Congratulations! Reading this subject matter means you’re likely to be contemplating your career, and if you’re considering retraining you’ve even now progressed more than the majority of people will. Are you aware that hardly any of us consider ourselves contented at work – yet the vast majority of us will take no corrective action. We implore you to be different and take action – don’t you think you deserve it.
We’d politely request that in advance of taking a course of training, you run through some things with a mentor who can see the bigger picture and can make recommendations. Such a person will go through personality profiling with you and assist in finding the right role for you:
* Are you happier left to your own devices at work or is being in a team environment an essential criteria for you?
* What elements are you looking for from the industry your job is in? (Things do change – look at the building trade, or banks for example.)
* How long a career do you hope to have once retrained, and will the market sector give you the confidence that will happen?
* Do you feel uncomfortable about the chance of finding new employment, and being gainfully employed until you plan to retire?
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.
With all the options available, it’s not really surprising that the majority of trainees have no idea which career they will follow.
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 personality can play an important part – what gets you ‘up and running’, and what are the activities that really turn you off.
* Is it your desire to reach a key dream – like working from home as quickly as possible?
* 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?
* There are many markets to choose from in the IT industry – there’s a need to get some key facts on what sets them apart.
* 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.
Have a conversation with any specialised advisor and we’d be amazed if they couldn’t provide you with many awful tales of how students have been duped by salespeople. Only deal with an industry professional that asks some in-depth questions to find out what’s appropriate to you – not for their paycheque! Dig until you find the very best place to start for you.
With a strong background, or even a touch of work-based experience (some industry qualifications maybe?) then it could be that your starting point will be quite dissimilar from someone who is just starting out.
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?
For future safety and flexibility, it’s not unusual for students to request that all their modules (now paid for) are couriered out in one package, all at the beginning. That means it’s down to you at what speed and in which order you’d like to work.
Some training providers supply a practical Job Placement Assistance service, to help you into your first commercial role. Sometimes, there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, as it’s really not that difficult for a well trained and motivated person to get work in the IT industry – because companies everywhere are seeking qualified personnel.
Get your CV updated straight-away though – look to your training company for advice on how to do this. Don’t put it off till you’ve finished your exams.
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.
Normally you’ll get quicker results from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than you’ll get from a training course provider’s centralised service, as they’ll know the area better.
Just be sure that you don’t spend hundreds of hours on your training and studies, only to stop and imagine someone else is miraculously going to secure your first position. Take responsibility for yourself and make your own enquiries. Put as much energy and enthusiasm into securing the right position as you did to gain the skills.
Copyright Scott Edwards 2009. Look at it-training–uk.co.uk or This Site.