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Eight Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing an IT Training Course

• Don’t choose a course because your friend has done the same one

• Always choose structured training

• Choose a course which lead to industry recognised certifications

• Don’t jump in at the deep-end

• Think about the end result – where do you want to be in your IT career

• Have an interest in your training subject

• Be realistic about the time you can allocate to study

• Get your family's support

Response:

Don’t choose a course because your friend has done the same one:

When seeking advice on an IT career or training, speak to someone who has IT experience, preferably in the subject you wish to study. Although, bare in mind that they may have different skills or knowledge.

Get as much information on the career you wish to enter from someone “qualified”, not someone who has no experience of the industry.

If your friend or colleague at work has chosen a particular course or area of IT, then that may suit their personality and skills but may not suit yours. ^top

Always choose structured training:

In any career, following a structured training route for career advancement is the norm. Why should a career in IT be any different?

Don’t fall into the trap of a quick fix. Employers are looking for structured training on your CV and generally do not offer jobs to people who have clearly taken a quick route without getting the basic foundation or "apprenticeship" skills and knowledge into place. ^top

Choose a course which lead to industry recognised certifications:

A great deal of training providers offer a Diploma in this subject or a Certificate in that subject.

These are usually not worth the paper they are written on as employers cannot gauge what level of skill you have reached.

Choose training which leads to industry recognised in-demand Certifications. ^top

Don’t jump in at the deep-end:

Sadly, a lot of training providers will state that you do not need the background subject matter, but can simply jump in at the deep-end in your studies.

Unfortunately this isn't true in IT as it isn't true in other industries.

You do not find Accountants only doing the final exam and nothing prior to it! You do not find Pilots taking control of a 747 without passing the necessary exams and skills to build up to that level.

Why would an organisation trust an employee with their critical information and systems who had only just passed a high level technical IT Certification but didn't know how to reboot a PC! ^top

Think about the end result – where do you want to be in your IT career:

Plan your career before you begin training. Know what qualifications or Certifications you are aiming for and where you intend to end up.

That way, you can plan realistic studies over a reasonable period of time and move your IT career forward as your Certifications increase.

Check out where the demand is now and in the future and register with IT information sites which keep you up-to-date with the latest technical trends.

Try to find out what a typical day will be like in the job you are aiming for. Will it suit your personality? Is it what you thought it would be like?

Would you like to be sitting at a desk all day, or out and about going from one company to another?

Would being in business clothes be ok or are you a jeans person?

It's all worth thinking about - as you're investing time and money to change your career. ^top

Have an interest in your training subject:

It makes sense that someone who is interested in the subject, will enjoy their studies and progress rapidly through their career.

Remember when looking at training you are thinking about what you want to do for the rest of your life. ^top

Be realistic about the time you can allocate to study:

How many hours can you study each week? Which days would you study?

Online IT Training recommend a minimum of 10 hours per week. If you can only study for a lot less than that, you will find that you spend most of your time revising what you covered the week before and your progress will be extremely slow.

Note that a typical IT course at night school only consists of about 60 hours of classroom training per year and the rest is done as homework. So most of the work done is home study!

Set realistic goals. With home study/distance learning you can take a break from studying anytime. You are not tied into school hours, term times and you can also sit your exams anytime of the year.

There is also no traveling time – so all your time can be used effectively. ^top

Get your family's support:

When you take up a training course, your family support (and even approval) is essential.

You may be juggling money, a job, your family and social time. So they need to be aware that your study time is important and that you are studying to create an increase in income or job stability, etc. which will also be good for them. ^top

Report Ends.

If we can be of any further assistance in helping answer any of your questions regarding IT careers, training courses or funding your training, please do not hesitate to contact us at our training centre or on 0845 643 2899 (local rate) where a trained Personal Course Advisor will answer all your questions.

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