It’s really great that you’ve made it this far! Just ten percent of people say they enjoy their work, but the majority just bitch about it and nothing happens. By looking for this we have a hunch that you’re giving retraining some thought, so you’ve already stood out from the crowd. Now you just need to research and follow-through.
Prior to considering specific training programs, look for an advisor who will be able to guide you on which area will be right for you. An advisor who will take time to get an understanding of your personality, and discover what type of job will be right for you:
* Is working with other people your thing? Is it meeting new people or being part of a team? Perhaps you prefer not to be disturbed and enjoy responsibilities that you can complete alone?
* Do you have a preference which sector you would be suited to? (Post credit crunch, it’s more important than ever to choose carefully.)
* And how many years do you want to get out of your retraining, and can your chosen industry offer you that opportunity?
* Would it be useful for your training course to be in a market sector where as far as you can see your chances of gainful employment are high until your pension kicks in?
We would advise you to have a good look at the IT industry – there are increasingly more roles than people to do them, because it’s one of the few choices of career where the industry is expanding. Despite what some people believe, it isn’t a bunch of techie geeks looking at screens every day (though those jobs exist.) The majority of jobs are occupied by people like you and me who want to earn a very good living.
Many trainers will provide a useful Job Placement Assistance program, to assist your search for your first position. It can happen though that too much is made of this feature, because it’s really not that difficult for a well trained and motivated person to secure work in this industry – as there is such a shortage of well trained people.
Update your CV at the beginning of your training though (advice can be sought on this via your provider). Don’t delay until you’ve graduated or passed any exams.
Getting onto the ‘maybe’ pile of CV’s is better than being rejected. Many junior support jobs are given to trainees in the early stages of their course.
The top companies to help you land that job are usually specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. Because they get paid commission to place you, they’ll work that much harder to get a result.
Various students, it seems, spend evenings and weekends on their training and studies (sometimes for years), and then just stop instead of attempting to secure their first job. Market yourself… Work hard to get in front of employers. A job isn’t just going to bump into you.
You should look for an authorised exam preparation system as part of your training package.
Steer clear of depending on non-official exam papers and questions. Their phraseology is sometimes startlingly different – and this leads to huge confusion when it comes to taking the real exam.
Clearly, it’s very crucial to know that you’re completely ready for your actual certification exam prior to going for it. Practicing simulated tests helps build your confidence and saves you time and money on unsuccessful attempts at exams.
Make sure you don’t get caught-up, as many people do, on the certification itself. Your training isn’t about getting a plaque on your wall; you should be geared towards the actual job at the end of it. Stay focused on what it is you want to achieve.
It’s not unheard of, in some situations, to thoroughly enjoy one year of training only to end up putting 20 long years into a tiresome job role, as an upshot of not doing the correct research at the outset.
You also need to know how you feel about career development, earning potential, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. It’s vital to know what (if any) sacrifices you’ll need to make for a particular role, which particular exams are needed and in what way you can develop commercial experience.
Take advice from an experienced industry advisor, even if you have to pay – it’s much safer and cheaper to investigate at the start if your choices are appropriate, rather than realise after several years of study that you aren’t going to enjoy the job you’ve chosen and have to start from the beginning again.
Students who consider this area of study are usually quite practically-minded, and don’t really enjoy classrooms, and slogging through piles of books. If you identify with this, try the newer style of interactive study, where learning is video-based.
Our ability to remember is increased with an involvement of all our senses – experts have been clear on this for as long as we can remember.
Locate a program where you’ll receive a library of DVD-ROM’s – you’ll begin by watching videos of instructors demonstrating the skills, followed by the chance to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills.
All companies should be able to show you some examples of the materials provided for study. You’re looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and many interactive sections.
Purely on-line training should be avoided. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where offered, 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.
(C) 2010 – S. Edwards. Hop over to Microsoft Certification Courses or www.it-training-com.co.uk.
