Should you be hoping to formalise your skill set at the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator study level, amongst the finest methods on the market today are based on CD and DVD ROM's using training that works interactively. So if you have a certain amount of knowledge but are hoping to gain accredited qualifications, or are new to network support, you'll come across interactive MCSA study programmes to help you. For a newcomer to the computer industry, it will be crucial to learn a few things prior to getting involved in the first of the four Microsoft Certified Professional exams (MCP's) needed to become qualified at the MCSA level. Find a training provider that will create an ideal program to fulfil your needs - with a team of advisors who will assist to make certain that you've selected your options carefully.
Throw out a salesperson that recommends a training program without an in-depth conversation to assess your abilities plus your level of experience. Make sure they can draw from a wide-enough range of products so they can solve your training issues. Where you have a strong background, or maybe some real-world experience (some certifications gained previously perhaps?) then obviously the point from which you begin your studies will be very different from a trainee who has no experience. Working through a user skills program first is often the best way to commence your computer program, but really depends on your level of familiarity with computers.
The sometimes daunting task of securing your first IT job can be made easier by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance programme. But don't place too much emphasis on it - it isn't unusual for companies marketing departments to overstate it's need. The fact of the matter is, the massive skills shortage in the United Kingdom is why employers will be interested in you.
Ideally you should have help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews though; and we'd recommend everyone to bring their CV up to date right at the beginning of their training - don't wait until you've graduated or passed any exams. Many junior support roles have been offered to trainees who are in the process of training and have still to get qualified. At the very least this will get you into the 'maybe' pile of CV's - rather than the 'No' pile. If you don't want to travel too far to work, then you'll often find that an independent and specialised local employment service could serve you better than a centralised service, as they're going to have insider knowledge of the jobs that are going locally.
To bottom line it, as long as you focus the same level of energy into landing a position as into training, you won't have any problems. Some students bizarrely spend hundreds of hours on their training and studies and just give up once qualified and appear to be under the impression that jobs will come to them.
OK, why might we choose qualifications from the commercial sector and not more traditional academic qualifications obtained from schools and Further Education colleges? Vendor-based training (as it's known in the industry) is most often much more specialised. Industry has realised that such specialised knowledge is what's needed to service the demands of a technically advancing marketplace. CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA dominate in this arena. In essence, the learning just focuses on what's actually required. It isn't quite as lean as that might sound, but the principle remains that students need to cover the precise skills needed (including a degree of required background) - without overdoing the detail in every other area (as universities often do).
Just like the advert used to say: 'It does what it says on the label'. All an employer has to do is know what areas need to be serviced, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. That way they can be sure they're interviewing applicants who can do the job.
Quite often, students have issues with a single courseware aspect which is often not even considered: How the training is broken down and packaged off through the post. Many think it logical (with most training taking 1-3 years to achieve full certification,) for many training providers to send out the training stage by stage, until you've passed all the exams. Although: Sometimes the steps or stages offered by the provider doesn't suit. You may find it a stretch to finalise all the sections inside their defined time-scales?
To provide the maximum security and flexibility, it's not unusual for students to request that all their modules (now paid for) are sent immediately, and not in a piecemeal fashion. It's then your own choice at what speed and in which order you want to work.
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