaring fact clearly demonstrates the requirement for more properly certified computing professionals in the United Kingdom. While the market is evolving at the speed it is, is there any other market worth investigating for a new future.
So, what questions should we be asking if we’re to take in the understanding we want? As it looks like there are some pretty superb prospects for everyone to mull over.
Many companies focus completely on the certification process, and forget why you’re doing this – which will always be getting the job or career you want. You should always begin with the final destination in mind – don’t make the vehicle more important than the destination. Students often train for a single year but end up doing a job for a lifetime. Ensure you avoid the fatal error of opting for what may seem to be an ‘interesting’ training program only to waste your life away with an unrewarding career!
Be honest with yourself about how much you want to earn and whether you’re an ambitious person or not. Often, this changes which particular qualifications will be expected and what’ll be expected of you in your new role. Chat with a skilled advisor who has a commercial understanding of the realities faced in the industry, and could provide an in-depth explanation of what tasks are going to make up a typical day for you. Researching these areas before commencement of any training path makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
Some training companies will only offer support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; It’s rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Beware of institutions which use call-centres ‘out-of-hours’ – where an advisor will call back during standard office hours. This is no use if you’re stuck and need an answer now.
The most successful trainers have many support offices from around the world. An online system provides an interactive interface to link them all seamlessly, irrespective of the time you login, help is at hand, with no hassle or contact issues. Never settle for a lower level of service. Direct-access round-the-clock support is the only way to go when it comes to computer-based training. Perhaps you don’t intend to study during the evenings; usually though, we’re at work while the support is live.
Traditional teaching in classrooms, using textbooks and whiteboards, is usually pretty hard going. If this sounds like you, find training programs that are multimedia based. Where possible, if we can involve all our senses in the learning process, then the results are usually dramatically better.
Learning is now available in disc format, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Utilising the latest video technology, you are able to see your instructors showing you how something is done, followed by your chance to practice – via the interactive virtual lab’s. You really need to look at courseware examples from any company that you may want to train through. You’ll want to see that they include video, demonstrations and various interactive elements.
Some companies only have access to just online versions of their training packages; and although this is okay the majority of the time, imagine the problems if you lose your internet access or you get slow speeds and down-time etc. It’s preferable to have CD and DVD ROM materials which will solve that problem.
Many people question why traditional academic studies are less in demand than the more commercial qualifications? With the costs of academic degree’s climbing ever higher, along with the IT sector’s general opinion that accreditation-based training is often far more commercially relevant, we have seen a big surge in Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA accredited training paths that supply key solutions to a student at a fraction of the cost and time involved. University courses, for example, can often get caught up in a great deal of loosely associated study – with a syllabus that’s far too wide. This holds a student back from learning the core essentials in sufficient depth.
Imagine if you were an employer – and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What’s the simplest way to find the right person: Trawl through reams of different degrees and college qualifications from various applicants, asking for course details and which vocational skills they’ve acquired, or choose particular accreditations that perfectly fit your needs, and then choose your interviewees based around that. You’ll then be able to concentrate on getting a feel for the person at interview – rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
A key training package will undoubtedly also offer Microsoft (or key company) simulation materials and exam preparation packages. Don’t go for training programs depending on unauthorised exam papers and questions. The type of questions asked can be completely unlike authorised versions – and sometimes this can be a real headache when it comes to taking the real exam. Clearly, it is vital to make sure you’re absolutely ready for your actual certification exam before embarking on it. Rehearsing simulated tests logs the information in your brain and will avoid you getting frustrated with thwarted exam entries.
Many training companies will provide a useful Job Placement Assistance program, to help you get your first job. The honest truth is that it’s not as hard as some people make out to secure a job – once you’re trained and certified; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.
Bring your CV up to date as soon as possible however (advice can be sought on this via your provider). Don’t wait for when you’re ready to start work. Being considered a ‘maybe’ is more than not being regarded at all. A decent number of junior support roles are got by students (sometimes when they’ve only just got going.) If it’s important to you to find work near your home, then it’s quite likely that a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service could work much better for you than a national service, for they’re going to have insider knowledge of what’s available near you.
A common grievance of a number of training course providers is how hard people are prepared to study to get qualified, but how un-prepared that student is to get the role they’re trained for. Get out there and hustle – you might find it’s fun.
