Acai Guide

There are a total of 4 specialist training sectors in the complete CompTIA A+ course, of which you’ll need certification in two subjects for competency in A+. We would advise however that restricting yourself to two of the specialised areas might well not equip you for a job. Try to cover all four – employers will notice the difference.

As well as learning about the ins and outs of building and maintaining computers, students on an A+ training course will have instruction on how to work in antistatic conditions, along with remote access, fault finding and diagnostics. Should you be thinking of taking care of computer networks, add the very comprehensive Network+ to your training package. Including Network+ will prepare you to get a higher paid position. Alternatively, you may prefer the networking qualifications from Microsoft, i.e. MCP, MCSA MCSE.

Commercially accredited qualifications are now, undoubtedly, already replacing the traditional routes into the industry – but why is this happening? With university education costs becoming a tall order for many, and the industry’s increasing awareness that vendor-based training often has more relevance in the commercial field, we have seen a great increase in Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe authorised training programmes that provide key skills to an employee at a much reduced cost in terms of money and time. In a nutshell, the learning just focuses on what’s actually required. Actually, it’s not quite as pared down as that, but principally the objective has to be to cover the precise skills needed (including a degree of required background) – without overdoing the detail in every other area (as universities often do).

Think about if you were the employer – and you required somebody who had very specific skills. Which is the most straightforward: Wade your way through a mass of different academic qualifications from hopeful applicants, having to ask what each has covered and what commercial skills they’ve acquired, or choose particular accreditations that precisely match your needs, 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 establishing whether they can do a specific task.

Many trainers provide a shelf full of reference manuals. Obviously, this isn’t much fun and isn’t the best way to go about remembering. Learning psychology studies show that we remember much more when we use all our senses, and we get practically involved in what we’re studying.

Interactive audio-visual materials utilising video demo’s and practice lab’s beat books hands-down. And you’ll actually enjoy doing them. You must ensure that you see the type of training provided by the company you’re considering. They have to utilise video, demonstrations and various interactive elements.

You should avoid purely online training. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where possible, so that you have access at all times – you don’t want to be reliant on a good broadband connection all the time.

It’s important to understand: a training program or a certification is not what you’re looking for; a job that you want is. A lot of colleges seem to put too much weight in the qualification itself. It’s a sad fact, but thousands of new students kick-off study that often sounds fabulous in the prospectus, but which delivers a career that is of no interest. Speak to a selection of university students and you’ll see where we’re coming from.

You need to keep your eye on what you want to achieve, and build your study action-plan from that – don’t do it back-to-front. Keep your eyes on your goals – making sure you’re training for a career you’ll enjoy for years to come. Our recommendation would be to look for advice and guidance from an experienced industry professional before making your final decision on some particular study path, so there’s no doubt that the specific package will give the skill-set required for your career choice.

Look at the points below and pay great regard to them if you’re inclined to think the marketing blurb about examination guarantees seems like a good idea:

You’re paying for it ultimately. It’s definitely not free – they’ve just worked it into the package price. Trainees who enter their exams one by one, paying as they go are much better placed to get through first time. They’re conscious of their investment and prepare more appropriately to ensure they are ready.

Sit the exam at a local pro-metric testing centre and find the best deal for you at the time. Why borrow the money or pay in advance (plus interest of course) on examination fees when you don’t need to? Big margins are made by companies getting paid upfront for exams – and then hoping that you won’t take them all. You should fully understand that re-takes via training companies with an ‘Exam Guarantee’ inevitably are heavily regulated. They’ll insist that you take mock exams first so you can prove to them you have a good chance of passing.

Shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds on ‘Exam Guarantees’ is foolish – when a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools is actually the key to your success.

Be careful that the qualifications you’re studying for are commercially relevant and are up-to-date. The ‘in-house’ certifications provided by many companies are not normally useful in gaining employment. Unless the accreditation comes from a big-hitter like Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe, then you may discover it will be commercially useless – because it won’t give an employer any directly-useable skills.

(C) Jason Kendall. Visit LearningLolly.com for great career tips on A+ Certification and Comptia A+.