Four separate areas of study make up a full CompTIA A+; you’re thought of as competent at A+ when you’ve gained exams for 2 out of 4 subjects. For this reason, the majority of training establishments offer only two of the training courses. In reality it’s necessary to have the teaching in all areas as many jobs will ask for an awareness of the whole A+ program. It isn’t necessary to qualify in them all, although it would seem prudent that you at least have a working knowledge of every area.
Once you start your A+ computer training course you will develop an understanding of how to work in antistatic conditions and build and fix computers. You’ll also cover fault-finding and diagnostic techniques, both remotely and via direct access.
You might also choose to think about adding the CompTIA Network+ training as you can then also take care of computer networks, which means greater employment benefits.
We need to make this very clear: You have to get round-the-clock 24×7 instructor and mentor support. We can tell you that you’ll strongly regret it if you don’t follow this rule rigidly.
Find a good quality service with proper support available at any time you choose (even if it’s early hours on Sunday morning!) Ensure you get direct access to tutors, and not access to a call-in service which takes messages – so you’re constantly waiting for a call-back at a convenient time for them.
Keep your eyes open for training programs that incorporate three or four individual support centres around the globe in several time-zones. All of them should be combined to give a single entry point and 24×7 access, when it’s convenient for you, with no hassle.
If you opt for less than online 24×7 support, you’ll quickly find yourself regretting it. You may not need it in the middle of the night, but consider weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point.
So many training providers only look at the plaque to hang on your wall, and completely avoid what it’s all actually about – which will always be getting the job or career you want. Always start with the end goal – 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. Avoid the mistake of taking what may be an ‘interesting’ course and then spend decades in a job you don’t like!
Prioritise understanding what industry will expect from you. Which particular certifications they’ll want you to gain and how you’ll build your experience level. It’s definitely worth spending time assessing how far you’d like to get as often it can force you to choose a particular set of accreditations.
Have a conversation with someone that has a commercial understanding of the realities faced in the industry, and who can give you a detailed description of what you actually do in that role. Getting all these things right long before commencement of any training programme will prevent a lot of wasted time and effort.
The sometimes daunting task of landing your first computer related job is often made easier by training colleges, through a Job Placement Assistance service. It can happen though that there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, for it’s really not that difficult for well qualified and focused men and women to find work in this industry – because companies everywhere are seeking qualified personnel.
However, don’t procrastinate and wait until you have finished your training before polishing up your CV. As soon as you start studying, enter details of your study programme and get promoting!
Getting your CV considered is more than not being regarded at all. A decent number of junior positions are bagged by people in the early stages of their course.
Most often, a local IT focused employment agency (who will, of course, be keen to place you to receive their commission) will be more pro-active than a centralised training company’s service. They should, of course, also know the local area and commercial needs.
A big grievance for a number of training providers is how hard trainees are prepared to study to get top marks in their exams, but how ill-prepared they are to market themselves for the job they have trained for. Get out there and hustle – you might find it’s fun.
Have a conversation with a skilled consultant and they’ll entertain you with many awful tales of how students have been duped by salespeople. Make sure you deal with a skilled professional that asks lots of questions to find out what’s right for you – not for their bank-account! Dig until you find an ideal starting-point that fits you.
If you have a strong background, or maybe some commercial experience (maybe some existing accreditation?) then obviously your starting level will be very different from someone with no background whatsoever.
If this is going to be your opening crack at an IT exam then you may want to start with a user-skills course first.
Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Look at CLICK HERE or Computer Training Courses.
