Good for you! As you’re reading this article it’s likely you’re thinking about learning new skills to change career - so already you’ve made a start. Only one in ten of us are satisfied with our careers, but no action is ever taken. You could join a select group who take responsibility for their future.
We recommend you seek advice first - find someone who knows the industry; an advisor who can discover your ideal job, and then show you the courses you may be suited to:
* Are you happier left to your own devices at work or is being in a team environment an essential criteria for you?
* Do you have a preference which market sector you could be employed in? (In this economy, it’s vital to choose carefully.)
* How long a career do you hope to have once retrained, and will the market sector give you the confidence that will happen?
* Do you feel uncomfortable about the chance of finding new employment, and being gainfully employed until you plan to retire?
We would advise you to consider the IT industry - there are greater numbers of jobs than staff to fill them, because it’s a rare career choice where the sector is expanding. Contrary to the opinions of certain people, IT isn’t all techie people lost in their PC’s the whole day (though those jobs exist.) The majority of jobs are taken by people like you and me who like receiving larger than average salaries.
Usually, the normal person doesn’t know in what direction to head in IT, or what area they should be considering getting trained in.
What are the chances of us grasping what is involved in a particular job if we’ve never been there? Often we don’t even know anybody who does that actual job anyway.
Getting to a well-informed resolution really only appears through a systematic analysis covering many different key points:
* Your personality can play an important part - what gets you ‘up and running’, and what are the activities that really turn you off.
* Are you hoping to get certified because of a particular motive - for example, do you aim to work at home (self-employment possibly?)?
* Where is the salary on a scale of importance - is an increase your main motivator, or is day-to-day enjoyment further up on your list of priorities?
* Learning what the normal IT roles and markets are - and what differentiates them.
* How much time you’re prepared to spend on the training program.
For most people, getting to the bottom of so much data needs a long talk with an advisor who can explain things properly. Not only the qualifications - but also the commercial expectations and needs besides.
Kick out the typical salesman that pushes one particular program without a decent chat to gain understanding of your current abilities and also your experience level. Always check they have access to a large array of training so they’re actually equipped to give you an appropriate solution.
Don’t forget, if you’ve got any qualifications that are related, then you will often be able to pick-up at a different starting-point to someone who is new to the field.
Commencing with a basic PC skills program first can be the best way to get into your computer studies, depending on your skill level at the moment.
An important area that is sometimes not even considered by trainees considering a training program is ‘training segmentation’. Essentially, this is the method used to break up the program for drop-shipping to you, which vastly changes what you end up with.
Normally, you will join a program that takes between and 1 and 3 years and get posted one section at a time - from one exam to the next. This sounds logical on one level, until you consider this:
What would happen if you didn’t finish each element within the time limits imposed? Often the prescribed exam order won’t be as easy as some other structure would for you.
The ideal circumstances are to get all the training materials sent to your address right at the beginning; the entire thing! This way, nothing can happen down the line which could affect your progress.
Finding your first job in the industry can be a little easier if you’re offered a Job Placement Assistance facility. With the massive demand for appropriately skilled people in the UK right now, it’s not too important to make too much of this option though. It isn’t so complicated as you might think to find the right work once you’re trained and certified.
Get your CV updated straight-away though - look to your training company for advice on how to do this. Don’t put it off till you’ve finished your exams.
Various junior support jobs have been bagged by students who are in the process of training and haven’t got any qualifications yet. This will at least get you on your way.
Normally you’ll get quicker results from an independent and specialised local recruitment consultancy than you’ll get from a training course provider’s centralised service, as they’ll know the area better.
Just be sure that you don’t spend hundreds of hours on your training and studies, only to stop and imagine someone else is miraculously going to secure your first position. Take responsibility for yourself and make your own enquiries. Put as much energy and enthusiasm into securing the right position as you did to gain the skills.
(C) 2009 - S. Edwards. Visit Click HERE or IT Training UK.
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