Training for your CompTIA A+ covers four specialised areas – you need to pass exams in two of these areas to be seen as competent in A+. This is why, the majority of colleges limit their course to 2 of the 4 sectors. Our opinion is this is selling you short – yes you’ll have qualified, but knowing about the others will give you a distinct advantage in your working life, where knowledge of all four will be necessary. This is why you need education in all four areas.
CompTIA A+ without additional courses will allow you to mend and maintain computers and Macs; ones that are generally not connected to a network – which means the home or small business market.
If you would like to be the person who works for a larger company – fixing and supporting networks, you should include CompTIA Network+ to your training package, or alternatively look at doing an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft in order to have a deeper understanding of the way networks work.
The right sort of training package will undoubtedly also include wholly authorised exam preparation packages.
Avoid depending on non-official exam papers and questions. The type of questions asked can be completely unlike authorised versions – and this leads to huge confusion once in the actual exam.
Ensure that you request some practice exams so you’ll be able to check your comprehension at all times. Simulations of exams help to build your confidence – so the actual exam is much easier.
Don’t listen to the typical salesman that offers any particular course without a decent chat to better understand your current abilities as well as level of experience. They should be able to select from a generous product range so they can provide you with what’s right for you.
An important point to note is that, if you’ve got any accreditation or direct-experience, then you may be able to commence studying further along than someone new to the industry.
Where this will be your opening attempt at studying for an IT examination then you should consider whether to begin with some basic PC skills training first.
The somewhat scary thought of finding your first IT job can be eased because some trainers offer a Job Placement Assistance facility. Ultimately it’s not as difficult as you may be led to believe to secure your first job – once you’re trained and certified; the growing UK skills shortage sees to that.
Bring your CV up to date as soon as possible however – look to your training company for advice on how to do this. Don’t wait till the exams have actually been passed.
Getting onto the ‘maybe’ pile of CV’s is more than not being known. Often junior support jobs are bagged by trainees in the early stages of their course.
Actually, a local IT focused employment agency (who will, of course, be keen to place you to receive their commission) will perform better than any sector of a centralised training facility. It also stands to reason that they’ll be familiar with the area and local employers better.
Many trainees, apparently, conscientiously work through their course materials (sometimes for years), and then just stop instead of finding the right position. Sell yourself… Do everything you can to get yourself known. Good jobs don’t just knock on your door.
Does job security really exist anywhere now? In the UK for example, where business constantly changes its mind on a whim, we’d question whether it does.
Now, we only experience security through a swiftly rising market, fuelled by a shortfall of trained staff. It’s this alone that creates the appropriate environment for a secure marketplace – a far better situation.
Reviewing the Information Technology (IT) business, the recent e-Skills survey highlighted a 26 percent shortage in trained professionals. To explain it in a different way, this shows that the UK is only able to source three qualified staff for every 4 jobs existing today.
Acquiring full commercial computing exams is as a result a fast-track to achieve a long-term and pleasing occupation.
Actually, acquiring professional IT skills throughout the next year or two is most likely the greatest choice of careers you could make.