A+ consists of four exams and sections to study, but your only requirement is to achieve certification in two to qualify for your A+. This is why many educational establishments simply offer two. But giving you all four options will provide you with a more confident perspective of it all, which you’ll come to realise is vital in industry.
If you decide to become a student on the A+ training program you’ll become familiar with how to build and repair PC’s and operate in antistatic conditions. You’ll also cover fault-finding and diagnostic techniques, both remotely and via direct access.
Should you want to work towards looking after computer networks, you’ll need to add Network+ to your A+ course. This will prepare you to command a more senior job role. Also look at the networking qualifications from Microsoft, i.e. MCP, MCSA MCSE.
Of all the important things to consider, one of the most essential is always 24×7 round-the-clock support through dedicated instructors and mentors. It’s an all too common story to find providers that only seem to want to help while they’re in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends.
some companies only provide email support (slow), and so-called telephone support is normally just routed to a call-centre that will make some notes and then email an advisor - who’ll call back sometime over the next 1-3 days, when it suits them. This is all next to useless if you’re lost and confused and can only study at specific times.
Top training companies incorporate three or four individual support centres across multiple time-zones. By utilising an interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, at any time you choose, help is just seconds away, without any problems or delays.
Always choose a training school that goes the extra mile. Only true live 24×7 round-the-clock support truly delivers for technical programs.
So, why might we choose commercial certification and not familiar academic qualifications taught at tech’ colleges and universities?
Key company training (as it’s known in the industry) is most often much more specialised. Industry has realised that specialisation is necessary to handle a technically advancing world. CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA are the dominant players.
The training is effectively done through concentrating on the skills that are really needed (together with a proportionate degree of related knowledge,) rather than trawling through all the background detail and ‘fluff’ that degree courses can get bogged down in (to fill up a syllabus or course).
If an employer is aware what areas need to be serviced, then they just need to look for a person with the appropriate exam numbers. The syllabuses are set to exacting standards and don’t change between schools (as academic syllabuses often do).
Watch out that all qualifications you’re considering doing will be commercially viable and are up-to-date. The ‘in-house’ certifications provided by many companies are often meaningless.
Unless the accreditation comes from a company like Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco, then chances are it won’t be commercially viable - as no-one will have heard of it.
Validated exam preparation packages are essential - and absolutely ought to be offered by your training company.
Be sure that the practice exams are not only asking questions in the right areas, but additionally ask them in the way the real exams will pose them. It throws students if they’re faced with unrecognisable phrases and formats.
It’s a good idea to have some simulated exam questions so you can check your understanding at any point. Practice exams will help to boost your attitude - then the real thing isn’t quite as scary.
(C) Jason Kendall. Browse www.ciscoccna4.co.uk for quality career tips on IT Training & Cisco Networking Careers.
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