Saturday, November 7, 2009

UK Microsoft SQL Computer Training - Thoughts

By Jason Kendall

What kind of things do you expect the most superior Microsoft accredited suppliers to offer a client in this country currently? Undoubtedly, the finest Microsoft authorised training routes, providing a selection of courses to take you into different areas of the IT industry.

Maybe you'd choose to discuss the job possibilities with an industry expert - and if you're uncertain, then take counsel on which area of the industry would suit you most, dependent on your personality.

Having selected your career path, your next search is for a suitable training program customised to your needs. Your study program should leave no room for complaints.

Speak with almost any capable consultant and we'd be amazed if they couldn't provide you with many terrible tales of students who've been sold completely the wrong course for them. Only deal with a skilled professional that digs deep to uncover the best thing for you - not for their wallet! You must establish an ideal starting-point that fits you.

With a bit of real-world experience or some accreditation, your starting-point of learning is very different to someone completely new.

For those students starting IT studies and exams as a new venture, it can be helpful to ease in gradually, kicking off with a user-skills course first. Usually this is packaged with any study program.

Look at the following points and pay great regard to them if you think that old marketing ploy of an 'Exam Guarantee' sounds great value:

Obviously it's not free - you're still coughing up for it - the cost has just been rolled into the whole training package.

We all want to pass first time. Entering examinations one by one and funding them one at a time puts you in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt - you take it seriously and are aware of the costs involved.

Go for the best offer you can find at the time, and hang on to your cash. You'll also be able to choose where to do your exams - so you can find somewhere local.

Big margins are netted by some training companies that get money upfront for exam fees. A number of students don't take them for various reasons but the company keeps the money. Astoundingly enough, providers exist that depend on students not taking their exams - as that's very profitable for them.

The majority of organisations will require you to sit pre-tests and with-hold subsequent exam entries from you until you've proven conclusively that you can pass - which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.

On average, exams cost about 112 pounds in the last 12 months through Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra to get 'an Exam Guarantee', when common sense dictates that what's really needed is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.

Only consider training paths that'll move onto commercially acknowledged exams. There's a plethora of trainers pushing minor 'in-house' certificates which are worthless when it comes to finding a job.

From the perspective of an employer, only the major heavyweights such as Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco (as an example) will get you short-listed. Nothing else makes the grade.

Frequently, the average student doesn't have a clue what way to go about starting in the IT industry, or even which sector to focus their retraining program on.

Reading lists of IT career possibilities is just a waste of time. The vast majority of us don't even know what our good friends do at work - let alone understand the ins and outs of a particular IT career.

Usually, the way to come at this problem properly stems from a thorough discussion of some important points:

* Your personal interests and hobbies - these can highlight what areas will provide a happy working life.

* Are you hoping to re-train for a particular reason - for example, do you aim to work based from home (being your own boss?)?

* The income needs that are important to you?

* Considering the huge variation that IT encapsulates, it's obvious you'll need to be able to understand how they differ.

* You'll also need to think hard about the amount of time and effort you'll put into your training.

When all is said and done, the best way of checking this all out is through a meeting with someone that has enough background to be able to guide you.

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