Networking Career Retraining – Update

If it weren’t for a steady stream of trained network and computer support personnel, commercial enterprise in the United Kingdom (and indeed in most countries) would surely run into problems. Consequently, there’s an on-going demand for men and women with technical ability to support systems and users alike. Because our society becomes more and more dependent on our PC’s, we in turn find ourselves more reliant on the skilled and qualified networking professionals, who keep the systems going.

A key training program will also offer fully authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages.

Avoid relying on non-accredited preparation materials for exams. The way they’re phrased can be completely unlike authorised versions – and this could lead to potential problems when it comes to taking the real exam.

Be sure to ask for exam preparation tools so you’ll be able to verify your understanding at any point. Simulations of exams add to your knowledge bank – then you won’t be quite so nervous at the actual exam.

Most training providers only provide support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly.

Look for training with proper support available at any time you choose (no matter if it’s in the middle of the night on a weekend!) Ensure you get direct access to tutors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you’re constantly waiting for a call-back – probably during office hours.

The best training colleges provide an online access round-the-clock facility utilising a variety of support centres over many time-zones. You’ll have an easy to use environment which seamlessly selects the best facility available irrespective of the time of day: Support on demand.

Never make do with less than you need and deserve. Support round-the-clock is the only kind to make the grade for IT training. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; often though, we’re working when traditional support if offered.

One area often overlooked by those thinking about a course is the issue of ‘training segmentation’. Essentially, this is the breakdown of the materials for drop-shipping to you, which vastly changes how you end up.

Typically, you will join a program that takes between and 1 and 3 years and get sent one module each time you pass an exam. While this may sound logical on one level, consider this:

What happens when you don’t complete every exam? What if you don’t find their order of learning is ideal for you? Due to no fault of yours, you may not meet the required timescales and not get all the study materials as a result.

Truth be told, the best option is to have a copy of their prescribed order of study, but make sure you have all of your learning modules right from the beginning. You then have everything in case you don’t finish as fast as they’d like.

A sneaky way that training companies make a big mark-up is through up-front charges for exams and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. It looks impressive, till you look at the facts:

In this day and age, we are a tad more knowledgeable about sales gimmicks – and usually we know that for sure it is actually an additional cost to us (it isn’t free or out of the goodness of their hearts!)

Evidence shows that when trainees fund their relevant examinations, one at a time, there’s a much better chance they’ll pass every time – because they’ll be conscious of the cost and therefore will put more effort into their preparation.

Take your exams somewhere close to home and look for the very best offer you can at the time.

Many questionable training course providers make big margins by getting paid for exams at the start of the course and hoping either that you won’t take them, or it will be a long time before you do.

Re-takes of any failed exams with companies who offer an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are monitored with tight restrictions. You will be required to do mock exams until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass.

Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on ‘Exam Guarantees’ is naive – when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will get you through.

(C) 2009 Scott Edwards. Pop over to www.CCNATrainingInfo.co.uk or HERE.