There are a total of 4 specialist training sectors in the overall A+ programme, of which you\’ll need certification in two subjects to gain A+ competency. But restricting yourself to two of the specialised areas is likely to leave your knowledge base somewhat light. At least learn about all four – for greater confidence in the world of work.

Qualifying in CompTIA A+ without additional courses will mean that you\’re able to repair and fix stand-alone PC\’s and MAC\’s; ones that are generally not connected to a network – which means the home or small business market.

You might also choose to consider adding the CompTIA Network+ training as you\’ll then be in a position to work with networks, and have a more responsible working role.

Consider the points below very carefully if you\’ve been persuaded that the sales ploy of \’guaranteeing\’ exams sounds like a benefit to the student:

Everybody\’s aware that they\’re ultimately paying for it – obviously it has already in the overall price charged by the college. It\’s certainly not free – and it\’s insulting that we\’re supposed to think it is!

Students who go in for their examinations when it\’s appropriate, funding them as they go are much more likely to pass. They are aware of what they\’ve paid and revise more thoroughly to make sure they\’re ready.

Do your exams as locally as possible and don\’t pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you\’re ready.

A lot of current training course providers make huge amounts of money through getting in the money for exam fees early then hoping you won\’t see them all through.

You should fully understand that re-takes with organisations with an \’Exam Guarantee\’ are tightly controlled. They will insist that you take pre-tests first until you\’ve proven that you\’re likely to pass.

On average, exams cost approximately 112 pounds twelve months or so ago via Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra to have \’an Exam Guarantee\’, when common sense dictates that the responsible approach is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.

Finding your first job in the industry sometimes feels easier to handle if you\’re offered a Job Placement Assistance service. It can happen though that too much is made of this feature, because it\’s relatively easy for any motivated and trained individual to secure work in the IT environment – as employers are keen to find appropriately skilled employees.

Whatever you do, avoid waiting until you have completed your exams before updating your CV. As soon as you start studying, list what you\’re working on and get it out there!

Various junior support jobs have been offered to trainees who\’re still on their course and have yet to take their exams. This will at the very least get your CV into the \’possible\’ pile and not the \’no\’ pile.

If you don\’t want to travel too far to work, then you may well find that a specialist locally based employment agency may serve you better than a national service, as they are much more inclined to be familiar with the local job scene.

A big frustration for a number of course providers is how hard trainees are prepared to study to get qualified, but how ill-prepared they are to market themselves for the job they\’ve acquired skills for. Get out there and hustle – you might find it\’s fun.

We need to make this very clear: Always get full 24×7 instructor and mentor support. Later, you\’ll kick yourself if you don\’t.

You\’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and phone support is often to a call-centre who will just take down the issue and email it over to their technical team – who\’ll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, when it\’s convenient to them. This isn\’t a lot of good if you\’re lost and confused and only have a specific time you can study.

The very best training providers have many support offices across multiple time-zones. An online system provides an interactive interface to link them all seamlessly, no matter what time you login, there is always help at hand, avoiding all the delays and problems.

Find an educator that cares. Because only live 24×7 support truly delivers for technical programs.

Now, why is it better to gain qualifications from the commercial sector as opposed to familiar academic qualifications gained through the state educational establishments?

With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs increasing year on year, and the IT sector\’s general opinion that accreditation-based training often has more relevance in the commercial field, we have seen a big surge in Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe accredited training paths that create knowledgeable employees at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time.

Many degrees, for instance, become confusing because of a great deal of loosely associated study – with much too broad a syllabus. This holds a student back from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials.

The bottom line is: Authorised IT qualifications tell an employer precisely what skills you have – everything they need to know is in the title: for example, I am a \’Microsoft Certified Professional\’ in \’Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003\’. Consequently companies can look at their needs and what certifications are needed for the job.

Copyright 2009 S. Edwards. Navigate to ChoosingCareer.co.uk/rChoCar.html or Website Design Course.

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