What could a trainee searching for certified training from Microsoft expect to come across? Undoubtedly, companies should give access to a range of different options that cover the portfolio of training tracks certified by Microsoft.
Maybe you’d choose to talk about career options with an industry expert – and should you be confused, then have some guidance on what sort of job would be best, based on your personality and ability level.
Ensure your training program is tailored to your ability level and skill set. Select a company that will make sure that the course is relevant to the status you wish to achieve.
Think about the facts below and pay great regard to them if you’re inclined to think that old marketing ploy of an ‘Exam Guarantee’ sounds great value:
Clearly it isn’t free – you’re still coughing up for it – the price has simply been included in the whole thing.
Qualifying on the first ‘go’ is what everyone wants to do. Going for exams one by one and paying as you go puts you in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt – you take it seriously and are conscious of what you’ve spent.
Why pay your college at the start of the course for exams? Find the best deal you can when you take the exam, instead of paying a premium – and sit exams more locally – instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call.
Paying in advance for exams (and interest charges if you’re borrowing money) is insane. It’s not your job to boost the training company’s account with your money simply to help their cash-flow! Many will hope you won’t get round to taking them – but they won’t refund the cash.
Additionally, many exam guarantees are worthless. The majority of companies won’t be prepared to pay again for an exam until you can prove to them you’re ready to pass.
VUE and Prometric examinations are around 112 pounds in Great Britain. Why pay exorbitant charges for ‘Exam Guarantees’ (most often hidden in the package) – when good quality study materials, the proper support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what’s required.
Searching for your first position in IT can be a little easier if you’re offered a Job Placement Assistance service. It can happen though that too much is made of this feature, as it’s really not that difficult for well qualified and focused men and women to secure a job in the IT environment – because companies everywhere are seeking trained staff.
CV and Interview advice and support is sometimes offered (if not, see one of our sites for help). It’s essential that you bring your CV right up to date right away – not when you’re ready to start work!
It’s not uncommon to find that junior support jobs have been bagged by people who are still learning and have yet to take their exams. This will at least get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile.
The best services to get you a new position are generally specialist locally based employment services. As they’re keen to place you to receive their commission, they’ll work that much harder to get a result.
Just be sure that you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, then call a halt and leave it up to everyone else to land you a job. Stand up for yourself and get out there. Put the same energy and enthusiasm into landing your new role as it took to pass the exams.
Being a part of the information technology industry is one of the more electrifying and revolutionary industries that you could be a part of. Being a member of a team working on breakthroughs in technology is to do your bit in the gigantic changes shaping life over the next few decades.
There are people who believe that the technological revolution that’s been a familiar part of our recent lives is cooling down. This couldn’t be more wrong. Massive changes are on the horizon, and the internet particularly will be the most effective tool in our lives.
And it’s worth remembering that income in the IT sector throughout this country is significantly more than in other market sectors, therefore you’ll be in a good position to receive noticeably more in the IT sector, than you could reasonably hope to achieve elsewhere.
The need for appropriately qualified IT professionals is certain for a good while yet, thanks to the continuous expansion in IT dependency in commerce and the huge shortage still in existence.
One area often overlooked by people considering a training program is ‘training segmentation’. Essentially, this is how the program is broken down into parts for timed release to you, which can make a dramatic difference to what you end up with.
Students often think it makes sense (with most training taking 1-3 years for a full commercial certification,) for your typical trainer to courier the courseware in stages, as you achieve each exam pass. But:
It’s not unusual for trainees to realise that their training company’s standard order of study is not what they would prefer. They might find a different order of study is more expedient. And what happens if they don’t finish at the pace they expect?
For the perfect solution, you’d ask for every single material to be delivered immediately – giving you them all to come back to in the future – at any time you choose. This allows a variation in the order that you attack each section as and when something more intuitive seems right for you.
(C) Jason Kendall. Pop to LearningLolly.com for excellent career tips. SQL Server Courses or Click Here.