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14 April 2009

Choosing The Right Microsoft MCSA Course in 2009

By Jason Kendall

If you'd like to find a Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) training course, pay attention to the fact that companies offer quite diverse courses; and you'll relate to some more than others. You'll discover a variety of courses, whether you're new to the industry, or an IT professional hoping to polish up your CV. Each of these categories needs a specialised track, so pay attention that you've got the correct program prior to making a start. Look for a training provider that's willing to understand you, and what you're trying to achieve, and will supply you with the clear facts to make your choice.

As the UK computing sector presents so many incomparable career prospects for everyone - which questions do we need to be raising and which aspects are important to consider?

Don't get hung-up, as a lot of students can, on the accreditation program. Training for training's sake is generally pointless; this is about gaining commercial employment. You need to remain focused on where you want to go. Never let yourself become one of the unfortunate masses who choose a training program that sounds really 'interesting' and 'fun' - and get to the final hurdle of an accreditation for a job they hate.

You need to keep your eye on what you want to achieve, and formulate your training based on that - avoid getting them back-to-front. Keep on track and begin studying for an end-result that will keep you happy for many years. Have a conversation with a skilled professional who has a background in the industry you're considering, and who'll explain to you an in-depth explanation of what you're going to be doing in that job. Researching these areas well before beginning a study programme makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

The old fashioned style of teaching, involving piles of reference textbooks, is often a huge slog for most of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, dig around for more practical courses which feature interactive and multimedia modules. Research has repeatedly confirmed that getting into our studies physically, is far more likely to produce long-lasting memories.

Search for a course where you'll receive a selection of DVD-ROM's - you'll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, with the facility to practice your skills in interactive lab's. It would be silly not to view some examples of the kind of training materials you'll be using before you hand over your cheque. You should expect instructor-led video demonstrations and interactive modules with audio-visual elements.

You should avoid purely online training. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where possible, enabling them to be used at your convenience - ISP quality varies, so you don't want to be totally reliant on your broadband being 'up' 100 percent of the time.

We can't make a big enough deal out of this point: Always get full 24x7 instructor support. We can tell you that you'll strongly regret it if you let this one slide. some companies only provide email support (slow), and phone support is often to a call-centre who will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor - who will call back over the next day or so (assuming you're there), when it suits them. This is no use if you're stuck and can't continue and can only study at specific times.

Be on the lookout for training schools that utilise many support facilities around the globe in several time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to offer a simple interface and 24 hours-a-day access, when it's convenient for you, with no fuss. Always pick a training provider that offers this level of study support. As only 24x7 round-the-clock live support delivers what is required.

If you may be starting with a training school which is still pushing 'in-centre workshop days' as a benefit of their course, then listen to these problems experienced by most IT hopefuls:

* Many round journeys - usually hundreds of miles each and every time.

* If you work for a living, then weekday only workshops cause problems at work. More than likely you will be contending with several days in a row too.

* Annual leave lost - most students get just four weeks holiday each year. If half or more of that is used up by training events, you haven't got a great deal of holiday time remaining for the family as a whole.

* Classes can 'sell out' fast and can sometimes be too big - so they're not personal enough.

* A lot of trainees hope to push through at quite a pace, others want a more steady pace and not be forced to adopt an uncomfortable speed for them. This will often generate tension and bad atmosphere in most workshops.

* Don't ignore the extra expense of driving or taking public transport or accommodation for the duration either. Don't be surprised to find this become many hundreds of pounds more - sometimes thousands. Take some time to add it all up - you may be surprised.

* Training privacy will be of paramount importance to a lot of attendees. Why would you want to lose potential advancement, pay-rises or success at work while you're training. If your work discovers you're putting yourself through accreditation in another sector, what are they going to be thinking?

* How many of us have avoided asking a question, because we wanted to maintain the illusion that we did, in fact, understand?

* Being away from home with your work during the week - a fair few trainees find they're living or working somewhere else for sections of their training. Workshops are problematic to attend, unfortunately the monies have already been handed over as part of your fees.

It would be better to simply watch and be taught by teachers one-on-one through pre-filmed lessons, studying them when it's convenient for you, not someone else. Whenever you experience difficulties, logon to the 24x7 support facility (that you should have insisted on for any technical study.) Remember, if your PC is a notebook PC, you can study just about anywhere. Simply do the study units whenever you need to. You also don't need to write any notes as you have the lesson indefinitely. Could it get any simpler: Time and money is saved and travelling is avoided altogether; and you get a much more comfortable learning atmosphere.

Being at the forefront of the leading edge of new technology is as thrilling as it comes. You're involved with shaping the next few decades. We're only just starting to get to grips with what this change will mean to us. How we correlate with the world as a whole will be profoundly affected by technology and the internet.

A regular IT professional across the UK can demonstrate that they earn a lot more than fellow workers in another industry. Standard IT salaries are around the top of national league tables. Excitingly, there's no easing up for IT increases across Britain. The sector is still growing rapidly, and as we have a significant shortage of skilled professionals, it's not likely that it will even slow down for a good while yet.

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1 komentar:

Unknown mengatakan...

When will you be doing another article on this subject? 

Amela
IT Training Hertfordshire