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A Computer Networking Course in 2009
Posted on March 2, 2009, by Jason Kendall, under Computers and Technology.
If it weren’t for a continuous flood of well educated network and PC support staff, business in the United Kingdom (and around the world) would inevitably be drawn to a standstill. We have a constantly increasing demand for technicians to support both users and the systems they work with. The world’s requirement for those members of the workforce is ever increasing, as everything becomes significantly more computer dependent.
Getting to the most suitable career choice is very difficult - so which sectors are important to investigate and which questions do we need to be posing?
A fatal Faux-Pas that we encounter all too often is to concentrate on the course itself, and not focus on the end result they want to achieve. Universities are stacked to the hilt with students who chose a course based on what sounded good - rather than what would get them an enjoyable career or job. It’s a sad fact, but a large percentage of students kick-off study that often sounds fabulous from the prospectus, but which delivers a career that doesn’t satisfy. Talk to many university graduates and you’ll see where we’re coming from.
Get to grips with the income level you aspire to and whether you’re an ambitious person or not. This can often control what particular accreditations will be expected and what industry will expect from you in return. We advise all students to talk with a professional advisor before they embark on a training program. This gives some measure of assurance that it contains the commercially required skills for the career that is sought.
You should only consider retraining programmes which will progress to industry accepted certifications. There are way too many small colleges promoting unknown ‘in-house’ certificates that are essentially useless when it comes to finding a job. The top IT companies such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco have widely acknowledged proficiency programmes. These heavyweights will make your CV stand-out.
Proper support should never be taken lightly - locate a good company that includes 24×7 access, as anything less will frustrate you and could put a damper on the speed you move through things. Locate training schools where you can receive help at any time of day or night (no matter if it’s in the middle of the night on a weekend!) Ensure you get direct access to tutors, and not simply some messaging service that means you’re constantly waiting for a call-back during office hours.
Keep your eyes open for training programs that utilise many support facilities from around the world. Each one should be integrated to offer a simple interface and also round-the-clock access, when it’s convenient for you, without any problems. You can’t afford to accept less than this. 24×7 support is the only kind that ever makes the grade with technical courses. Maybe late-evening study is not your thing; but for the majority of us however, we’re at work when traditional support if offered.
Students who consider this area of study can be very practical by nature, and don’t really enjoy classrooms, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If this is putting you off studying, use multimedia, interactive learning, with on-screen demonstrations and labs. Recent studies into the way we learn shows that much more of what we learn in remembered when we involve as many senses as possible, and we put into practice what we’ve been studying.
Fully interactive motion videos with demonstrations and practice sessions will forever turn you away from traditional book study. And they’re far more fun. Don’t take any chances and look at examples of the courseware provided before you sign on the dotted line. Always insist on video tutorials, instructor demo’s and audio-visual elements backed up by interactive lab’s.
Avoid training that is purely online. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where offered, so that you have access at all times - you don’t want to be reliant on a quality and continuous internet connection.
Students often end up having issues because of a single courseware aspect which is often not even considered: How the training is broken down and couriered to your address. Training companies will normally offer a 2 or 3 year study programme, and deliver each piece one-by-one as you pass each exam. This sounds reasonable until you consider the following: With thought, many trainees understand that their training company’s typical path to completion is not what they would prefer. You may find that varying the order of study will be far more suitable. And what if you don’t get to the end at the pace they expect?
To be honest, the best option is to obtain their recommendation on the best possible order of study, but to receive all the materials up-front. It’s then all yours should you not complete it within their ideal time-table.
Incorporating exams with the course fee then giving it ‘Exam Guarantee’ status is popular with a good many training companies. However, let’s consider what’s really going on:
You’re paying for it one way or another. It’s definitely not free - it’s just been rolled into the price of the whole package. Evidence shows that if a student pays for their own exams, one by one, the chances are they’re going to pass every time - since they’re aware of their investment in themselves and so will prepare more thoroughly.
Isn’t it in your interests to go for the best offer at the time, not to pay any mark-up to the college, and to do it in a local testing office - rather than possibly hours away from your area? Considerable numbers of questionable training course providers net huge amounts of money through getting paid for all the exam fees up-front then hoping you won’t see them all through. It’s also worth noting that many exam guarantees are worthless. The majority of organisations will not pay for you to re-take until you can prove to them you’re ready to pass.
Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on ‘Exam Guarantees’ is short-sighted - when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really see you through.
Being a part of the information technology industry is amongst the most stimulating and innovative industries that you can get into right now. To be working on the cutting-edge of technology puts you at the fore-front of developments affecting everyone who lives in the 21st century. Society largely thinks that the technological advancement we have experienced is slowing down. All indicators point in the opposite direction. Massive changes are on the horizon, and most especially the internet is going to dominate how we conduct our lives.
The typical IT employee across the UK will also receive considerably more money than fellow workers in other market sectors. Average remuneration packages are amongst the highest in the country. It’s evident that we have a significant nationwide requirement for certified IT specialists. And with the marketplace continuing to expand, it is likely this will be the case for the significant future.
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Adobe Web Design Career Training - Get It Right First Time 2009
Posted on March 1, 2009, by Jason Kendall, under Computers and Technology.
Almost exclusively, Adobe Dreamweaver is the first base for all web designers. It’s most likely the favourite environment for web development on the planet. The full Adobe Web Creative Suite additionally should be understood in-depth. Doing this will familiarise you in Action Script and Flash, (and more), and will prepare you for the ACE (Adobe Certified Expert) or ACP (Adobe Certified Professional) certification.
In order to establish yourself as a full web professional however, there’s a lot more to learn. You will need to learn certain programming skills like HTML, PHP and MySQL. A practical knowledge of Search Engine Optimisation and E Commerce will also improve your CV and employability.
Coming across job security in this economic down-turn is problematic. Companies often drop us from the workplace with very little notice - as and when it suits them. However, a fast growing sector, with huge staffing demands (because of a big shortage of fully trained workers), opens the possibility of proper job security.
Reviewing the Information Technology (IT) business, a recent e-Skills analysis demonstrated a 26 percent shortfall of skilled workers. So, for every 4 jobs existing in computing, businesses can only find certified professionals for 3 of the 4. Achieving full commercial computer exams is thus a ‘Fast Track’ to realise a continuing and gratifying livelihood. It would be hard to imagine if a better time or market circumstances will exist for acquiring training in this quickly increasing and budding industry.
Getting to the most appropriate career choice is hard enough - so where should we be looking and what kind of questions should we pose?
Many companies only concern themselves with gaining a certificate, and avoid focusing on what you actually need - which is of course employment. Your focus should start with the end goal - don’t get hung-up on the training vehicle. It’s a terrible situation, but a large percentage of students start out on programs that sound spectacular in the syllabus guide, but which delivers a career that is of no interest. Speak to a selection of university leavers and you’ll see where we’re coming from.
You’ll want to understand what expectations industry may have of you. Which particular certifications you’ll be required to have and how to gain experience. Spend some time considering how far you wish to progress your career as it will often force you to choose a particular set of qualifications. The best advice for students is to talk with an experienced advisor before they make a decision on a particular learning program. This gives some measure of assurance that it features what is required for the chosen career.
The age-old way of teaching, with books and manuals, is often a huge slog for most of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, find training programs which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts. We see a huge improvement in memory retention when all our senses are brought into the mix - learning experts have been saying this for decades now.
Study programs now come on CD and DVD discs, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Video streaming means you are able to see your instructors showing you how something is done, with some practice time to follow - in a virtual lab environment. Each company you’re contemplating must be able to demonstrate some examples of the type of training materials they provide. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and a wide selection of interactive elements.
It’s usually bad advice to select online only courseware. With highly variable reliability and quality from the ISP (internet service provider) market, it makes sense to have actual CD or DVD ROM’s.
How the program is actually delivered to you is often missed by many students. In what way are your training elements sectioned? And in what sequence and do you have a say in when you’ll get each part? Typically, you will join a program that takes between and 1 and 3 years and get sent one module each time you pass an exam. This sounds logical on one level, until you consider this: What would happen if you didn’t finish every module at the proposed pace? And maybe you’ll find their order of completion doesn’t work as well as another different route may.
The very best situation would see you getting all the training materials posted to your address right at the beginning; the entire package! This way, nothing can happen down the line which could affect your progress.
Please understand this most important point: You absolutely must have proper 24×7 professional support from mentors and instructors. We can tell you that you’ll strongly regret it if you don’t adhere to this. Try and find training with help available at any time of day or night (irrespective of whether it’s the wee hours on Sunday morning!) Make sure it’s always 24×7 direct access to mentors and instructors, and not access to a call-in service which takes messages - so you’re parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back when it’s convenient for them.
The very best programs opt for a web-based 24 hours-a-day package utilising a variety of support centres throughout multiple time-zones. You’ll have a simple environment that seamlessly selects the best facility available irrespective of the time of day: Support available as-and-when you want it. Don’t under any circumstances take less than you need and deserve. Online 24×7 support is the only viable option for technical learning. Maybe late-evening study is not your thing; but for the majority of us however, we’re working at the time when most support is available.
Validated exam preparation and simulation materials are vital - and really must be supplied by your training provider. Students regularly can be thrown off course by practising exam questions that are not from official sources. Often, the terminology in the real exams can be quite different and you need to be ready for this. It’s a good idea to request some practice exams so you’ll be able to verify your comprehension along the way. Mock exams help to build your confidence - then you won’t be quite so nervous at the actual exam.
One feature that several companies offer is a programme of Job Placement assistance. This is designed to help you get your first commercial position. Sometimes, too much is made of this feature, as it’s relatively easy for a well trained and motivated person to land work in IT - as employers are keen to find appropriately qualified personnel.
Work on polishing up your CV right away however - you should get plenty of help from your training provider on this. Don’t put it off till you’ve finished your exams. Quite often, you’ll land your first position whilst still on the course (sometimes when you’ve only just got going). If your course details aren’t on your CV - or it’s not getting in front of interviewers, then you’re not even going to be known about! If you’d like to get employment in your home town, then you’ll probably find that an independent and specialised local employment service might work much better for you than a national service, for they are much more inclined to have insider knowledge of the jobs that are going locally.
A big grievance of various training providers is how hard men and women are focused on studying to get top marks in their exams, but how little effort that student will then put into getting the role they’re trained for. Have confidence - the IT industry needs YOU.
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