Congratulations! Discovering this piece proves you must be contemplating your career, and if training for a new career’s in your mind then you’ve already got further than most others. Can you believe that a small minority of us are satisfied and happy at work – but the majority won’t do a thing about it. We implore you to break free and make a start – don’t you think you deserve it.
When considering retraining, it’s important that you first make a list of what you want and don’t want from the position you would like to get. Ensure that a new career would suit you better before you put a lot of energy into changing the direction of your life. We recommend looking at the big picture first, to avoid disappointment:
* Do you see yourself dealing with people? Would that be with a small ‘tightly-knit’ team or with a lot of new people? Maybe working on your own with your own methodology may be your preference?
* What’s important that you get from the industry your job is in? (Building and banking – not so stable as they once were.)
* Once you’ve qualified, are you hoping your new skills will give you the ability to see you to retirement age?
* Do you feel uncomfortable with regard to your chances of getting another job, and keeping a job to the end of your working life?
We ask you to have a good look at Information Technology – there are a larger number of jobs than people to do them, and it’s a rare career choice where the industry is on the grow. Despite what some people believe, IT isn’t all techie people gazing at their computer screens the whole day (though naturally some jobs are like that.) The vast majority of roles are occupied by ordinary people who want to earn a very good living.
Many certification companies are still maintaining the slightly musty old method of in-centre classes. Usually touted as a major benefit, after discussion with someone who has first-hand experience, you’ll find them listing some or all of the following problems:
* Loads of driving back and forth from the training centre – normally 100’s of miles.
* Asking for frequent time off work – many training providers will only provide availability during weekdays – typically grouping 2 or 3 days together. This is generally difficult for those of us who work for a living, and it’s made more problematic if you include the travel time on top.
* And let’s not overlook lost vacation time. Most of us have 4 weeks annual leave. If at least half is sacrificed to learning, then it doesn’t leave much for us and our families.
* Because of the cost involved, a lot of schools really push the size of the class – certainly not ideal (and much less personal).
* Workshop pace – workshops usually consist of students of varied skill, consequently tension can run high between students with more background knowledge and the ones who need a little longer.
* Most attendees talk of the high costs involved with all the travelling back and forth to the training school whilst paying for accommodation and food gets very high.
* A lot of trainees want their training to remain private thus avoiding all come-back in their work.
* We all find that, at times, it’s uncomfortable to raise questions when surrounded by other students – who wants to look like they’re the only one who doesn’t get it?
* For students working away from home occasionally, you face the added difficulty that events are now difficult to get to – but unfortunately, the fees were paid along with everything else at the start.
Many students discover a more flexible approach is to make use of ready-made, videoed lessons at home, in comfort – taking them when it’s convenient to you – not someone else.
Think… If you’ve got a notebook PC you have the ability to learn in any location you choose. And 24×7 support is an online click away if you hit challenges.
You’ll never have to write notes again – you have the lessons and accompanying information ready-made for you. If you need to cover something again, you’ve got it all.
Even though this can’t completely stop every single problem, it definitely makes things easier, simpler and less stressful. Plus you’ve got less hassle, costs and travel.
Potential Students hoping to begin an IT career often have no idea of which route is best, or what area to build their qualifications around.
Because in the absence of any previous experience in the IT industry, in what way could we understand what someone in a particular job does?
Arriving at the right conclusion will only come from a meticulous analysis of several varying key points:
* Your personality type plus what interests you – the sort of working tasks you love or hate.
* Are you aiming to pull off a specific aim – for instance, working from home as quickly as possible?
* Does salary have a higher place on your priority-list than some other areas.
* Considering the huge variation that computing covers, it’s a requirement that you can understand how they differ.
* What effort, commitment and time you’ll commit the training program.
For the average person, getting to the bottom of each of these concepts tends to require the help of a professional who can explain things properly. And we don’t just mean the qualifications – but also the commercial requirements and expectations also.
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