JohnDavis
10-14-2003, 09:26 AM
This training guide is to help people find training in IT and get jobs in the computer industry. I hope it is useful and helpful.
IT Training is a serious investment of your time, effort and money - Choosing a training provider can be a difficult task. You need to consider factors such as your flexibility with time, financial resources & budget, learning objectives, career goals, etc. This training guide will discuss the essential factors to help you find the best solution to your IT training needs.
Before choosing your training provider, you must research their reputation. You can check training directories and various articles. You could ask friends/family who have trained with a company. The best approach is to visit some internet sites with forums and discussion boards on training such as this website. Our forums and training boards are both useful resources. We will review some companies below to help you understand certain issues. Here are some important questions to consider and ask:
What is their record of success in training people who were pleased with the quality of the course? How many people have been trained by the company already? Does the company provide any job placement or recruitment service to help you get a job? Does the company guarantee or promise to find a job after you complete the training course(s)?
Please be very cautious about companies who 'promise' or 'guarantee' to find you a job after you complete their training course. Many firms will give fake promises before taking your money. An example of this is the 'FDM Group' who are one of the worst companies for IT training and recruitment. There are many reported cases of people who were conned by the FDM Group and their fake promises. In one particular case, a person went to FDM Group and was conned out of 1000s - they never even helped him with what he 'really' wanted to learn. Their training did not meet its objectives and cost far too much. The company rarely provide the job placement that they promise. After taking your money they do not care much about your training and give little or no support to find a job. Be careful to read the 'small print' on any contracts of training that you are given. If you are given any guarantees of work after your training, then make sure that you have it detailed in an official company letter (before you pay your money!). If you are unsure about anything then it is best to seek legal advice - this is not expensive and some advice centres are free of charge.
Money is a crucial factor in IT training. What are your financial resources and budget? Many companies will ask you to pay in advance. This can be quite daunting and a serious investment of your money - especially if the cost runs into 1000s. Do you actually have the money available? Remember that the cost may not cover all your learning materials - there may be extra 'hidden' costs that you are not told about. Some training providers will not tell you this until you have started your course and paid all your fees. For example, if you are doing a 'certification' course then your fees may not include the cost of taking the exams. You may be paying much more than you anticipated - especially if your course includes 5 exams or more (such as the MCSE for network engineering). The exams are usually taken in private centres such as the 'Sylvan Prometric' testing centres and they are not so cheap. Some companies do offer the chance to pay for your course with instalments while you are training. For example, the cost of the course is split into equal amounts and you pay these at set time intervals. This is a better and recommended option for training - it offers you more flexibility to pay for your course. You may get a discount or concession if you are unemployed or fulfill certain criteria - however this not so common. If you can not afford it, then many firms will ask you to use a 'Career Development Loan' or similar. The banks will lend you a loan if you can show that your training course is 'vocational' - is it aimed at the job market? You need to ensure that your training course is practical, professional, and there is a good chance of securing a job when you finish. Some companies will try to push you to get a loan to pay for your course and make it seem very natural to do so. But you need to assess your training course with the demands of the IT job market.
Make sure that you know what your training objectives are. For example, do you want to enter the IT industry and get an entry-level job? OR do you want to improve your existing skills to gain promotion to a more senior job in IT? Some training companies are better suited to help you break into the IT industry - they will train you with a specific aim to enter the IT industry with fast-track learning. However, many firms simply provide general IT training to help you improve your existing skills. Find out which companies will suit your training objectives. What facilities are the companies providing for IT training? What facilities will YOU have access to during your training? This is very important - you need to know exactly what you are paying for!
What is your flexibility for training? For example, what are your time constraints? Do you work? Do you need to train in the evening after you finish work? Have you got a part-time job or work on shifts? How flexible is the training provider? Can they offer you an online training course? Online training is becoming a popular option for people with busy working lifestyles. Many training companies are providing an online training alternative. Perhaps you prefer online training instead of classroom training. The advantage of online training is that you can learn at your own pace and review material as often as you like. However, you need to determine the length of time that your online training course is available - is it one year, two years or forever? Will you have to pay again to have your time extended? If so, then how much? Online training needs to be administered and functioning properly. A disadvantage of online training is the time spent on contacting the technical support to resolve problems of accessing your course and learning the material. You need to find out if the online training course is well prepared, well structured and functioning properly. Speak to other people who have done the online course and read any reviews on it. Is it user-friendly or easy to use? How user-friendly is it? In classroom training, you can have direct contact with a tutor. You can also participate with other learners. This can make your learning experience more interactive, more open, more social and less stressful. However, the quality of the training can depend on the tutor and size of the class. Try to find out if the tutors have 'set' standards of quality in delivering their training. Also you need to ensure that the size of the class is suitable for effective learning. A class of up to 8 people is ideal. But 10 or more people is too many and can be over-crowded. This will lead to problems. For example, you will not get sufficient attention and support from the trainer. Also, the trainer will not be able to spread his/her support to each student effectively. Online training can be cheaper than the classroom equivalent. They also allow you to get a job and earn some money to help you pay the cost of your training. However, you need to ensure that your computer is in good condition and meets the requirements to study your online course. You may need to upgrade your PC or invest in a new machine. The main factors to consider are the 'processing speed', 'memory size', 'internet connection' and 'Operating System/Software' of your computer. Ideally you should be using a fast processor (AMD or Pentium with at least 500 Mhz of speed). For memory you should use at least 64 MB of RAM. For internet connection you should use a broadband or similar high-speed connection if you can afford it. Otherwise use a dial-up connection with a 56k modem - this is a cheaper alternative but is slower. Your operating system(OS)/software should be up-to-date or suitable with your hardware. These are only rough technical guidelines - you need to check with the training provider about particular requirements for hardware and software.
All the best,
John Davis.
IT Training is a serious investment of your time, effort and money - Choosing a training provider can be a difficult task. You need to consider factors such as your flexibility with time, financial resources & budget, learning objectives, career goals, etc. This training guide will discuss the essential factors to help you find the best solution to your IT training needs.
Before choosing your training provider, you must research their reputation. You can check training directories and various articles. You could ask friends/family who have trained with a company. The best approach is to visit some internet sites with forums and discussion boards on training such as this website. Our forums and training boards are both useful resources. We will review some companies below to help you understand certain issues. Here are some important questions to consider and ask:
What is their record of success in training people who were pleased with the quality of the course? How many people have been trained by the company already? Does the company provide any job placement or recruitment service to help you get a job? Does the company guarantee or promise to find a job after you complete the training course(s)?
Please be very cautious about companies who 'promise' or 'guarantee' to find you a job after you complete their training course. Many firms will give fake promises before taking your money. An example of this is the 'FDM Group' who are one of the worst companies for IT training and recruitment. There are many reported cases of people who were conned by the FDM Group and their fake promises. In one particular case, a person went to FDM Group and was conned out of 1000s - they never even helped him with what he 'really' wanted to learn. Their training did not meet its objectives and cost far too much. The company rarely provide the job placement that they promise. After taking your money they do not care much about your training and give little or no support to find a job. Be careful to read the 'small print' on any contracts of training that you are given. If you are given any guarantees of work after your training, then make sure that you have it detailed in an official company letter (before you pay your money!). If you are unsure about anything then it is best to seek legal advice - this is not expensive and some advice centres are free of charge.
Money is a crucial factor in IT training. What are your financial resources and budget? Many companies will ask you to pay in advance. This can be quite daunting and a serious investment of your money - especially if the cost runs into 1000s. Do you actually have the money available? Remember that the cost may not cover all your learning materials - there may be extra 'hidden' costs that you are not told about. Some training providers will not tell you this until you have started your course and paid all your fees. For example, if you are doing a 'certification' course then your fees may not include the cost of taking the exams. You may be paying much more than you anticipated - especially if your course includes 5 exams or more (such as the MCSE for network engineering). The exams are usually taken in private centres such as the 'Sylvan Prometric' testing centres and they are not so cheap. Some companies do offer the chance to pay for your course with instalments while you are training. For example, the cost of the course is split into equal amounts and you pay these at set time intervals. This is a better and recommended option for training - it offers you more flexibility to pay for your course. You may get a discount or concession if you are unemployed or fulfill certain criteria - however this not so common. If you can not afford it, then many firms will ask you to use a 'Career Development Loan' or similar. The banks will lend you a loan if you can show that your training course is 'vocational' - is it aimed at the job market? You need to ensure that your training course is practical, professional, and there is a good chance of securing a job when you finish. Some companies will try to push you to get a loan to pay for your course and make it seem very natural to do so. But you need to assess your training course with the demands of the IT job market.
Make sure that you know what your training objectives are. For example, do you want to enter the IT industry and get an entry-level job? OR do you want to improve your existing skills to gain promotion to a more senior job in IT? Some training companies are better suited to help you break into the IT industry - they will train you with a specific aim to enter the IT industry with fast-track learning. However, many firms simply provide general IT training to help you improve your existing skills. Find out which companies will suit your training objectives. What facilities are the companies providing for IT training? What facilities will YOU have access to during your training? This is very important - you need to know exactly what you are paying for!
What is your flexibility for training? For example, what are your time constraints? Do you work? Do you need to train in the evening after you finish work? Have you got a part-time job or work on shifts? How flexible is the training provider? Can they offer you an online training course? Online training is becoming a popular option for people with busy working lifestyles. Many training companies are providing an online training alternative. Perhaps you prefer online training instead of classroom training. The advantage of online training is that you can learn at your own pace and review material as often as you like. However, you need to determine the length of time that your online training course is available - is it one year, two years or forever? Will you have to pay again to have your time extended? If so, then how much? Online training needs to be administered and functioning properly. A disadvantage of online training is the time spent on contacting the technical support to resolve problems of accessing your course and learning the material. You need to find out if the online training course is well prepared, well structured and functioning properly. Speak to other people who have done the online course and read any reviews on it. Is it user-friendly or easy to use? How user-friendly is it? In classroom training, you can have direct contact with a tutor. You can also participate with other learners. This can make your learning experience more interactive, more open, more social and less stressful. However, the quality of the training can depend on the tutor and size of the class. Try to find out if the tutors have 'set' standards of quality in delivering their training. Also you need to ensure that the size of the class is suitable for effective learning. A class of up to 8 people is ideal. But 10 or more people is too many and can be over-crowded. This will lead to problems. For example, you will not get sufficient attention and support from the trainer. Also, the trainer will not be able to spread his/her support to each student effectively. Online training can be cheaper than the classroom equivalent. They also allow you to get a job and earn some money to help you pay the cost of your training. However, you need to ensure that your computer is in good condition and meets the requirements to study your online course. You may need to upgrade your PC or invest in a new machine. The main factors to consider are the 'processing speed', 'memory size', 'internet connection' and 'Operating System/Software' of your computer. Ideally you should be using a fast processor (AMD or Pentium with at least 500 Mhz of speed). For memory you should use at least 64 MB of RAM. For internet connection you should use a broadband or similar high-speed connection if you can afford it. Otherwise use a dial-up connection with a 56k modem - this is a cheaper alternative but is slower. Your operating system(OS)/software should be up-to-date or suitable with your hardware. These are only rough technical guidelines - you need to check with the training provider about particular requirements for hardware and software.
All the best,
John Davis.