IT Career Retraining – What Are The Options 2009
April 18, 2009 by Jason Kendall
Filed under Online Colleges
Good for you! As you’re reading this article you’re probably toying with the idea of learning new skills to change career – that puts you way ahead of the crowd. Very few of us are pleased to go to work each day, but no action is ever taken. You could be a member of the few who take responsibility for their future.
When considering retraining, it’s crucial that you have in mind what you DO want and DON’T want from the career you’re hoping to qualify for. Be sure that you would be more satisfied before your energies are focused on taking a new turn. We recommend looking at the whole story first, to steer clear of regrets:
* Do you operate better working alone or is being in a team environment more important to you?
* What do you require from your chosen industry? (If it’s stability you’re after, you might think twice about banks or the building industry right now.)
* Is this the final time you plan to retrain, and based on that, will your chosen career path offer that choice?
* Do you believe that your industry training course is commercially viable, and will provide the facility to be employed until your pension kicks in?
The most significant market sector in the UK to meet the above criteria is the IT sector. There’s a demand for more qualified people in this sector, just check out any jobsite and you’ll see for yourself. Don’t misunderstand and think it’s all techie people staring at theirscreens the whole time – there are loads more jobs than that. The majority of staff in this sector are just like you and me, and they have very interesting and well paid jobs.
It’s indisputable, the UK Information Technology (IT) industry offers tremendous prospects. Yet, to investigate it properly, which questions do we need to be raising, and which are the most important factors?
Starting with the idea that it’s good to find the area of most interest first and foremost, before we can chew over which career training meets that requirement, how are we supposed to find the right path? Because in the absence of any commercial skills in computing, in what way could we know what any job actually involves? Usually, the way to come at this quandary in the best manner stems from a deep conversation around several areas:
* Personalities play a significant part – what gets you ‘up and running’, and what are the things that ruin your day.
* What is the time-frame for the training process?
* Does salary have a higher place on your priority-list than anything else.
* Considering all that Information Technology encompasses, you’ll need to be able to understand what’s different.
* Taking a serious look at the level of commitment, time and effort you’ll make available.
In all honesty, the only way to investigate these matters will be via a meeting with an advisor who has a background in the IT industry (and specifically it’s commercial requirements.)
Proper support is incredibly important – find a program that provides 24×7 direct access, as not opting for this kind of support could put a damper on the speed you move through things. You’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and phone support is often to a call-centre which will just take down the issue and email it over to their technical team – who will attempt to call you within 24-48 hrs, at a time suitable for them. This is no good if you’re sitting there confused over an issue and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.
The best trainers incorporate three or four individual support centres from around the world. By utilising an interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, no matter what time you login, help is at hand, without any problems or delays. Never make do with less than you need and deserve. Online 24×7 support is the only kind that ever makes the grade for IT learning. Perhaps you don’t intend to study during the evenings; but for most of us, we’re at work when traditional support if offered.
The old fashioned style of teaching, using textbooks and whiteboards, is often a huge slog for most of us. If this describes you, find training programs which feature interactive and multimedia modules. Memory is vastly improved when multiple senses are involved – experts have been clear on this for many years.
Find a course where you’ll receive a library of CD and DVD ROM’s – you’ll begin by watching videos of instructors demonstrating the skills, and be able to practice your skills in interactive lab’s. Always insist on a look at some courseware examples from your training provider. The package should contain expert-led demonstrations, slideshows and lab’s for you to practice your skills in.
It doesn’t make sense to choose training that is only available online. Due to the variable nature of connection quality from your average broadband company, make sure you get CD or DVD ROM based materials.
One area often overlooked by new students mulling over a new direction is the concept of ‘training segmentation’. This is essentially the breakdown of the materials for drop-shipping to you, which can make a dramatic difference to how you end up. Delivery by courier of each element piece by piece, according to your own speed is the normal way of receiving your courseware. While seeming sensible, you might like to consider this: What would their reaction be if you find it difficult to do each section at the proposed pace? And maybe you’ll find their order of completion doesn’t come as naturally as another different route may.
In an ideal situation, you want ALL the study materials up-front – meaning you’ll have all of them to come back to in the future – at any time you choose. You can also vary the order in which you move through the program if you find another route more intuitive.
Exam ‘guarantees’ are sometimes offered as part of a training package – this always means you have to pay for the exams at the very beginning of your studies. Before you get carried away with the chance of a guarantee, consider this:
They’ve allowed costings for it by some means. You can be assured it’s not a freebie – they’ve simply charged more for the whole training package. Trainees who go in for their examinations when it’s appropriate, paying as they go are far more likely to pass first time. They’re mindful of their spending and take the necessary steps to be up to the task.
Does it really add up to pay your training college up-front for examinations? Go for the best offer at the appropriate time, don’t pay mark-ups – and take it closer to home – rather than possibly hours away from your area. A great deal of money is netted by some training companies that get money upfront for exam fees. For quite legitimate reasons, a number of students don’t get to do their exams but the company keeps the money. Amazingly, there are providers who actually rely on students not sitting all the exams – as that’s where a lot of their profit comes from. It’s worth noting, with most ‘Exam Guarantees’ – the company controls how often and when you are allowed to have another go. They’ll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied.
VUE and Prometric examinations are around 112 pounds in Britain at the time of writing. What’s the point of paying huge charges for ‘Exam Guarantees’ (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) – when a quality course, support and consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.
Several companies offer a Job Placement Assistance program, to assist your search for your first position. The fact of the matter is it isn’t a complex operation to land employment – as long as you’ve got the necessary skills and qualifications; employers in this country need your skills.
Work on polishing up your CV right away however – you should get plenty of help from your training provider on this. Don’t delay for when you’re ready to start work. It’s not unusual to find that you’ll secure your first position while you’re still a student (even in the early stages). If your CV doesn’t say what you’re learning (and it’s not being looked at by employers) then you don’t stand a chance! You can usually expect better results from a specialist independent regional employment service than you will through a training course provider’s recruitment division, because they’ll know the local area and commercial needs better.
Do be sure that you don’t conscientiously work through your course materials, then call a halt and leave it in the hands of the gods to land you a job. Take responsibility for yourself and make your own enquiries. Channel the same focus into finding your first job as it took to get qualified.
Sometimes, people don’t understand what information technology can do for us. It’s ground-breaking, exciting, and means you’re doing your bit in the gigantic wave of technology that will affect us all over the next generation. Computing technology and communication on the web will noticeably change the direction of our lives over future years; incredibly so.
Let’s not forget that the average salary in the IT market over Britain as a whole is noticeably better than average salaries nationally, which means you will be in a good position to earn a lot more as an IT specialist, than you could reasonably hope to achieve elsewhere. The good news is there is no end in sight for IT sector growth in Great Britain as a whole. The sector continues to grow enormously, and as we have a skills gap that means we only typically have three IT workers for every four jobs it’s highly unlikely that things will be any different for the significant future.