For those hoping to start a Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) study program, be aware that there are many different types of training; some are much better than others. You’ll come across a range of courses, whether you’re new to the industry, or have a certain amount of knowledge but are hoping to formalise your skills with certification. Each option requires a specific course, so verify that you’ve got the right course before getting going. Look for a training company that’s willing to understand you, and what you’re looking to do, and will make available the clear facts to make your decision.

The world of information technology is one of the more stimulating and innovative industries that you can get into right now. To be dealing with leading-edge technology puts you at the fore-front of developments that will impact the whole world for generations to come. We’re at the dawn of starting to get to grips with what this change will mean to us. How we interrelate with the rest of the world will be massively affected by computers and the internet.

Let’s not ignore salaries either – the typical remuneration in Great Britain for an average IT professional is significantly more than remuneration packages in other sectors. It’s a good bet you’ll bring in a whole lot more than you would in most other jobs. Excitingly, there’s no end in sight for IT sector growth in Great Britain as a whole. The industry continues to develop hugely, and as we have a significant shortage of skilled professionals, it’s most unlikely that it will even slow down for a good while yet.

Which kind of questions should we be posing if we’re to get the understanding we want? Since it’s apparent there are some fairly tremendous opportunities for us to consider.

A knowledgeable and practiced advisor (in contrast with a salesperson) will talk through your current experience level and abilities. This is vital for understanding the point at which you need to start your studies. If you have a strong background, or maybe some commercial experience (some certifications gained previously perhaps?) then it could be that the level you’ll need to start at will be very different from someone who is just starting out. If this is going to be your initial stab at IT study then you should consider whether to start out with user-skills and software training first.

We can guess that you probably enjoy fairly practical work – a ‘hands-on’ person. If you’re anything like us, the world of book-reading and classrooms is something you’ll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but you really wouldn’t enjoy it. So look for on-screen interactive learning packages if book-based learning really isn’t your style. Long-term memory is enhanced with an involvement of all our senses – educational experts have expounded on this for decades now.

Fully interactive motion videos utilising video demo’s and practice lab’s will beat books every time. And they’re far more fun. It’s wise to view some examples of the kind of training materials you’ll be using before you sign the purchase order. You should expect instructor demonstrations, video tutorials and audio-visual elements backed up by interactive lab’s.

Seek out physical media such as CD or DVD ROM’s if possible. You’re then protected from broadband outages, failure and signal quality issues etc.

Student support is absolutely essential – locate a good company that includes 24×7 access, as not opting for this kind of support could put a damper on the speed you move through things. Look for training with help available at all hours of the day and night (irrespective of whether it’s the wee hours on Sunday morning!) Ensure you get direct access to tutors, and not a call-centre that will take messages so you’re waiting for tutors to call you back – probably during office hours.

Top training providers utilise an online round-the-clock package involving many support centres throughout multiple time-zones. You get a single, easy-to-use environment which accesses the most appropriate office at any time of day or night: Support when it’s needed. If you accept anything less than 24×7 support, you’ll regret it very quickly. It may be that you don’t use it during the night, but you’re bound to use weekends, evenings and early mornings at some point.

We’re often asked why academic qualifications are being replaced by more commercial certifications? With a growing demand for specific technological expertise, industry has been required to move to the specialised training that can only be obtained from the actual vendors – namely companies such as CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA. This usually turns out to involve less time and financial outlay. In essence, only required knowledge is taught. It’s not quite as straightforward as that, but the principle remains that students need to concentrate on the fundamentally important skill-sets (alongside some required background) – without attempting to cover a bit about everything else (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: Trawl through loads of academic qualifications from graduate applicants, having to ask what each has covered and which workplace skills they have, or select a specialised number of commercial certifications that perfectly fit your needs, and make your short-list from that. Your interviews are then about personal suitability – rather than establishing whether they can do a specific task.

Look at the following facts carefully if you’re inclined to think that old marketing ploy of examination guarantees seems like a good idea:

In this day and age, we have to be a little more ‘marketing-savvy’ – and usually we realise that of course it is actually an additional cost to us (it isn’t free or out of the goodness of their hearts!) Passing first time is everyone’s goal. Taking your exams progressively one at a time and paying as you go has a marked effect on pass-rates – you revise thoroughly and are conscious of what you’ve spent.

Isn’t it in your interests to not pay up-front, but at the appropriate time, not to pay the fees marked up by a college, and also to sit exams more locally – instead of miles away at the college’s beck and call? Including money in your training package for examination fees (and if you’re financing your study there’ll be interest on that) is a false economy. Resist being talked into filling the training company’s account with extra money of yours simply to help their cash-flow! Some will be pinning their hopes on the fact that you will never make it to exams – so they don’t need to pay for them. Also, you should consider what an ‘exam guarantee’ really means. The majority of organisations will not pay for you to re-take until you’re able to demonstrate an excellent mock pass rate.

Splashing out often many hundreds of pounds extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is foolish – when study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will get you through.

A service provided by many trainers is job placement assistance. This is designed to help you find your first job in the industry. Having said that, occasionally people are too impressed with this facility, as it is actually not that hard for a well trained and motivated person to land a job in the IT environment – as there is such a shortage of skilled employees.

Advice and support about getting interviews and your CV might be provided (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). It’s essential that you polish up your CV today – not when you’re ready to start work! It can happen that you haven’t even taken your exams when you will be offered your first junior support position; although this is not possible unless you’ve posted your CV on job sites. Generally, you’ll receive quicker service from a specialist independent regional employment service than you’ll experience from any training company’s national service, as they will be more familiar with the area and local employers.

A big aggravation of some training companies is how much trainees are focused on studying to get top marks in their exams, but how un-prepared that student is to get the role they’ve acquired skills for. Don’t give up when the best is yet to come.