September 30th, 2009PC Support Training – Insights
Well Done! By landing here we guess you must be considering getting re-qualified for a new job – so you’ve already done more than most. Only one in ten of us are satisfied with our careers, but most complain but just stay there. Why not be one of a small number who make a difference in their lives.
Before we even think about specific training programs, look for an advisor who can help you sort out the right type of training for you. An advisor who will take time to get to know your personality, and find out what types of work suit you:
* Do you enjoy a busy working environment? Is it meeting new people or being part of a team? Perhaps you prefer not to be disturbed and enjoy responsibilities that you can get on with on your own?
* Are you considering which industry you maybe could work in? (Post credit crunch, it’s essential to choose well.)
* Is this the final time you envisage re-training, and if it is, will this new career offer that choice?
* Is it important for the course you’re re-training in to be in an area where as far as you can see your chances of gainful employment are high up to retirement age?
Think about the IT sector, that will be time well spent – it’s one of the few market sectors still on the grow in this country and overseas. Salaries are also more generous than most.
A major candidate for the top potential problem in IT training is often the ‘in-centre’ workshop requirement. Most training schools extol the virtues of the ‘benefits’ of going in to their classes, however, they quickly become a major problem because of:
* All the travelling required – multiple journeys and usually 100’s of miles each time.
* If, like many of us, you work, then weekday only events represent a difficulty in getting time off. You’re usually looking at at least 2, if not 3 days in a row.
* And let’s not forget lost vacation time. Usually we’re lucky to have four weeks vacation allowance. If half of that is used up on workshops, then it doesn’t leave much for us and our families.
* ‘In-Centre’ workshop days can ’sell out’ fast and often end up larger than is ideal.
* Tension can run high in many classes where different students want to work at different paces.
* You shouldn’t ignore the added financial outlay of travelling or accommodation either. This can run to a lot of money – from hundreds to thousands. Do the maths yourself – you’ll be (unpleasantly) surprised.
* Do you really want the chance of letting yourself be side-stepped for a lift up the ladder or income boosts just because you’re retraining.
* It’s quite usual for people to not ask questions they want answered – just because they’re amongst other classmates.
* It should be remembered that days in-centre become basically unreachable, if you work elsewhere in the country for days at a time.
Many students discover a more flexible approach is to utilise videoed workshops wherever you want to take them – studying at your own pace, when it suits you – not anyone else.
Do them at home on your desktop computer or out in the garden on your laptop. Any questions that pop up, just make use of the 24×7 support (that we hope you’ll insist on with any technical courses.)
Just do the modules at any time you need to revise. And of course, you won’t need to take notes as you have the lesson indefinitely.
Even though this doesn’t suddenly take away all study problems, it surely removes stress and makes things simpler. And you’ve reduced travel, hassle and costs.
Don’t listen to a salesman that just tells you what course you should do without an in-depth conversation to assess your abilities and also your level of experience. Ensure that they have a generous range of products so they’re actually equipped to solve your training issues.
If you have a strong background, or sometimes a little work-based experience (some certifications gained previously perhaps?) then it could be that your starting level will be quite dissimilar from someone with no background whatsoever.
If this is going to be your opening crack at an IT exam then you may want to begin with user-skills and software training first.