Considering CompTIA A Plus Retraining Clarified

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.

Qualifying in CompTIA A+ on its own will set you up to fix and maintain stand-alone PC's and MAC's; ones that are most often not part of a network - essentially the domestic or small business sector.

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.

Beware of putting too much emphasis, as can often be the case, on the accreditation program. Training is not an end in itself; this is about gaining commercial employment. Focus on the end-goal.

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.

Stay tuned-in to what you want to achieve, and create a learning-plan from that - not the other way round. Keep on track and ensure that you're training for an end-result that'll reward you for many long and fruitful years.

All students are advised to speak to an industry professional before they embark on a training program. This is required to ensure it has the required elements for the career that is sought.

We're often asked why academic qualifications are being replaced by more commercially accredited qualifications?

With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, the IT sector has moved to specific, honed-in training only available through the vendors themselves - in other words companies such as Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA. Frequently this is at a far reduced cost both money and time wise.

Vendor training works through concentrating on the skills that are really needed (together with an appropriate level of associated knowledge,) instead of going into the heightened depths of background 'extras' that computer Science Degrees often do (because the syllabus is so wide).

The bottom line is: Accredited IT qualifications give employers exactly what they're looking for - the title is a complete giveaway: i.e. I am a 'Microsoft Certified Professional' in 'Windows XP Administration and Configuration'. So employers can identify exactly what they need and what certifications will be suitable to deal with those needs.

Finding your first job in the industry can be a little easier if you're supported with a Job Placement Assistance program. With the great skills shortage in the UK at the moment, it's not too important to get too caught up in this feature though. It really won't be that difficult to land employment as long as you've got the necessary skills and qualifications.

Ideally you should have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we'd encourage everyone to work on polishing up their CV right at the beginning of their training - don't procrastinate and leave it until you've graduated or passed any exams.

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.

The top companies to help you land that job are normally specialist independent regional recruitment consultancies. As they're keen to place you to receive their commission, they have more incentive to get on with it.

In a nutshell, as long as you focus the same level of energy into securing your first IT position as into training, you won't find it too challenging. A number of men and women bizarrely spend hundreds of hours on their course materials and then just stop once certified and appear to be under the impression that jobs will come to them.

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.

Because the IT sector is expanding at such a speed, there really isn't any other market worth considering for a new career.

Author: Scott Edwards. Pop over to Access 2003 Training or Click HERE.