PC and network support staff are ever more sought after in Great Britain, as companies become progressively more dependent upon their knowledge and fixing and repairing abilities. Because of the complex nature of technology, growing numbers of IT professionals are being sought to dedicate themselves to the many areas we’ve come to rely on.
It’s abundantly clear: There really is absolutely no personal job security now; there can only be market or business security - companies can just remove anyone if it fits their commercial requirements.
Where there are growing skills shortages coupled with growing demand though, we can discover a new kind of market-security; where, fuelled by conditions of continuous growth, organisations struggle to find the number of people required.
Offering the IT industry for example, the most recent e-Skills analysis demonstrated a national skills shortage in Great Britain around the 26 percent mark. It follows then that for every 4 jobs available around Information Technology (IT), organisations are only able to locate properly accredited workers for three of the four.
Well trained and commercially accredited new workers are as a result at a total premium, and it looks like they will be for much longer.
Undoubtedly, now, more than ever, really is a fabulous time to train for the IT industry.
Many people question why academic qualifications are being overtaken by more commercial qualifications?
Industry now recognises that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, official accreditation from the likes of Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe is closer to the mark commercially - saving time and money.
Vendor training works through concentrating on the particular skills that are needed (along with an appropriate level of background knowledge,) as opposed to spending months and years on the background ‘extras’ that degree courses can get bogged down in - to fill a three or four year course.
Imagine if you were an employer - and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What is easier: Go through a mass of different academic qualifications from graduate applicants, trying to establish what they know and which commercial skills they’ve mastered, or choose particular accreditations that perfectly fit your needs, and then choose your interviewees based around that. The interview is then more about the person and how they’ll fit in - rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.
A typical blunder that we encounter all too often is to concentrate on the course itself, rather than starting with where they want to get to. Universities are stacked to the hilt with students that chose a program because it looked interesting - instead of what would yield an enjoyable career or job.
It’s a sad testimony to the sales skills of many companies, but thousands of new students commence training that sounds marvellous from the marketing materials, but which provides the end-result of a job that is of no interest at all. Speak to a selection of university graduates and you’ll see where we’re coming from.
You’ll want to understand what industry will expect from you. What exams they’ll want you to gain and how you’ll build your experience level. Spend some time assessing how far you’d like to get as often it can present a very specific set of certifications.
We advise all students to speak to an experienced advisor before they embark on a training program. This helps to ensure it has the required elements for the career path that has been chosen.
Don’t accept anything less than the current Microsoft (or any other key organisation’s) authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages.
Students regularly can find themselves confused by practicing questions for their exams that aren’t recognised by official boards. Quite often, the question formats and phraseology can be completely unlike un-authorised versions and you should be prepared for this.
As you can imagine, it’s essential to know that you’re completely ready for the real exam prior to going for it. Going over simulated exams will help to boost your attitude and helps to avoid unsuccessful attempts at exams.
Written by Scott Edwards. Browse around MCSE 2003 or CLICK HERE.
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