CompTIA A Plus Training At Home Compared

There are a total of 4 specialist training sectors in the overall A+ programme, of which you’ll need certification in two subjects to gain A+ competency. But restricting yourself to two of the specialised areas is likely to leave your knowledge base somewhat light. At least learn about all four – for greater confidence in the world of work.

Qualifying in CompTIA A+ without additional courses will mean that you’re able to repair and fix stand-alone PC’s and MAC’s; ones that are generally not connected to a network – which means the home or small business market.

You might also choose to consider adding the CompTIA Network+ training as you’ll then be in a position to work with networks, and have a more responsible working role.

Consider the points below very carefully if you’ve been persuaded that the sales ploy of ‘guaranteeing’ exams sounds like a benefit to the student:

Patently it isn’t free – you’re still paying for it – it’s just been wrapped up in the price of the package.

Students who go in for their examinations when it’s appropriate, funding them as they go are much more likely to pass. They are aware of what they’ve paid and revise more thoroughly to make sure they’re ready.

Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you’re ready, and hang on to your cash. You’ll also be able to choose where to do your exams – so you can choose somewhere closer to home.

Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for examination fees when you didn’t need to? A lot of profit is made because training colleges are getting money in early for exam fees – and then cashing in when they’re not all taken.

Most companies will insist that you take mock exams first and not allow you to re-take an exam until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass – which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.

On average, exams cost approximately 112 pounds twelve months or so ago via Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra to have ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when common sense dictates that the responsible approach is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.

Finding your first job in the industry sometimes feels easier to handle if you’re offered a Job Placement Assistance service. It can happen though that too much is made of this feature, because it’s relatively easy for any motivated and trained individual to secure work in the IT environment – as employers are keen to find appropriately skilled employees.

Whatever you do, avoid waiting until you have completed your exams before updating your CV. As soon as you start studying, list what you’re working on and get it out there!

Getting your CV considered is more than not being known. A surprising amount of junior jobs are got by trainees (sometimes when they’ve only just got going.)

If you don’t want to travel too far to work, then you may well find that a specialist locally based employment agency may serve you better than a national service, as they are much more inclined to be familiar with the local job scene.

In a nutshell, if you put as much hard work into securing your first job as into studying, you’re not likely to experience problems. Some people strangely put hundreds of hours into their learning program and just give up once qualified and seem to expect employers to find them.

Of all the important things to consider, one of the most essential is always full 24×7 support with professional mentors and instructors. Far too often we see trainers who only provide office hours (or extended office hours) support.

Don’t accept certification programs which can only support students with a call-centre messaging system when it’s outside of usual working hours. Companies will defend this with all kinds of excuses. Essentially – you need support when you need support – not when it’s convenient for them.

Keep your eyes open for colleges that utilise many support facilities across multiple time-zones. Each one should be integrated to enable simple one-stop access together with 24 hours-a-day access, when it’s convenient for you, with no fuss.

Never compromise when it comes to your support. The majority of IT hopefuls who give up, are in that situation because of a lack of support.

Now, why is it better to gain qualifications from the commercial sector as opposed to familiar academic qualifications gained through the state educational establishments?

As demand increases for knowledge about more and more complex technology, industry has been required to move to the specialised core-skills learning that the vendors themselves supply – in other words companies such as CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA. This usually turns out to involve less time and financial outlay.

Many degrees, for instance, become confusing because of a great deal of loosely associated study – with much too broad a syllabus. This holds a student back from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials.

Put yourself in the employer’s position – and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What should you do: Go through loads of academic qualifications from graduate applicants, asking for course details and which vocational skills they have, or choose particular accreditations that perfectly fit your needs, and make your short-list from that. The interview is then more about the person and how they’ll fit in – rather than establishing whether they can do a specific task.

Copyright Scott Edwards 2009. Look at ChoosingCareer.co.uk/rChoCar.html or Website Design Course.