In the fast-paced world we live in, support workers who can fix computers and networks, and give constant advice to users, are indispensable in every sector of industry. Whilst we’re all becoming progressively beholden to computers and networks, we in turn find ourselves increasingly more reliant upon the skilled and qualified network engineers, who ensure the systems function properly.

Without a doubt, the IT industry shows unparalleled opportunities. However, to investigate fully, which questions should we pose, and which are the most important considerations?

A typical blunder that many potential students make is to focus entirely on getting a qualification, rather than starting with the desired end-result. Schools are stacked to the hilt with unaware students who chose a course based on what sounded good - in place of something that could gain them the job they want. Don’t let yourself become part of the group that choose a course that sounds really ‘interesting’ and ‘fun’ - and end up with a certification for a career they’ll never really get any satisfaction from.

Be honest with yourself about what you want to earn and whether you’re an ambitious person or not. Usually, this will point the way to what precise accreditations will be required and what industry will expect from you in return. Always seek guidance and advice from a skilled professional, even if you have to pay a small fee - it’s considerably cheaper and safer to discover early on if a chosen track will suit, instead of discovering following two years of study that you’ve picked the wrong track and have wasted years of effort.

There is no way of over emphasising this: It’s essential to obtain proper 24×7 round-the-clock instructor support. You will have so many problems later if you don’t heed this. Beware of institutions that use ‘out-of-hours’ messaging systems - where you’ll get called back during normal office hours. This is no use if you’re stuck and want support there and then.

It’s possible to find professional companies which offer online support 24×7 - including evenings, nights and weekends. You can’t afford to accept less than you need and deserve. Support round-the-clock is the only kind that ever makes the grade when it comes to computer-based study. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; often though, we’re out at work while the support is live.

We’d hazard a guess that you probably enjoy fairly practical work - the ‘hands-on’ personality type. If you’re like us, the world of book-reading and classrooms can be just about bared when essential, but it’s not ideal. You should use video and multimedia based materials if book-based learning really isn’t your style. Years of research and study has time and time again confirmed that connecting physically with our study, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.

Top of the range study programs now offer interactive CD and DVD ROM’s. Real-world classes from the instructors will mean you’ll find things easier to remember via their teaching and demonstrations. You can then test yourself by practicing and interacting with the software. It would be silly not to view a small selection of training examples before you sign on the dotted line. Always insist on instructor demonstrations, video tutorials and interactive modules with audio-visual elements.

Avoid training that is purely online. You want physical CD/DVD ROM course materials where possible, as you need to be able to use them whenever it’s convenient for you - and not be totally reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.

Workshops are often touted as a major benefit by a lot of training schools. If you talk to most IT hopefuls who’ve attended a few, you’ll begin to see a common thread - they are viewed as a major negative due to many reasons:

* Loads of journeys to the workshop centre - sometimes quite a distance away.

* Asking for frequent time off work - a lot of schools provide weekday availability and link several days together. This isn’t ideal for most people who work, especially if you include the travel time on top.

* Don’t overlook lost vacation time. We typically get 4 weeks annual leave. If over 50 percent is used in classes, then there’s very little left over for us.

* Training events invariably end up too big.

* Workshop pace - classes can contain trainees of varied abilities, therefore there is often tension between those that want to go quickly as opposed to the ones who need a little longer.

* The growing costs associated with travel - driving or taking public transport to the training centre and of course several days bed and breakfast can mount up with each visit. If you only assumed 5-10 classes costing around 35 pounds for one over-night room, plus a petrol cost of 40 pounds and food at 15 pounds, that equates to four to nine hundred pounds of add-on cost.

* We all enjoy our privacy. We wouldn’t want to run the risk of throwing away any possible promotion at our current place of work because we’re getting trained in a different area.

* It’s very common for people to hide the fact that they want to raise a question - purely because they’re amongst other classmates.

* It’s a fact; classes are pretty much undoable, where you work or live away for days at a time.

It really does make more sense to be trained when it’s convenient for you - not the company - and exploit instructor-led videos with interactive lab’s. Just imagine… Utilising a laptop then you’re free to learn wherever you happen to be at that time. And live 24 hr-a-day support is only a web-click away in case of difficulty. Just watch and re-watch the modules whenever you want to. There’s absolutely no need to jot down any notes as the teaching is yours forever. The final outcome: Reduced hassle and stress, saved money, and absolutely no travelling.

How can job security honestly exist anymore? In the UK for instance, with businesses changing their mind at alarming speeds, there doesn’t seem much chance. It’s possible though to locate security at market-level, by digging for areas in high demand, together with a shortage of skilled staff.

The computer industry skills-gap around the UK clocks in at roughly twenty six percent, as reported by the 2006 e-Skills survey. This shows that for every 4 jobs that exist in Information Technology (IT), we’ve only got three properly trained pro’s to fulfil that role. This worrying fact clearly demonstrates the requirement for more properly certified computing professionals in the country. It’s unlikely if a better time or market state of affairs will exist for gaining qualification for this rapidly emerging and developing business.

Tags: Online Colleges

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