In the UK today, industry could not function efficiently without assistance from support workers solving problems with PC’s and networks, while making recommendations to users each and every day. Our desire for those people is ever increasing, as commercial enterprise becomes significantly more computer dependent.
The somewhat scary thought of finding your first role in IT is often eased by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance programme. With the growing skills shortage in the UK right now, it’s not too important to become overly impressed with this service however. It’s not as difficult as you may be led to believe to get the right work once you’re properly qualified.
One important thing though, don’t procrastinate and wait until you’ve completed your exams before bringing your CV up to date. As soon as you start a course, enter details of your study programme and get it out there! Having the possibility of an interview is better than being rejected. Many junior support jobs are given to students (who’ve only just left first base.) Generally, you’ll receive quicker results from a specialist independent regional employment service than you’ll experience from any course provider’s employment division, because they’ll know the local area and commercial needs better.
To bottom line it, as long as you put the same commitment into landing a job as into studying, you won’t have any problems. Some men and women strangely conscientiously work through their course materials and then call a halt once they’ve passed their exams and would appear to think that businesses will just discover them.
A skilled and professional advisor (as opposed to a salesman) will cover in some detail your current level of ability and experience. This is useful for calculating your starting point for training. Remember, if you’ve got any work-experience or certification, then it’s not unreasonable to expect to pick-up at a different starting-point to a trainee with no history to speak of. Always consider starting with a user-skills course first. It will usually make the transition to higher-level learning a little less steep.
Be watchful that any certifications you’re studying for are commercially relevant and are the most recent versions. ‘In-house’ exams and the certificates they come with are often meaningless. You’ll find that only recognised examinations from the major players like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco and CompTIA will open the doors to employers.
Your training program should always include the very latest Microsoft (or Cisco, CompTIA etc.) authorised exam preparation packages. Ensure that your practice exams haven’t just got questions on the correct subjects, but are also posing them in the same way that the proper exam will phrase them. It really messes up students if they’re met with completely different formats and phraseologies. For many reasons, it’s essential to ensure that you’ve thoroughly prepared for the real exam prior to doing it. Rehearsing simulated exams logs the information in your brain and helps to avoid failed exams.
It’s abundantly clear: There really is no such thing as personal job security anywhere now; there can only be market and business security - as any company can remove anyone whenever it meets the company’s business requirements. Of course, a quickly growing market-place, where staff are in constant demand (through an enormous shortage of fully trained staff), enables the possibility of real job security.
Investigating the Information Technology (IT) industry, the recent e-Skills study demonstrated an over 26 percent shortfall of skilled workers. Showing that for each four job positions existing throughout the computer industry, we’ve only got three properly trained pro’s to perform that task. Properly skilled and commercially educated new staff are consequently at an absolute premium, and it’s estimated to remain so for a long time. In reality, acquiring professional IT skills over the years to come is probably the greatest career move you’ll ever make.