Computer training for CompTIA A+ has four specialist sections – you need to pass exams in two of these areas to be competent in A+. For this reason, most colleges restrict their A+ to just two of the 4 sectors. To us, this isn’t enough – sure, you can pass an exam, but training on all 4 will set you apart in industry, where gaps in your knowledge will expose weaknesses. This is why you deserve training in all 4 specialities.
CompTIA A+ training programs cover diagnostics and fault finding – via hands on and remote access, in addition to building and fixing and understanding antistatic conditions.
If your ambition is being responsible for networks of computers, add the excellent CompTIA Network+ to the CompTIA A+ training you’re doing. This will prepare you to get a higher paid position. Other ones that might be interesting to you are the Microsoft networking qualifications (MCP, MCSA and MCSE).
A fatal Faux-Pas that potential students often succumb to is to choose a career based on a course, instead of focusing on the desired end-result. Colleges are full of unaware students who took a course because it seemed fun – instead of the program that would surely get them their end-goal of a job they enjoyed.
Never let yourself become one of those unfortunate students who select a program that sounds really ‘interesting’ and ‘fun’ – only to end up with a qualification for something they’ll never enjoy.
It’s a good idea to understand the expectations of your industry. Which accreditations you’ll be required to have and how to gain experience. You should also spend a little time thinking about how far you wish to go as often it can present a very specific set of qualifications.
Take guidance from an industry professional, even if you have to pay a small fee – it’s considerably cheaper and safer to investigate at the start whether a chosen track will suit, instead of discovering after two full years that the job you’ve chosen is not for you and have to start from the beginning again.
It’s quite a normal occurrence for students not to check on something of absolutely vital importance – the way their training provider segments the physical training materials, and into what particular chunks.
The majority of training companies will set up a 2 or 3 year study programme, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you pass each exam. If you think this sound logical, then consider this:
It’s not unusual for trainees to realise that the company’s standard order of study doesn’t suit. Sometimes, varying the order of study will be far more suitable. And what happens if they don’t finish in the allotted time?
For the perfect solution, you want ALL the study materials up-front – so you’ll have them all to come back to at any time in the future – as and when you want. You can also vary the order in which you attack each section as and when something more intuitive seems right for you.
Training support for students is an absolute must – locate a good company offering 24×7 direct access to instructors, as not opting for this kind of support could impede your ability to learn.
Don’t buy study programmes that only provide support to students with a call-centre messaging service after office-staff have gone home. Colleges will try to talk you round from this line of reasoning. The bottom line is – you want to be supported when you need the help – not when it suits them.
We recommend that you search for providers that have multiple support offices active in different time-zones. All of them should be combined to give a single entry point and 24×7 access, when you need it, with the minimum of hassle.
You can’t afford to accept less than this. Online 24×7 support is the only way to go with IT courses. Perhaps you don’t intend to study during the evenings; often though, we’re at work while the support is live.
Qualifications from the commercial sector are now, undoubtedly, taking over from the older academic routes into the industry – so why is this the case?
Accreditation-based training (to use industry-speak) is far more effective and specialised. Industry is aware that specialisation is what’s needed to cope with a technically advancing marketplace. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the big boys in this field.
Clearly, a reasonable degree of closely linked information has to be covered, but core specialisation in the exact job role gives a commercially trained student a real head start.
It’s a bit like the TV advert: ‘It does what it says on the label’. Companies need only to know what they’re looking for, and then match up the appropriate exam numbers as a requirement. Then they know that anyone who applies can do the necessary work.
(C) Scott Edwards 2009. Check out HTML Certification or CLICK HERE.