CompTIA A+ Courses - Thoughts

The CompTIA A+ course covers four specialized areas - the requirement is exam passes in 2 specialties to be seen as competent in A+. This is why, most colleges restrict their A+ to just two of the 4 sectors. Our opinion is this is selling you short - of course you can gain accreditation, but training on all 4 will set you apart in your working life, where gaps in your knowledge will expose weaknesses. That's why we believe you should train in everything.

Training courses in A+ are about fault finding and diagnosing - both remote access and hands-on, in addition to building and fixing and having knowledge of antistatic conditions. If you would like to be the person who is a member of a large organization - supporting, fixing and maintaining networks, you should include CompTIA Network+ to your training package, or consider an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft as you'll need a more advanced experience of the way networks work.

Quite often, students have issues with a single courseware aspect usually not even thought about: The breakdown of the course materials before being couriered to your address. The majority of training companies will set up a program spread over 1-3 years, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you get to the end of each exam. Sounds reasonable? Well consider these facts: What if you don't finish every exam? And what if the order provided doesn't meet your requirements? Due to no fault of yours, you may not meet the required timescales and therefore not end up with all the modules.

The very best situation would see you getting all the learning modules delivered to your address right at the beginning; the whole caboodle! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede your ability to finish.

Technology and IT is one of the most exciting and ground-breaking industries that you can get into right now. To be working on the cutting-edge of technology means you're a part of the huge progress that will impact the whole world for generations to come. We're only just beginning to get a handle on what this change will mean to us. The way we correlate with the world as a whole will be significantly affected by computers and the internet.

The money in IT isn't to be sniffed at moreover - the income on average over this country as a whole for the usual man or woman in IT is considerably better than remuneration packages in other sectors. Chances are you'll make a much greater package than you could reasonably hope to get in other industries. As the IT industry keeps increasing year on year, the chances are that the need for certified IT professionals will continue actively for years to come.

You should remember: the training program or a qualification isn't what this is about; the career that you want is. Too many training companies completely prioritise the actual accreditation. Imagine training for just one year and then end up doing a job for a lifetime. Don't make the mistake of opting for what may seem to be a program of interest to you only to waste your life away with something you don't even enjoy!

Set targets for what you want to earn and what level of ambition fits you. This will influence what accreditations you will need and what you can expect to give industry in return. It's good advice for all students to chat with an experienced professional before deciding on their learning path. This gives some measure of assurance that it contains the commercially required skills for the career path that has been chosen.

Many trainers supply a practical Job Placement Assistance service, to assist your search for your first position. Don't get overly impressed with this service - it isn't unusual for their marketing department to make too much of it. The fact of the matter is, the need for well trained IT people in Great Britain is what will enable you to get a job.

Having said that, it's important to have advice and support about your CV and interviews though; additionally, we would recommend all students to get their CV updated right at the beginning of their training - don't delay till you've finished your exams. It's not uncommon to find that junior support jobs are offered to students who are still studying and haven't even passed a single exam yet. At the very least this will get you on your way. Normally you'll get quicker results from a specialized and independent local recruitment service than any training company's centralized service, as they'll know local industry and the area better.

Do ensure you don't spend hundreds of hours on your training and studies, and then just stop and leave it up to everyone else to sort out your employment. Stop procrastinating and get on with the job. Channel as much time and energy into getting your first job as you did to get trained.

One crafty way that training companies make extra profits is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. This sounds impressive, till you look at the facts:

You're paying for it ultimately. You can be assured it's not a freebie - they've just worked it into the package price. Should you seriously need to pass first time, you must pay for one exam at a time, focus on it intently and give the task sufficient application.

Why should you pay your training course provider up-front for examination fees? Find the best exam deal or offer when you're ready, instead of paying a premium - and do it in a local testing center - instead of miles away at the college's beck and call. Buying a course that includes payments for examination fees (and interest charges if you're borrowing money) is madness. Why fill a company's coffers with your hard-earned cash only to please their Bank Manager! A lot bank on the fact that you don't even take them all - so they don't need to pay for them. It's worth noting, with the majority of Exam Guarantees - the company decides when you are allowed to do a re-take. Subsequent exam attempts are only authorized at the company's say so.

Exams taken at local centers are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in this country. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in fees for 'exam guarantees' (most often hidden in the package) - when good quality study materials, the proper support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what's required.

(C) Jason Kendall. Visit LearningLolly.com for in-depth information on A+ Certificatio