Thursday, July 23, 2009

Looking for Programming Courses Simplified

By Jason Kendall

Should you be doing a search for training tracks certified by Microsoft, you'll obviously be expecting training providers to supply a wide selection of some of the top learning programmes on the market today. Maybe you'd choose to talk to industry experts, who could help you sort out which job role would be right for you, and what sort of duties are appropriate for someone with your character and ability. Having selected the area you want to get into, your next search is for a suitable training program customised to your needs. The standard of teaching should leave no room for complaints.

A top of the range training course package will have fully authorised exam preparation packages. As most examination boards in IT come from the United States, you need to become familiar with their phraseology. It isn't good enough simply going through the right questions - they have to be in the same format as the actual exams. Simulations and practice exams can be invaluable in helping you build your confidence - so when it comes to taking your actual exams, you don't get uptight.

Commercial certification is now, undoubtedly, taking over from the older academic routes into the industry - so why is this happening? Industry now recognises that for an understanding of the relevant skills, proper accreditation from such organisations as Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised - saving time and money. Many degrees, for example, clog up the training with a great deal of loosely associated study - with a syllabus that's far too wide. This holds a student back from learning the core essentials in sufficient depth.

In simple terms: Authorised IT qualifications tell an employer precisely what skills you have - it says what you do in the title: i.e. I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Windows XP Administration and Configuration'. Consequently an employer can identify just what their needs are and what certifications are needed for the job.

Get rid of the typical salesman that just tells you what course you should do without a thorough investigation so as to understand your abilities as well as level of experience. They should be able to select from a wide-enough range of products so they're actually equipped to provide you with what's right for you. It's worth remembering, if you have some relevant previous certification, then it's not unreasonable to expect to pick-up at a different starting-point to a student who's starting from scratch. If you're a new trainee beginning IT exams and training anew, it can be useful to start out slowly, beginning with a user-skills course first. This is often offered with most accreditation programs.

Training support for students is an absolute must - look for a package providing 24x7 full access, as anything less will not satisfy and will also impede your ability to learn. Find a good quality service with help available at all hours of the day and night (even if it's early hours on Sunday morning!) You'll need access directly to professional tutors, and not a message system as this will slow you down - consistently being held in a queue for a call-back - probably during office hours.

If you look properly, you'll find the very best companies which offer online direct access support 24x7 - even in the middle of the night. Seek out a trainer that gives this level of learning support. As only live 24x7 round-the-clock support gives you the confidence to make it.

A ridiculously large number of organisations only concern themselves with gaining a certificate, and forget the reasons for getting there - which will always be getting the job or career you want. Your focus should start with where you want to get to - don't get hung-up on the training vehicle. You could be training for only a year and end up doing a job for a lifetime. Don't make the mistake of finding what seems like an 'interesting' course only to spend 20 years doing a job you hate!

Prioritise understanding the exact expectations industry will have. Which qualifications they'll want you to gain and how you'll build your experience level. It's also worth spending time considering how far you'd like to get as it may affect your choice of accreditations. Have a chat with someone that has a commercial understanding of the realities faced in the industry, and who can give you a detailed run-down of what tasks are going to make up a typical day for you. Getting to the bottom of all this before you start on any training program has obvious benefits.

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