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Tuesday 30 November 2010

Microsoft Programming Self-Paced PC Career Courses Simplified

By Jason Kendall


With such a large selection of IT courses on the market now, it's a good idea to look for a training provider who can guide you on one that will suit you. Reputable companies will discuss at length the various career options that may be a match for you, before offering you a training path that can take you where you want to go.

There are courses covering Microsoft User Skills up to Networking, Programming, Databases and Web Design. There's a lot to choose from and so you'll probably need to have a conversation with an industry expert prior to deciding which way to go: the last thing you want to do is find you're studying for something that doesn't suit you!

By concentrating on service and delivery, computer training providers can now offer up-to-the-minute courses with excellent training and support for considerably less money than is asked for by more out-dated organisations.

Always expect accredited simulation materials and an exam preparation system included in the package you choose.

Sometimes people can get confused by going through practice questions that are not from official sources. Often, the terminology in the real exams is unfamiliar and you need to be ready for this.

As you can imagine, it is really important to ensure that you're absolutely ready for your final certified exam before embarking on it. Going over simulated exams will help to boost your attitude and will save a lot of money on unsuccessful attempts at exams.

Ask almost any expert consultant and they can normally tell you many terrible tales of how students have been duped by salespeople. Make sure you deal with someone who quizzes you to find out what's appropriate to you - not for their pay-packet! It's very important to locate a starting-point that will suit you.

If you have a strong background, or even a touch of work-based experience (some certifications gained previously perhaps?) then it's likely the point from which you begin your studies will be different from a trainee who has no experience.

Always consider starting with some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first. Beginning there can make the transition to higher-level learning a less steep.

At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be proper direct-access 24x7 support with dedicated instructors and mentors. It's an all too common story to find providers that only seem to want to help while they're in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends.

Avoid, like the plague, any organisations which use 'out-of-hours' call-centres - with the call-back coming in during normal office hours. It's no use when you're stuck on a problem and need help now.

Keep your eyes open for training programs that incorporate three or four individual support centres across multiple time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to offer a simple interface and 24x7 access, when it's convenient for you, with no hassle.

Don't compromise with the quality of your support. The vast majority of students that can't get going properly, are in that situation because of a lack of support.

Commercial qualifications are now, very visibly, taking over from the more academic tracks into the industry - why then is this happening?

The IT sector now recognises that to cover the necessary commercial skill-sets, proper accreditation from the likes of Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe most often has much more specialised relevance - saving time and money.

In essence, students are simply taught the necessary specifics in depth. It isn't quite as lean as that might sound, but the principle objective is to master the precisely demanded skill-sets (with some necessary background) - without attempting to cover a bit about every other area (as universities often do).

Think about if you were the employer - and your company needed a person with some very particular skills. What's the simplest way to find the right person: Pore through a mass of different academic qualifications from various applicants, having to ask what each has covered and what trade 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'll then be able to concentrate on getting a feel for the person at interview - rather than on the depth of their technical knowledge.




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