There are four specialist areas of training in a full CompTIA A+ program; you’re qualified as an achiever in A+ when you’ve passed the test for just two specialist areas. Because of this, it’s usual for colleges to limit themselves to 2 study areas. The truth is it’s necessary to have the information on each subject as industry will ask for an understanding of all four areas. You don’t have to complete all 4 certifications, but it seems common sense that you at least have a working knowledge of every area.
A+ certification without additional courses will set you up to mend and maintain stand-alone PC’s and MAC’s; ones which are usually not part of a network – which means the home or small business market.
If you would like to be a man or woman who works for a larger company – fixing and supporting networks, build on A+ with Network+, or consider an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft to give you a wider knowledge of how networks work.
Students will sometimes miss checking on something of absolutely vital importance – how their training provider divides up the physical training materials, and into how many separate packages.
Drop-shipping your training elements piece by piece, according to your own speed is the usual method of releasing your program. Of course, this sounds sensible, but you should consider these factors:
It’s not unusual for trainees to realise that their training company’s standard order of study isn’t ideal for them. You may find that a slightly different order suits them better. And what if you don’t get to the end inside of the expected timescales?
For future safety and flexibility, it’s not unusual for students to make sure that every element of their training is posted to them in one go, with nothing held back. That means it’s down to you how fast or slow and in what order you’d like to take your exams.
We’re often asked why qualifications from colleges and universities are being replaced by more qualifications from the commercial sector?
As demand increases for knowledge about more and more complex technology, the IT sector has been required to move to specific, honed-in training only available through the vendors themselves – in other words companies like Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA. Frequently this is at a far reduced cost both money and time wise.
Many degrees, for instance, often get bogged down in too much background study – with a syllabus that’s far too wide. Students are then held back from understanding the specific essentials in enough depth.
Put yourself in the employer’s position – and you wanted someone who could provide a specific set of skills. Which is the most straightforward: Go through a mass of different academic qualifications from hopeful applicants, having to ask what each has covered and which vocational skills they’ve mastered, or pick out specific commercial accreditations that precisely match your needs, and then select who you want to interview from that. You’ll then be able to concentrate on getting a feel for the person at interview – rather than establishing whether they can do a specific task.
A service offered by some training providers is a Job Placement Assistance program. It’s intention is to help you find your first job in the industry. However sometimes there is more emphasis than is necessary on this service, for it is genuinely quite straightforward for any focused and well taught person to get a job in the IT industry – because there’s a great need for qualified personnel.
Having said that, it’s important to have help with your CV and interview techniques though; also we would encourage everyone to get their CV updated the day they start training – don’t procrastinate and leave it for when you’re ready to start work.
A good number of junior support jobs have been offered to students who are still studying and haven’t got any qualifications yet. This will at least get you into the ‘maybe’ pile of CV’s – rather than the ‘No’ pile.
If you’d like to get employment in your home town, then you may well find that a local (but specialised) recruitment consultancy can generally serve you better than the trainer’s recruitment division, due to the fact that they’re far more likely to know the jobs that are going locally.
Many men and women, it seems, are prepared to study their hearts out (for years sometimes), only to give up at the first hurdle when looking for a good job. Promote yourself… Do your best to get yourself known. Don’t think a job’s just going to jump out in front of you.
Traditional teaching in classrooms, utilising reference manuals and books, is often a huge slog for most of us. If you’re nodding as you read this, dig around for more practical courses which feature interactive and multimedia modules.
Studies have time and time again verified that connecting physically with our study, is much more conducive to long-term memory.
Start a study-program in which you’re provided with an array of CD and DVD based materials – you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, with the facility to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions.
Every company that you look at should be able to show you a few examples of the materials provided for study. You should hope for instructor-led videos and a wide selection of interactive elements.
Seek out CD and DVD ROM based physical training media wherever available. Thus avoiding all the issues associated with the variability of broadband quality and service.
(C) Jason Kendall. Hop over to LearningLolly.com for clear career advice. IT Training Courses or CLICK HERE.
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