There are actually 4 different sectors in the full CompTIA A+ syllabus, but you\’re just required to achieve pass marks in 2 for competency in A+. Be aware though that only studying two of the four specialities could expose flaws in your knowledge when applying for a job. At least learn about all four – this will give you the edge in the working environment.
As well as being taught how to build and fix computers, trainees on A+ courses will be shown how to work in antistatic conditions, along with remote access, fault finding and diagnostics.
Should you fancy yourself as the person who is involved with a big team – supporting, fixing and maintaining networks, you\’ll need to add CompTIA Network+, or consider an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft as you\’ll need a deeper understanding of how networks function.
Remember: the actual training program or a qualification isn\’t what this is about; a job you\’re training for is. Far too many training organisations place too much importance on the piece of paper.
Never let yourself become part of that group who select a program that seems \’fun\’ or \’interesting\’ – and get to the final hurdle of an accreditation for a job they hate.
Get to grips with what you want to earn and what level of ambition fits you. This can often control what precise qualifications you\’ll need to attain and what industry will expect from you in return.
Before you embark on a study programme, it\’s good advice to talk through the specific market requirements with a skilled advisor, to ensure the training path covers all that is required.
We\’re often asked why academic qualifications are being replaced by more commercially accredited qualifications?
Industry now recognises that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, proper accreditation from the likes of Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA is far more effective and specialised – saving time and money.
In a nutshell, students are simply taught the necessary specifics in depth. It\’s slightly more broad than that, but principally the objective has to be to cover the precise skills needed (alongside some required background) – without trying to cram in everything else – in the way that academic establishments often do.
If an employer is aware what areas need to be serviced, then all it takes is an advert for the exact skill-set required to meet that need. Commercial syllabuses all have to conform to the same requirements and do not vary between trainers (as academic syllabuses often do).
A service offered by some training providers is a programme of Job Placement assistance. The service is put in place to help you get your first commercial position. The fact of the matter is it isn\’t so complicated as you might think to land your first job – once you\’re trained and certified; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.
Help with your CV and interview techniques may be available (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). Ensure you update that dusty old CV right away – not after you\’ve qualified!
It\’s not uncommon to find that junior support roles have been offered to students who are still learning 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.
Generally, you\’ll receive better performance from a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service than you will through a training provider\’s national service, as they\’ll know the local area and commercial needs better.
A good number of people, it would appear, conscientiously work through their course materials (for years sometimes), and then just stop instead of attempting to secure the right position. Sell yourself… Work hard to let employers know about you. Don\’t think a job\’s just going to jump out in front of you.
When was the last time you considered how safe your job is? Typically, this issue only becomes a talking point when something goes wrong. Unfortunately, the painful truth is that our job security is a thing of the past, for the vast majority of people.
Where there are rising skills shortfalls coupled with growing demand of course, we often discover a newly emerging type of security in the marketplace; driven by the constant growth conditions, businesses are struggling to hire enough staff.
Taking a look at the IT sector, a recent e-Skills investigation demonstrated a 26 percent shortfall of skilled workers. To explain it in a different way, this shows that the UK can only find 3 certified professionals for each 4 job positions that exist at the moment.
Appropriately trained and commercially grounded new employees are accordingly at a complete premium, and it seems it will continue to be so for a long time to come.
No better time or market conditions is ever likely to exist for getting trained into this quickly expanding and evolving business.
(C) 2009 – S. Edwards. Try Access 2003 Training or www.NewCareersTraining.co.uk/wnct.html.
