Introducing 2391 Courses

By Jason Kendall

It's notable that a career within the electrical industry, with its attractive options, remains a choice for lots of people. Whilst the original term is 'Electro-Mechanical Engineering' we will simply refer to the subject as the Electrical Industry. Equally we'll focus on those credentials that fit the UK domestic and commercial sector rather than those from around the world. Due to the huge list of opportunities available for a career in the electrical industry, we have to begin by focusing on the main areas and look at the 'add-ons' later on.

We consider that there are two ways to enter the electrical market. The first is for those wishing to train via a more traditional apprenticeship route, and the second is for people who are entering the field at a later stage in life. To clarify, we'll label each of them as the 'Mature Entrants' and the 'Junior Entrants'.

Principally, Mature Entrants join the electrical workplace later on, and focus on becoming self employed. This means working on their own and not having to pay salaries to anyone else. Those who join as Junior Entrants, on the other hand, appear to do so with the aim of joining an established electrical firm - in order to gain further qualifications and experience whilst picking up practical and other work-place skills. Often a young apprentice will be in their first job since leaving school, and will therefore have a host of ancillary skills to learn during their first few years as a working adult.

The two different ways into the industry have two separate methods of preparation. In essence, the Junior Entrants follow an NVQ syllabus, or SVQ syllabus in Scotland. As part of the training program an NVQ would be a requirement to attain. This means that work programs or apprenticeships have to be sought in order to arrange the necessary course work and testing phases of work.

By opting to work on a freelance basis, many Mature Entrants appear to focus on those areas that provide profitable and practical solutions other than NVQ's. Such as obtaining documentation that gives them the best chance to gain from their training endeavours and thereby the best financial rewards. This method allows for a quicker route to the market and does meet the necessary trading elements for the areas concerned despite reducing the overall qualification set.

Between self-employment and general employment we have two routes to consider in terms of typical income. Whilst we will focus on full time employment, there exists the issue as to whether self-employed people are doing this full time or part time. Income levels are also dictated by experience and knowledge gained - usually proven via an accredited proficiency or certification level.

Wages for 'Junior Entrants' can become as high as 30,000 or more per annum with the right experience, although starting salaries are around 12,000. Mature Entrants are more difficult to assess, and incomes up to and above 70k are regularly reported within the UK Press. Irrespective of this salary level many self-employed people also need to manage extra business costs such as tools, clothes and vans. In addition to this they will also have to allow for items such as accountancy and personal/professional insurance. Whilst there is lots of available work, a severe skills shortage means electricians are very much in demand. Working 7 days a week is totally achievable for most people if they want it. Although by working very long hours and having assistants to help, the figures of 70-100 thousand advertised in newspapers might be achieved, it wouldn't be easy.

There is often a considerable differential between the working expectations of Mature or Junior Entrants. For a 'Junior Entrant', most work is on a simple working week basis. Whereas the Mature market can be more dependent on the domestic market for some - i.e. weekend and evening work, when their clients are available and back from work. This alters quite a bit, with lots of self employed electricians gaining much of their income from small office work, which is predominantly Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.

Once a career in electrical work has been chosen, a Junior Electrician is often at the mercy of their employer when it comes to learning new skills and expertise. The mature entrant, on the other hand, may seek training outside of their core electrical field, possibly including plumbing and gas work. This gives them the chance to complete work for domestic clients without having to sub contract jobs out every time.

An up to the minute angle - involving a new level of skills - is that of the so called 'Green Engineer'. The chance to win some big employment and business advantages within the governmental as well as the traditional growth sector means that this area could be attractive to both Junior and Mature Entrants alike. - 33394

About the Author:

(C) S. Edwards 2009. Pop over to Electrician Qualifications or CareerChangeIdea.co.uk/hcca.html.

An Analysis Of Plumber Training

By Jason Kendall

The figures explaining how much Plumbers can earn is often talked about in the papers. The lack of Plumbers in the UK has led to salaries of 30-70k p.a. being exhibited. Is this really a fib - or is this in fact accurate? For the competent and correctly skilled person, this level of salary is realistic. In fact, earnings in excess of 70 - 100k p.a. are achievable - but that is solely for those who work within the self-employed market-place, rather than those who work within established employment routes.

If you enter the traditional work environment, primarily working for an established employer, then working hours of Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm are standard. Furthermore from a UK employer, the usual perks are holiday pay and sickness allowance, as well as salaries of between 15k and 30k p.a. Whilst the ability to earn more than through normal means exists, the self-employed plumber usually has to consider working longer hours. This is clear when self employed plumbers have to work evenings and weekends, where their domestic clients are working during the day.

Around which is the question of self employment which appears to fit some people. The inclusion of key elements such as utilising good 'business sense', covering areas such as advertising and marketing and getting your own cost-per-hour correct is integral to the picture. Furthermore, additional costs such as materials and transport, along with legal and accountancy fees will need to be paid. Although it is expected that these can be relatively small in relation to the earnings overall they can mount up, but then so can the benefits. And the positives virtually always beat the downsides!

Often customary work from employers attracts Student Entrants especially if it meets their needs training in working knowledge and experience. On the other hand, the Self Employed Entrant needs to increase their list plumbing credentials as soon as possible. That said the vast majority of self-employed plumbers appear to favour the 'domestic' instead of the commercial market. (Not all of them, but the main do!)

Furthermore, each route into Plumbing has a necessity on the certification process overall. Without a doubt the issue of NVQ's (SVQ's in Scotland) raises a constant concern as to the way forward.

Without a doubt, it is the greater dependence on the NVQ element that separates the Student Entrant from the Self Employed Entrant. The Self Employed Entrant will regularly employ a range of certifications in order to meet the needs of their client's requirements from the beginning. Without a doubt the self employed person needs to quickly gain the core domestic- centred qualifications to satisfy their typical household-based clients. Once they have covered the core parts the Student Entrant will often carry on their study not dissimilar to an apprenticeship in the workplace (where the NVQ element can be appraised.) Considerable savings potential exists to the Student Entrant by taking on this cheaper form of study. That said it is the ability to gain real financial rewards long before the Student Entrant that encourages many Self-Employed Entrants to gain certifications faster and be motivated by a stronger commercial attitude.

It is the required financial rewards that drive the urgency of clear careers discussions, whether they are overall study or certification requirements. It is extremely difficult for adults with a family to look after and needing 20kp.a. to consider going back to college and spending 3 years on low paid-apprenticeship work. Normally, self-employed students to pay for their courses themselves whereas the younger Student Entrants have the majority of their courses paid for them as part of their apprenticeships. Depending on the level of certification sought and the course itself the costs for people can run into 3k to 10k+.

For the most part, Student Entrants will study at recognised further-education colleges, whereas the Self Employed Entrant has the option to consider the wider range of private commercial schools. It is through well known educational paths that many commercial training companies can offer routes into correct qualifications and skill-set requirements. One of the main advantages of this method is the opportunity for evening, part-time, and self-study classes - allowing Self Employed Entrants to train whilst continuing with their existing job, thus maintaining their financial situation. With so many colleges at hand, the key is to secure as many with technical data sources and gather them. Having provided an option for you to come back and review the links and adverts from several sites, why not book mark this page (CTRL-D).

By going on added training programs many plumbing students seek to increase their 'marketability'. Indeed it is through the added training provided that certification in areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical can be gained. Forming part of the common domestic and commercial heating system, Plumbers have often opted for Gas Training.

It is with its main subjects, alongside added NVQ's, that result in Gas Training being viewed as a technical program. It also features many options for on-going training, especially for those who trained as a plumber first and are now looking at some extra skills to add to their stable. From this idea the mature student works better with a fusion offered by Gas/Plumbing training. The path of focussing on the core subjects and at the same time dropping the NVQ's seems to favour the Mature Student.

It is from this particular training program that the self-employed professional gains ground. The opportunity to learn a wider range of perceived skill-sets (whilst earning money from them) becomes the attraction. This alone can add to their industrial viewpoint, as opposed to relying on sub-contracting core elements to third parties. Sub-contracting can not only reduce the earning potential of a job, but also erode the value in the customer's eye, as they may have to wait for key stages to be handled by someone else before the final completion of the job. The more skilled a plumber is in their job role - the more that they have to offer their client base.

It is by working at their broader range of certifications alongside business skills that Self Employed Entrants can achieve much higher income streams that their Student Entrant counterparts. Note: This information deals with industry requirements and policies for the UK market alone. - 33394

About the Author:

(C) 2009 S. Edwards. Try Plumbing Apprenticeships or Which-Career.co.uk/wcarf.html.

Microsoft MCSA Courses At Home Considered

By Jason Kendall

If you're thinking about a future in supporting networks then the Microsoft MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) course is the ideal one for you. So if you want to get going or have previous knowledge but no certificate, a range of courses exist to help you either way.

Should you be contemplating entering the world of computers and this is your first experience, you'll probably need to pick up some skills prior to studying for all four MCP's (Microsoft Certified Professional exams) needed to get qualified at the MCSA level. Search for a training organisation that can create an ideal program to fulfil your needs - it should be possible for you to chat with an industry expert to determine what the best way forward is for you.

A lot of men and women are under the impression that the tech college or university track is still the most effective. Why then are qualifications from the commercial sector slowly and steadily replacing it?

Industry is now aware that for mastery of skill sets for commercial use, certified accreditation from the likes of CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA is closer to the mark commercially - saving time and money.

They do this through honing in on the actual skills required (along with an appropriate level of related knowledge,) instead of covering masses of the background 'padding' that computer Science Degrees often do - to pad out the syllabus.

Put yourself in the employer's position - and you wanted someone who could provide a specific set of skills. What's the simplest way to find the right person: Trawl through loads of academic qualifications from hopeful applicants, asking for course details and what workplace skills they have, or choose particular accreditations that precisely match your needs, and then select who you want to interview from that. The interview is then more about the person and how they'll fit in - instead of long discussions on technical suitability.

A lot of trainers will only offer basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); It's rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover.

Locate training schools where you can receive help at any time you choose (even if it's early hours on Sunday morning!) You'll need 24x7 direct access to mentors and instructors, and not access to a call-in service which takes messages - so you're constantly waiting for a call-back when it's convenient for them.

Be on the lookout for colleges that have multiple support offices across multiple time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to give a single entry point together with access round-the-clock, when you need it, with no hassle.

Don't accept second best when it comes to your support. The vast majority of would-be IT professionals who drop-out or fail, are in that situation because they didn't get the support necessary for them.

Lately, do you find yourself questioning how safe your job is? For most people, this isn't an issue until we experience a knock-back. But in today's marketplace, the reality is that our job security simply doesn't exist anymore, for nearly everyone now.

When we come across growing skills shortages coupled with escalating demand of course, we almost always find a newly emerging type of market-security; driven by the constant growth conditions, companies find it hard to locate the number of people required.

The IT skills shortfall around the United Kingdom falls in at approx 26 percent, as reported by the 2006 e-Skills investigation. Accordingly, out of each 4 positions in existence across IT, organisations can only locate enough qualified individuals for 3 of the 4.

Fully qualified and commercially educated new professionals are consequently at a total premium, and it seems it will continue to be so for many years to come.

Surely, this really is a fabulous time for retraining into the IT industry.

Adding in the cost of exam fees upfront then including an exam guarantee is popular with many companies. However, let's consider what's really going on:

They've allowed costings for it by some means. It's definitely not free - they've just worked it into the package price.

Those who go in for their examinations when it's appropriate, paying as they go are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They are mindful of their spending and prepare more appropriately to be ready for the task.

Find the best exam deal or offer available at the time, and save having to find the money early. In addition, it's then your choice where to do the examinations - meaning you can choose a local testing centre.

Paying in advance for examinations (and if you're financing your study there'll be interest on that) is bad financial management. Resist being talked into filling the training company's account with your money just to give them a good cash-flow! A lot bank on the fact that you won't get round to taking them - but they won't refund the cash.

In addition to this, exam guarantees often have very little value. The majority of companies won't pay for re-takes until you've completely satisfied them that you're ready this time.

Exam fees averaged approximately 112 pounds in the last 12 months via Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So what's the point of paying maybe a thousand pounds extra to get 'Exam Guarantees', when it's no secret that the most successful method is a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools. - 33394

About the Author:

(C) 2009 S. Edwards. Pop to Microsoft MCDST or www.CareerChangeTraining.co.uk/wcachtr.html.

Simplifying Apprenticeships In Plumbing - The Best Routes

By Jason Kendall

The salaries of Plumbers are often talked about in the national press. The lack of Plumbers in the UK has led to salaries of 30-70k p.a. being exhibited. The question now is - are we being lied to, or is this the truth? For an experienced Plumber, this amount of salary is both realistic and feasible. Salaries of 70-100k p.a. are achievable, but these appear to be the area of the self-employed Plumbers rather than those who take the more familiar working methods.

The normal working week is pretty standard for those who join an established company. Normal remuneration such as holiday pay and sickness allowance, along with wages of between 15k and 30K p.a., are usual from UK companies in this area. That said it is by working longer than typically 9am to 6pm, Mon to Fri that self employed people achieve higher incomes than those adopting a traditional approach. This is especially the case where self-employed plumbers have opted to work in the domestic market, where their clients are at work during the day - requiring evening and weekend visits.

Around which is the question of self employment which appears to fit some people. The inclusion of key elements such as utilising good 'business sense', covering areas such as advertising and marketing and getting your own cost-per-hour correct is integral to the picture. There are additional charges levied to people who work for themselves including legal and accountancy fees as well as those relating to materials and transport. These charges should always remain a small proportion of the overall income so that any profits created always outweigh them. And the downsides are nearly always outweighed by the proceeds!

Without a doubt Student Entrants are looking for companies who can offer them regular employment and thereby teach them from experience. As quickly as possible the Self Employed Entrant needs to increase their list of accreditations that they will rely upon. Having said that, we should bear in mind that the majority of self-employed workers tend to migrate towards the narrower 'domestic' market, rather than the commercial sector. (Whilst not everyone does the majority do!)

There does appear to be some union between certification relating to each path of Plumbing education and hence the industry. There is considerable divergence though when the issue of NVQ's (SVQ's in Scotland) comes into play.

Without a doubt, it is the greater dependence on the NVQ element that separates the Student Entrant from the Self Employed Entrant. The Self Employed Entrant will regularly employ a range of certifications in order to meet the needs of their client's requirements from the beginning. Certainly, the self-employed person needs to rapidly gain the key domestic-centred qualifications that will satisfy their typical household-based clients. In a similar way to an apprenticeship the Student Entrant will, once the core learning tools have been learned, enter the workplace and be able to carry on the NVQ element of their study. As it is cheaper form of study overall then the Student Entrant can make financial savings from the beginning. Nevertheless by taking a more commercial viewpoint and gaining qualifications faster than the Student Entrant, many Self Employed Entrants gain greater financial rewards and within a shorter space of time.

To be sure the financial returns required is the result of clear careers discussions covering certification and the overall study requirements. For adults with demands of say a 20kp.a and a family to look after, the prospect of going back to college and spending a further 3 years in low-paid apprenticeship work can be very daunting. It should also be remembered that many younger Student Entrants are entering an apprenticeship and thereby have their courses paid for them whereas the mature self-employed students do not. Depending on the level of certification sought and the course itself the costs for people can run into 3k to 10k+.

For the most part the private colleges are the domain of the Self Employed Entrant whereas the Student Entrant is required to study at recognised further-education colleges. Often through the use of established training schemes many commercially oriented plumbing courses are now able to deliver the necessary skill-sets and qualifications. The situation whereby Self Employed Entrants can continue with their current job and maintain their financial position remains one of the core advantages of training in evening, part-time or self study classes. Considering so many options on hand it is clever to gather data from as many sources as one can. Having provided an option for you to come back and review the links and adverts from several sites, why not book mark this page (CTRL-D).

Many plumbing students will go on to consider additional courses to increase their 'marketability'. Areas such as Gas, Green Energy and Electrical training can offer additional qualifications to Plumbers. As part of the commercial and domestic heating procedures, Gas training continues to be popular with Plumbers.

With core subjects followed by NVQ's, Gas Training is a thorough and exact training program. The opportunity for on-going training is for those who trained first as a plumber and are now seeking to add some extra skills to their repertoire. It could be said, from that viewpoint, that a hybrid of Plumbing/Gas training would be more suited to the mature student. The path of focussing on the core subjects and at the same time dropping the NVQ's seems to favour the Mature Student.

It is this blend of training that would appear to satisfy the needs of the self-employed professional. There is a great empathy for earning money whilst learning a wider range of work skill sets. This further enhances their commercial offering, instead of sub-contracting key skills to a third party. Sub-contraction needs to be handled carefully as the erosion of customer satisfaction by having to wait for key work to be completed by third parties can result in a serious reduction in potential earnings. To have a higher value within their client base a Plumber needs to consider their relative skill sets that they offer.

Whilst the Student Entrant has the chance to develop through an established employer a Self Employed Entrant can utilise their skill levels through business skills and develop a broader range of certifications to achieve a higher income stream. Note: This information deals with industry requirements and policies for the UK market alone. - 33394

About the Author:

(C) Scott Edwards 2009. Browse around Apprenticeships In Plumbing or Plumbing Courses UK.

Cisco CCNA Support Training - News

By Jason Kendall

The CCNA is the usual starting point for all training in Cisco. With it, you'll learn how to handle maintaining and installing routers and network switches. Basically, the internet comprises of vast numbers of routers, and many large organisations who have various regional departments rely on them to keep their networks in touch.

Achieving this qualification means you'll probably end up working for large companies who have many locations, but still need contact. Alternatively, you may find yourself employed by an internet service provider. These jobs are well paid and in demand.

It's advisable to do a tailored route that covers everything you need to know in advance of getting going on the Cisco CCNA.

Authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages are crucial - and should definitely be supplied by your course provider.

Sometimes people can find themselves confused by practicing questions for their exams that aren't recognised by official boards. Sometimes, the question formats and phraseology can be quite different and it's vital that you know this.

Why don't you test your depth of understanding by doing quizzes and mock ups of exams to get you ready for the real deal.

Coming across job security in this economic down-turn is problematic. Businesses frequently remove us from the workplace with very little notice - whenever it suits.

Whereas a marketplace with high growth, where staff are in constant demand (due to a big shortfall of trained workers), creates the conditions for lasting job security.

With the computing industry for instance, a recent e-Skills analysis showed a skills shortage throughout Great Britain around the 26 percent mark. That means for each 4 job positions available around the computer industry, there are barely three qualified workers to fill that need.

This one concept on its own shows why the United Kingdom needs a lot more people to enter the IT sector.

It's unlikely if a better time or market conditions could exist for getting certified in this quickly expanding and developing business.

One of the most important things to insist on has to be 24x7 round-the-clock support from professional mentors and instructors. So many companies we come across only provide office hours (or extended office hours) support.

You'll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and phone support is often to a call-centre who will just take down the issue and email it over to their technical team - who will call back over the next day or so (assuming you're there), at a suitable time to them. This is no good if you're sitting there confused over an issue and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.

We recommend looking for training programs that use several support centres from around the world. All of them should be combined to enable simple one-stop access together with 24 hours-a-day access, when it's convenient for you, with the minimum of hassle.

Find a training school that offers this level of study support. Because only live 24x7 round-the-clock support provides the necessary backup.

The way a programme is physically sent to you is usually ignored by most students. How is the courseware broken down? And in what order and how fast does each element come?

Students often think it makes sense (with a typical time scale of 1-3 years to pass all the required exams,) that a training provider will issue one module at a time, as you achieve each exam pass. But:

What would their reaction be if you find it difficult to do each and every exam at the required speed? Sometimes their preference of study order won't fit you as well as some other structure would for you.

To avoid any potential future issues, many trainees now want to insist that all study materials are sent immediately, and not in a piecemeal fashion. It's then up to you in which order and at what speed you'd like to take your exams. - 33394

About the Author:

(C) 2009 Scott Edwards. Pop to Management Training Program or CareerAlternatives.co.uk/scaralt.html.

CompTIA Network Plus Training Courses UK - Options

By Jason Kendall

Today, commercial institutions couldn't function properly without assistance from support workers mending both computers and networks, while giving advice to users on a constant basis. Because we become growingly reliant on our PC's, we in turn inevitably become increasingly more reliant upon the skilled and qualified IT professionals, who keep the systems going.

Massive developments are about to hit technology as we approach the second decade of the 21st century - and this means greater innovations all the time.

Technology, computers and communication via the internet is going to spectacularly alter the direction of our lives over future years; remarkably so.

If making decent money is around the top on your scale of wants, then you'll welcome the news that the regular income for most men and women in IT is a lot more than with other market sectors.

Experts agree that there's a considerable national demand for certified IT specialists. It follows that as growth in the industry shows little sign of contracting, it is likely there's going to be for the significant future.

Talk to any capable advisor and they'll regale you with many horror stories of students who've been conned by dodgy salespeople. Stick to an industry professional who quizzes you to find out what's right for you - not for their paycheque! Dig until you find an ideal starting-point that fits you.

In some circumstances, the training inception point for a person with some experience can be largely dissimilar to the student with none.

For those students embarking on IT studies for the first time, it can be useful to avoid jumping in at the deep-end, kicking off with a user-skills course first. Usually this is packaged with most types of training.

Of course: the course itself or a qualification is not what you're looking for; the career that you want to end up in is. Many trainers unfortunately put too much weight in the piece of paper.

It's an awful thing, but a large percentage of students kick-off study that often sounds spectacular in the sales literature, but which provides the end-result of a job that is of no interest at all. Talk to many university graduates and you'll see where we're coming from.

You'll want to understand what expectations industry may have of you. Which precise accreditations they will want you to have and in what way you can gain some industry experience. You should also spend a little time assessing how far you'd like to go as often it can control your selection of certifications.

Before you embark on a learning program, you'd be well advised to talk through specific market requirements with an experienced industry advisor, in order to be sure the learning course covers all the necessary elements.

Training support for students is an absolute must - ensure you track down something that includes 24x7 access, as not opting for this kind of support could impede your ability to learn.

Avoid, like the plague, any organisations who use 'out-of-hours' messaging systems - with your call-back scheduled for typical office hours. This is useless when you're stuck and want support there and then.

If you look properly, you'll find the top providers which provide their students direct-access online support 24x7 - including evenings, nights and weekends.

You can't afford to accept anything less. Online 24x7 support is really your only option when it comes to technical study. It's possible you don't intend to study late evenings; usually though, we're working when traditional support if offered. - 33394

About the Author:

Copyright Scott Edwards. Navigate to Human Resources Training Courses or CareerChangeUK.co.uk/scachuk.html.

CompTIA Retraining In The UK - Options

By Jason Kendall

There are four A+ exams and sections to study, but you only have to get your exams in 2 of them to qualify for your A+. Because of this, many educational establishments restrict their course to just 2 areas. But allowing you to learn about all 4 options will equip you with a much wider knowledge and understanding of the subject, which you'll come to realise is essential in the working environment.

A+ computer training courses are about fault finding and diagnosing - both remote access and hands-on, as well as building and fixing and working in antistatic conditions.

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.

It's a testament to the marketing skills of the big companies, but the majority of trainees kick-off study that often sounds wonderful in the prospectus, but which gets us a career that is of no interest. Try talking to typical university leavers for a real eye-opener.

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.

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.

Commercially accredited qualifications are now, without a doubt, starting to replace the older academic routes into the IT sector - why then should this be?

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.

Just as the old advertisement said: 'It does what it says on the tin'. The company just needs to know what they need doing, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. They'll know then that all applicants can do what they need.

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.

Get your CV updated straight-away though (advice can be sought on this via your provider). Don't wait 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.

If you'd like to get employment in your home town, then you may well find that a local IT focused recruitment consultancy might serve you better than the trainer's recruitment division, because they're far more likely to have insider knowledge of the jobs that are going locally.

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.

It's abundantly clear: There's pretty much no personal job security now; there's really only industry or business security - a company will fire a solitary member of staff if it fits their commercial needs.

Now, we only experience security via a fast escalating market, pushed forward by a lack of trained workers. These circumstances create the appropriate environment for a higher level of market-security - a much more desirable situation.

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. - 33394

About the Author:

Copyright Scott Edwards. Go to Training Managers or CLICK HERE.