Montgomerie picked as Europe Ryder Cup captain
Colin Montgomerie has been selected to be captain of Europe’s team for next year’s Ryder Cup in Wales.
Congratulations! Finding this article proves you must be thinking about your future, and if it’s new career training you’re deliberating over that means you’ve taken it further than the majority of people will. Did you know that a small minority of us are fulfilled in our working life - yet the vast majority of us will just put up with it. We implore you to break free and make a start - don’t you think you deserve it. We’d strongly advise that in advance of taking any individual training program, you chat with an expert who can see the bigger picture and can advise you. They can look at aspects of your personality and help you find your ideal job to train for: Is it your preference to work in isolation or is being in a team environment more important to you? Are you thinking carefully about which market sector you could be employed in? (Post credit crunch, it’s essential to choose carefully.) Is this the last time you plan to retrain, and based on that will your chosen career path allow you to do that? Are you happy that your chosen retraining will offer you employment opportunities and make it possible to be employed up to the time you want to stop? Look at Information Technology, it will be well worth your time - unusually, it’s one of the growing market sectors throughout Europe. Another benefit is that remuneration packages are much better than most.
The world of information technology is amongst the most exciting and ground-breaking industries that you could be a part of. To be working on the cutting-edge of technology means you’re a part of the huge progress that will impact the whole world for generations to come. Computing technology and interaction via the web is going to radically change the way we live our lives in the near future; remarkably so. If earning a good living is high on your scale of wants, you’ll welcome the news that the usual remuneration of most men and women in IT is considerably greater than salaries in the rest of the economy. The hunger for certified IT specialists is guaranteed for many years to come, due to the constant increase in IT dependency in commerce and the vast deficiency that we still have.
It’s irrefutable, the UK computing market offers outstanding opportunities. Yet, to arm ourselves with the correct information, what are the questions we should be raising, and which are the areas we need to look at?
A ridiculously large number of organisations are all about the certification, and avoid focusing on why you’re doing this - which is a commercial career or job. You should always begin with the end in mind - don’t get hung-up on the training vehicle. Don’t let yourself become one of those unfortunate students that choose a course which looks like it could be fun - and end up with a certification for a job they hate. Get to grips with how much you want to earn and the level of your ambition. Usually, this will point the way to what precise accreditations will be expected and what you can expect to give industry in return. As a precursor to beginning a training programme, it’s good advice to chat over the specific career requirements with an experienced professional, so as to be sure the training course covers all the bases.
Many trainers provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. Learning like this is dull and repetitive and isn’t the best way to go about remembering. Memory is vastly improved when all our senses are brought into the mix - experts have been clear on this for many years. Learning is now available on CD and DVD discs, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Using video-streaming, you will be able to see the instructor presenting exactly how to do something, and then have a go at it yourself - in a virtual lab environment. Every company that you look at should be able to show you some simple examples of their courseware. You’re looking for evidence of tutorial videos and demonstrations and interactive areas to practice in. Select actual CD or DVD ROM’s whenever you can. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with internet connection failure and issues with signal quality.
A lot of training companies only give support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; It’s rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Locate training schools with proper support available at any time you choose (no matter if it’s in the middle of the night on a weekend!) You’ll need 24×7 direct access to mentors and instructors and not a call-centre that will take messages so you’re constantly waiting for a call-back during office hours. Top training providers provide an online access round-the-clock facility involving many support centres throughout multiple time-zones. You get a single, easy-to-use environment that seamlessly accesses whichever office is appropriate at any time of day or night: Support on demand. Look for an educator that goes the extra mile. Only true round-the-clock 24×7 support truly delivers for technical programs.
Many men and women assume that the traditional school, college or university system is the way they should go. So why then are commercially accredited qualifications beginning to overtake it? Industry now acknowledges that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, proper accreditation from companies such as Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA most often has much more specialised relevance - saving time and money. Clearly, a certain amount of relevant additional information needs to be taught, but essential specialisation in the areas needed gives a commercially educated student a real head start. Just as the old advertisement said: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. All an employer has to do is know where they have gaps and then request applicants with the correct exam numbers. That way they can be sure they’re interviewing applicants who can do the job.
It’s not uncommon for companies to offer inclusive exam guarantees - this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, at the very beginning of your studies. However, prior to embracing this so-called guarantee, consider this: Clearly it isn’t free - you’re still paying for it - the cost has just been rolled into the whole training package. It’s everybody’s ambition to qualify on the first attempt. Progressively working through your exams when it’s appropriate and paying as you go sees you much better placed to get through first time - you put the effort in and are conscious of what you’ve spent. Sit the exam somewhere close to home and hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take it. A lot of so-called credible training course providers secure huge amounts of money by getting paid for exams at the start of the course then banking on the fact that many won’t be taken. It’s worth noting that exam re-takes through training course providers with an ‘Exam Guarantee’ are tightly controlled. They’ll insist that you take mock exams first until you’ve demonstrated an excellent ability to pass. Paying maybe a thousand pounds extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is remiss - when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will get you through.
The somewhat scary thought of finding your first role in IT is often relieved by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance programme. But don’t place too much emphasis on it - it’s quite easy for their marketing department to make too much of it. In reality, the need for well trained IT people in the United Kingdom is the reason you’ll find a job. You would ideally have help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews though; also we would encourage everyone to bring their CV up to date as soon as they start a course - don’t procrastinate and leave it until you’ve qualified. Many junior support jobs have been offered to students who’re still on their course and haven’t even passed a single exam yet. At the very least this will get you on your way. Normally you’ll get quicker results from a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service than you will through a training company’s centralised service, as they will be more familiar with the area and local employers. Do be sure that you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, then call a halt and leave it up to everyone else to find you a job. Stand up for yourself and start looking for yourself. Channel as much energy into getting a good job as you did to get trained.
What might you expect the best training companies certified by Microsoft to give a student in Britain in this day and age? Undoubtedly, the ultimate in Microsoft certified training tracks, presenting a range of courses to lead you into a selection of professions with IT. Maybe you’d like to talk to industry experts, who could help you sort out whereabouts in industry would be best, and what sort of duties are a good match for someone with your abilities and personal preferences. Once you’ve decided on your career path, your next search is for a relevant course tailored to your needs. The standard of teaching should leave no room for complaints.
How can we go about making the right choice then? With all these possibilities, we have to know where we should dig - and of course, what to actually be looking for.
A ridiculously large number of organisations only look at the plaque to hang on your wall, and forget the reasons for getting there - getting yourself a new job or career. Always start with the final destination in mind - too many people focus on the journey. Imagine training for just one year and then end up doing the actual job for 10-20 years. Avoid the mistake of finding what seems like an ‘interesting’ training program only to spend 20 years doing something you don’t even enjoy! You also need to know your leanings around earning potential, career development, and how ambitious you are. It’s vital to know what (if any) sacrifices you’ll need to make for a particular role, which particular certifications are required and in what way you can develop commercial experience. Before setting out on a learning programme, you’d be well advised to discuss specific career needs with an experienced industry professional, in order to be sure the retraining program covers all that is required.
It only makes sense to consider study programs which grow into commercially acknowledged exams. There are loads of minor schools promoting unknown ‘in-house’ certificates that are essentially useless in the real world. Unless your qualification is issued by a conglomerate such as Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA or Adobe, then you’ll probably find it will be commercially useless - as no-one will have heard of it.
Most training companies will only provide support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; It’s rare to find someone who offers late evening or full weekend cover. Never accept training that only supports trainees via a call-centre messaging system after 6-9pm in the evening and during weekends. Training schools will give you every excuse in the book why you don’t need this. Essentially - support is needed when it’s needed - not at times when they find it cheaper to provide it. The most successful trainers have many support offices active in different time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together; any time of the day or night - help is at hand without any contact issues or hassle. Don’t ever make the mistake of taking second best with the quality of your support. The majority of trainees who can’t get going properly, are in that situation because they didn’t get the support necessary for them.
Often, trainers provide a big box of books. This can be very boring and not ideal for studying effectively. Memory is vastly improved when all our senses are brought into the mix - educational experts have expounded on this for many years. Find a course where you’ll receive a library of CD and DVD based materials - you’ll begin by watching videos of instructors demonstrating the skills, and then have the opportunity to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. It’s wise to view examples of the courseware provided before you sign the purchase order. The minimum you should expect would be videoed instructor demonstrations and a variety of audio-visual and interactive sections. Often, companies will only use purely on-line training; sometimes you can get away with this - but, imagine the problems if you lose your internet access or you get a slow connection speed. It’s much safer to rely on physical CD or DVD discs which don’t suffer from these broadband issues.
Charging for exams upfront and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is popular with many training course providers. However, let’s consider what’s really going on: Clearly it isn’t free - you’re still coughing up for it - it’s just been wrapped up in the price of the package. It’s well known in the industry that when trainees fund their relevant examinations, when they’re ready to take them and not before, they’ll be in a better position to get through on the first attempt - because they’ll be conscious of what they’ve paid and will therefore apply themselves appropriately. Don’t you think it’s more sensible to find the best exam deal or offer when you’re ready, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to the training course provider, and also to sit exams more locally - rather than possibly hours away from your area? Paying upfront for exam fees (which also includes interest if you’ve taken out a loan) is bad financial management. Resist being talked into filling the training company’s account with extra money of yours just to give them more interest! Some will be pinning their hopes on the fact that you will never make it to exams - then they’ll keep the extra money. In addition to this, many exam guarantees are worthless. The majority of companies won’t pay for re-takes until you’ve completely satisfied them that you’re ready this time. Average exam fees were about 112 pounds last year via Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra to have ‘Exam Guarantees’, when it’s obvious that the best guarantee is a regular, committed, study programme, with an accredited exam preparation system.
Now, why is it better to gain commercially accredited qualifications and not more traditional academic qualifications taught at the state educational establishments? With 3 and 4 year academic degree costs increasing year on year, and the industry’s recognition that key company training often has more relevance in the commercial field, there’s been a large rise in Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA authorised training programmes that provide key skills to an employee at a far reduced cost both money and time wise. Higher education courses, for example, become confusing because of a lot of loosely associated study - with a syllabus that’s far too wide. This prevents a student from getting enough specific knowledge about the core essentials. Think about if you were the employer - and you needed to take on someone with a very particular skill-set. What is easier: Trawl through loads of academic qualifications from various applicants, asking for course details and what commercial skills have been attained, or choose particular accreditations that specifically match what you’re looking for, and make your short-list from that. Your interviews are then about personal suitability - instead of long discussions on technical suitability.
We’d all like to believe that our jobs are safe and the future is protected, but the growing likelihood for most jobs in England at the moment seems to be that security may be a thing of the past. Of course, a quickly growing market-place, where staff are in constant demand (because of a massive shortfall of fully trained people), creates the conditions for real job security. The Information Technology (IT) skills deficit around Great Britain currently stands at over 26 percent, as reported by the latest e-Skills study. It follows then that for each 4 job positions that exist across Information Technology (IT), organisations can only find trained staff for 3 of them. This single reality on its own highlights why the country desperately needs considerably more workers to get trained and enter the IT industry. Because the IT sector is developing at the speed it is, it’s unlikely there’s any better sector worth considering for a new future.
It’s quite some achievement that you’re on the right track! Only one in ten folks say they enjoy their work, but vast numbers just bitch about it and do nothing. By looking for this we can guess that you’ve a personal interest in re-training, so you’ve already stood out from the crowd. What comes next is find out more and then take action. On the subject of training, it’s crucial that you have in mind what you DO want and DON’T want from the position you’re hoping to qualify for. Be sure that you would be more satisfied before you put a lot of energy into taking a new turn. It’s good sense to regard the destination you’re hoping for to avoid disappointment: Do you hope for interaction with others? If you say yes, are you a team player or is meeting new people important to you? Or are you better working in isolation? Banking and building are a little shaky at the moment, so think carefully about the sector that would give you the most options? When you’ve done all your re-training, would you like this skill to serve you till you retire? Do you feel uncomfortable about the chance of getting another job, and staying employable to the end of your working life? We would strongly recommend that your number one choice is Information Technology - everyone knows that it’s getting bigger. IT isn’t all techie geeks lost in their computer screens constantly - naturally those jobs exist, but most jobs are carried out by ordinary men and women who do very well out of it.
Doing your bit in the leading edge of new technology really is electrifying. You become one of a team of people shaping the next few decades. We’re at the dawn of beginning to understand how all this change will affect us. How we correlate with the world as a whole will be profoundly affected by computers and the internet. A regular IT man or woman in the United Kingdom has been shown to earn a lot more than his or her counterpart outside of IT. Average incomes are amongst the highest in the country. It’s no secret that there is a considerable nationwide hunger for certified IT specialists. Also with the marketplace continuing to expand, it appears this will be the case for a good while yet.
It’s irrefutable, the UK computing market offers outstanding opportunities. Yet, to arm ourselves with the correct information, what are the questions we should be raising, and which are the areas we need to look at?
A ridiculously large number of organisations are all about the certification, and avoid focusing on why you’re doing this - which is a commercial career or job. You should always begin with the end in mind - don’t get hung-up on the training vehicle. Don’t let yourself become one of those unfortunate students that choose a course which looks like it could be fun - and end up with a certification for a job they hate. Get to grips with how much you want to earn and the level of your ambition. Usually, this will point the way to what precise accreditations will be expected and what you can expect to give industry in return. As a precursor to beginning a training programme, it’s good advice to chat over the specific career requirements with an experienced professional, so as to be sure the training course covers all the bases.
The classroom style of learning we remember from school, using textbooks and whiteboards, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, dig around for more practical courses that are on-screen and interactive. Our ability to remember is increased when all our senses are brought into the mix - this has been an accepted fact in expert circles for many years. Search for a course where you’ll receive a library of CD or DVD ROM’s - you’ll be learning from instructor videos and demo’s, followed by the chance to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. It’s imperative to see some example materials from your chosen company. They have to utilise instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab’s. Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where obtainable, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - and not be totally reliant on your internet connection always being ‘up’ and available.
Of all the important things to consider, one of the most essential is always 24×7 round-the-clock support from dedicated instructors and mentors. Too many companies only seem to want to help while they’re in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Don’t buy study programmes that only provide support to you via a call-centre outside of normal office hours. Trainers will defend this with all kinds of excuses. The simple fact of the matter is - you want support at the appropriate time - not at times when they find it cheaper to provide it. The best trainers incorporate three or four individual support centres across multiple time-zones. They use an online interactive interface to join them all seamlessly; at any time you choose - help is at hand avoiding all the delays and problems. Never settle for less than you need and deserve. Support round-the-clock is really your only option for IT learning. Maybe burning the midnight-oil is not your thing; often though, we’re out at work while the support is live.
Many men and women assume that the traditional school, college or university system is the way they should go. So why then are commercially accredited qualifications beginning to overtake it? Industry now acknowledges that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, proper accreditation from companies such as Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA most often has much more specialised relevance - saving time and money. Clearly, a certain amount of relevant additional information needs to be taught, but essential specialisation in the areas needed gives a commercially educated student a real head start. Just as the old advertisement said: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. All an employer has to do is know where they have gaps and then request applicants with the correct exam numbers. That way they can be sure they’re interviewing applicants who can do the job.
Incorporating examination fees up-front and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams is popular with a number of training colleges. But let’s examine why they really do it: You’re paying for it one way or another. It certainly isn’t free - they’ve just worked it into the package price. The fact is that if a student pays for their relevant examinations, one by one, they’ll be in a better position to get through on the first attempt - as they are conscious of their investment in themselves and will therefore apply themselves appropriately. Isn’t it in your interests to go for the best offer at the appropriate time, rather than coughing up months or even a year or two in advance to a training course provider, and to do it in a local testing office - instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call? Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for exam fees when there’s absolutely nothing that says you have to? Big margins are made by companies charging all their exam fees up-front - and hoping either that you won’t take them, or it will be a long time before you do. Pay heed to the fact that, in the majority of cases of ‘exam guarantees’ - they control when and how often you are allowed to have another go. They’ll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied. On average, exams cost around the 112 pounds mark last year via Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra for ‘Exam Guarantees’, when it’s obvious that the best guarantee is study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams.
The somewhat scary thought of finding your first role in IT is often relieved by some training providers because they offer a Job Placement Assistance programme. But don’t place too much emphasis on it - it’s quite easy for their marketing department to make too much of it. In reality, the need for well trained IT people in the United Kingdom is the reason you’ll find a job. You would ideally have help and assistance with preparing a CV and getting interviews though; also we would encourage everyone to bring their CV up to date as soon as they start a course - don’t procrastinate and leave it until you’ve qualified. Many junior support jobs have been offered to students who’re still on their course and haven’t even passed a single exam yet. At the very least this will get you on your way. Normally you’ll get quicker results from a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service than you will through a training company’s centralised service, as they will be more familiar with the area and local employers. Do be sure that you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, then call a halt and leave it up to everyone else to find you a job. Stand up for yourself and start looking for yourself. Channel as much energy into getting a good job as you did to get trained.