There are four A+ exams and areas of study, but you only have to pass two of them for qualification purposes. For this reason, a great number of colleges restrict their course to just 2 areas. But allowing you to learn about all 4 options will provide you with a more confident perspective of your subject, something you'll appreciate as an important asset in professional employment.
A+ certification on its own will mean that you're able to fix and repair laptops, Macs and PC's; ones which are usually not part of a network - this generally applies to home use and small companies. If your ambition is being responsible for networks of computers, add the excellent CompTIA Network+ to your training package. Taking this course as well will put you in a position to get a higher paid position. Also look at the Microsoft networking qualifications (MCP, MCSA and MCSE).
What is the reason why traditional academic studies are now falling behind more commercially accredited qualifications? Key company training (as it's known in the industry) is most often much more specialised. The IT sector is aware that such specialised knowledge is what's needed to service the demands of an increasingly more technical marketplace. Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe are the key players in this arena. University courses, for instance, clog up the training with a great deal of background study - and much too wide a syllabus. Students are then held back from getting enough core and in-depth understanding on a specific area.
The bottom line is: Commercial IT certifications provide exactly what an employer needs - the title says it all: i.e. I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Planning and Maintaining a Windows 2003 Infrastructure'. So an employer can look at their needs and what certifications are required to fulfil that.
A fatal Faux-Pas that students everywhere can make is to focus entirely on getting a qualification, rather than starting with the end result they want to achieve. Universities have thousands of unaware students that chose a program because it looked interesting - instead of what would yield the career they desired. Don't be one of those unfortunate people who choose a training program that sounds really 'interesting' and 'fun' - only to end up with a qualification for an unrewarding career path.
Get to grips with the income level you aspire to and how ambitious you are. This can often control what certifications you will need and what you can expect to give industry in return. We advise all students to chat with an experienced advisor before deciding on their training program. This is required to ensure it contains the relevant skills for the career that is sought.
It's abundantly clear: There really is pretty much no individual job security now; there can only be industry or business security - as any company can fire a solitary member of staff whenever it fits the business' commercial requirements. But a fast growing sector, with huge staffing demands (through a massive shortage of commercially certified workers), creates the conditions for true job security.
The most recent UK e-Skills study showed that twenty six percent of all available IT positions haven't been filled due to an appallingly low number of properly qualified workers. Or, to put it differently, this clearly demonstrates that the country can only find three qualified staff for each 4 job positions available at the moment. Well taught and commercially educated new workers are consequently at a total premium, and in all likelihood it will stay that way for a long time. Unquestionably, this really is the very best time to consider retraining into Information Technology (IT).
A skilled and practiced consultant (vs a salesman) will ask questions and seek to comprehend your current situation. This is vital for calculating the starting point for your education. Don't forget, if you have some relevant qualifications that are related, then you may be able to commence studying further along than someone who is new to the field. Working through a foundation module first may be the ideal way to get up and running on your computer programme, depending on your skill level at the moment.
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