If we didn't have a continuous flood of knowledgeable computer and network support workers, commerce in Great Britain (as elsewhere) could well be brought to its knees. We have an ever growing demand for people to support both users and the systems they work with. Our requirement for better skilled and qualified individuals is growing, as we turn out to be ever more dependent on PC's in the twenty first century.
People attracted to this sort of work can be very practical by nature, and won't enjoy sitting at a desk in class, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If this could be you, try the newer style of interactive study, where learning is video-based. Research has time and time again confirmed that getting into our studies physically, is much more conducive to long-term memory.
Start a study-program in which you're provided with an array of CD and DVD ROM's - you'll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, and then have the opportunity to fine-tune your skills in fully interactive practice sessions. It makes sense to see some examples of the kind of training materials you'll be using before you sign on the dotted line. You should expect video tutorials, instructor demo's and interactive audio-visual sections with practice modules.
Often, companies will only use purely on-line training; and while this is acceptable much of the time, imagine the problems if you lose your internet access or you get slow speeds and down-time etc. It's preferable to have actual CD or DVD ROMs which will not have these problems.
Only consider training paths which will grow into commercially recognised accreditations. There are far too many small colleges suggesting minor 'in-house' certificates which aren't worth the paper they're printed on in the real world. Only properly recognised examinations from companies such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco and Adobe will have any meaning to employers.
What is the reason why traditional academic studies are less in demand than the more commercial qualifications? Accreditation-based training (to use industry-speak) is far more effective and specialised. Industry has realised that such specialised knowledge is necessary to cope with a technologically complex commercial environment. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the big boys in this field. Clearly, a necessary degree of relevant additional detail has to be taught, but core specifics in the exact job role gives a commercially trained student a real head start.
In simple terms: Authorised IT qualifications let employers know exactly what you're capable of - the title says it all: as an example - I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Planning and Maintaining a Windows 2003 Infrastructure'. So companies can identify just what their needs are and which qualifications are needed for the job.
Remember: a course itself or an accreditation isn't the end-goal; the particular job that you want is. Far too many training organisations over-emphasise the course or the qualification. It's a sad fact, but a great many students begin programs that seem great from the prospectus, but which provides the end-result of a job that is of no interest at all. Try talking to typical university graduates to see what we mean.
You also need to know how you feel about earning potential and career progression, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. It's vital to know what (if any) sacrifices you'll need to make for a particular role, which certifications are required and how you'll gain real-world experience. Look for advice and guidance from a skilled advisor, even if there's a fee involved - it's usually much cheaper and safer to discover early on whether your choices are appropriate, rather than realise after 2 years that you're doing entirely the wrong thing and have wasted years of effort.
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