What kind of things might a person searching for Microsoft certified training expect to discover? Obviously, training organisations should be offering a variety of different options that match the needs of Microsoft certified training paths.
You might like to talk about career options with a training advisor – and should you be confused, then take counsel on whereabouts in industry would work for you, dependent on your abilities and personality.
Be assured that your training course is designed to your ability level and skills. A quality company will always guarantee that the training is appropriate for the status you wish to achieve.
Some training companies only provide basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly.
Never buy training that only supports students via a message system outside of normal office hours. Trainers will try to talk you round from this line of reasoning. The simple fact of the matter is – you want support at the appropriate time – not when it suits them.
Be on the lookout for training schools that use several support centres active in different time-zones. These should be integrated to give a single entry point and also round-the-clock access, when you need it, with no fuss.
Don’t under any circumstances take a lower level of service. Online 24×7 support is the only way to go with IT learning. Maybe late-evening study is not your thing; but for most of us, we’re at work when traditional support if offered.
One area often overlooked by new students weighing up a particular programme is the issue of ‘training segmentation’. This basically means the breakdown of the materials for delivery to you, which can make a dramatic difference to how you end up.
Usually, you’ll join a programme requiring 1-3 years study and get sent one module each time you pass an exam. This sounds logical on one level, until you consider this:
It’s not unusual for trainees to realise that their providers usual training route isn’t as suitable as another. They might find a slightly different order suits them better. And what happens if they don’t finish inside of the expected timescales?
To provide the maximum security and flexibility, many trainees now want to have all their training materials (which they’ve now paid for) sent immediately, and not in a piecemeal fashion. It’s then up to you at what speed and in which order you want to go.
Validated exam simulation and preparation software is essential – and must be supplied by your training supplier.
Because many IT examination boards come from the United States, you need to become familiar with their phraseology. You can’t practice properly by merely answering any old technical questions – it’s essential that you can cope with them in the proper exam format.
Clearly, it is really important to make sure you are completely prepared for the real exam prior to doing it. Revising mock-up exams logs the information in your brain and will avoid you getting frustrated with wasted exam attempts.
One feature that many training companies provide is a programme of Job Placement assistance. This is designed to help you find your first job in the industry. The fact of the matter is it’s not as difficult as you may be led to believe to secure the right work – assuming you’re well trained and qualified; because there’s still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.
You would ideally have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we’d recommend everyone to work on polishing up their CV right at the beginning of their training – don’t delay till you’ve finished your exams.
You’ll often find that you’ll secure your initial job whilst you’re still studying (even in the early stages). If your CV doesn’t show your latest training profile – or it’s not getting in front of interviewers, then you aren’t even in the running!
If you’d like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then you may well find that a local (but specialised) recruitment consultancy could work much better for you than some national concern, for they’re going to know the jobs that are going locally.
Please make sure you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, and then do nothing more and leave it in the hands of the gods to find you a job. Take responsibility for yourself and get out there. Invest as much resource into landing your new role as it took to pass the exams.
Author: Scott Edwards. Navigate to Click Here or learninglolly.com/Database_Training_Courses.html.