Network and computer support staff are ever more sought after in this country, as companies become progressively more dependent upon their knowledge and capacity to solve problems. As we’re all becoming more and more dependent on advanced technology, we simultaneously emerge as more reliant on the technically knowledgeable networking professionals, who keep the systems going.

Review the following facts carefully if you think the sales ploy of an ‘Exam Guarantee’ sounds great value:

Of course it’s not free – you’re still coughing up for it – it’s just been included in your package price.

It’s everybody’s ambition to qualify on the first attempt. Taking your exams progressively one by one and paying as you go has a marked effect on pass-rates – you prepare appropriately and are conscious of what you’ve spent.

Isn’t it outrageous to have to pay a college in advance for examination fees? Go for the best offer at the appropriate time, don’t pay mark-ups – and do it locally – rather than possibly hours away from your area.

Paying upfront for examination fees (plus interest – if you’re financing your study) is madness. Resist being talked into filling the training company’s account with extra money of yours just to give them more interest! Some will be pinning their hopes on the fact that you won’t get to do them all – then they’ll keep the extra money.

It’s worth noting, with most ‘Exam Guarantees’ – you are not in control of when you are allowed to do a re-take. You’ll have to prove conclusively that you can pass before they’ll pay for another exam.

Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is remiss – when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

We’re regularly asked to explain why qualifications from colleges and universities are being overtaken by more qualifications from the commercial sector?

Accreditation-based training (as it’s known in the industry) is most often much more specialised. The IT sector has become aware that such specialised knowledge is what’s needed to handle a technologically complex commercial environment. Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA are the big boys in this field.

Essentially, only that which is required is learned. It’s not quite as straightforward as that, but the principle objective is to focus on the exact skills required (including a degree of required background) – without overdoing the detail in everything else (as academia often does).

Imagine if you were an employer – and you needed to take on someone with a very particular skill-set. What’s the simplest way to find the right person: Trawl through reams of different degrees and college qualifications from hopeful applicants, having to ask what each has covered and which workplace skills they’ve mastered, or pick out specific commercial accreditations that specifically match what you’re looking for, and make your short-list from that. You can then focus on how someone will fit into the team at interview – rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.

A lot of commercial training providers will only provide support to you inside of office hours (typically 9am-6pm) and sometimes a little earlier or later; not many go late into the evening (after 8-9pm) or cover weekends properly.

Beware of institutions that use ‘out-of-hours’ call-centres – where you’ll get called back during the next ‘working’ day. It’s no use when you’re stuck on a problem and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.

Keep your eyes open for colleges that use several support centres around the globe in several time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to provide a single interface and also 24×7 access, when it suits you, with no fuss.

Never compromise when it comes to your support. The majority of trainees that give up, are in that situation because of support (or the lack of).

Sometimes, people don’t really get what information technology can do for us. It is stimulating, innovative, and means you’re doing your bit in the gigantic wave of technology affecting everyones lives in the 21st century.

We’re at the dawn of starting to get a handle on how all this will mould and change our lives. The way we communicate and interact with everyone around us will be profoundly affected by technology and the internet.

The usual IT employee in the UK is likely to get considerably more than fellow workers in other market sectors. Typical wages are around the top of national league tables.

Because the IT market sector is still increasing nationally and internationally, it’s predictable that the search for appropriately qualified IT professionals will continue actively for years to come.

Copyright Scott Edwards. Pop over to A Plus Certification or www.SQLTraining4PC.co.uk.