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Nice One! By reading this you’ve doubtless been pondering on getting re-qualified for a new job – that means you’ve already taken one more step than the majority. Very few of us are satisfied with our careers, but most just moan and do nothing about it. You could be a member of the few who decide to make the change.

It’s advisable to get some help before you start – talk to someone who’s familiar with your chosen field; someone who’ll give you career advice based on what works best for you, and then show you the courses you may be suited to:

* Do you like to be around others at work? Perhaps you like being a team player? Perhaps you prefer not to be disturbed and enjoy responsibilities that you can get on with on your own?

* Banking and building are struggling right now, so which sector will be best for you?

* When you’ve done all your re-training, would you like this skill to take you through to retirement?

* Are you concerned about your possibilities of getting another job, and being gainfully employed all the way until retirement?

We would advise that you consider Information Technology – it’s common knowledge that it is one of the few growth sectors. It’s not all nerdy people looking at computer screens all day – naturally some IT jobs demand that, but most jobs are carried out by ordinary people who earn considerably more than most.

A lot of students assume that the state educational route is still the most effective. So why are qualifications from the commercial sector beginning to overtake it? With the costs of academic degree’s climbing ever higher, plus the industry’s recognition that vendor-based training is closer to the mark commercially, there’s been a large rise in Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA authorised training routes that educate students for considerably less. The training is effectively done through honing in on the skill-sets required (alongside a relevant amount of related knowledge,) rather than spending months and years on the background non-specific minutiae that computer Science Degrees can often find themselves doing – to fill a three or four year course.

Imagine if you were an employer – and you needed to take on someone with a very particular skill-set. What is easier: Go through a mass of different academic qualifications from hopeful applicants, struggling to grasp what they’ve learned and which vocational skills they’ve mastered, or choose a specific set of accreditations that specifically match what you’re looking for, and make your short-list from that. You’ll then be able to concentrate on getting a feel for the person at interview – instead of having to work out if they can do the job.

One crafty way that colleges make more money is via an ‘exam inclusive’ package and then including an ‘Exam Guarantee’. It looks impressive, but is it really:

Obviously it’s not free – you’re still being charged for it – it’s just been included in your package price. Should you seriously need to get a first time pass, then you should pay for each exam as you go, focus on it intently and be ready for the task.

Why should you pay the training company early for exams? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam at the appropriate time, instead of paying any mark-up – and do it in a local testing centre – rather than in some remote place. Paying in advance for exam fees (plus interest – if you’re financing your study) is bad financial management. Why fill a company’s coffers with your money simply to help their cash-flow! There are those who hope that you won’t get to do them all – so they get to keep the extra funds. You should fully understand that re-takes via companies with an ‘Exam Guarantee’ inevitably are heavily regulated. You’ll be required to sit pre-tests so you can prove to them you have a good chance of passing.

Exams taken at VUE and Prometric centres are in the region of 112 pounds in this country. Why spend so much more on charges for ‘Exam Guarantees’ (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) – when a quality course, support and study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

Technology and IT is one of the most exciting and ground-breaking industries that you could be a part of. Being a member of a team working on breakthroughs in technology is to be a part of the massive changes that will affect us all over the next generation. We’ve barely started to see just how technology will influence everything we do. The internet will significantly change the way we view and interrelate with the rest of the world over the coming years.

And it’s worth remembering that on average, the income of a person in the IT sector in the United Kingdom is significantly greater than remuneration packages in other industries, so in general you’ll probably earn considerably more in the IT sector, than you’d expect to earn elsewhere. The good news is there is no end in sight for IT jobs increases across Britain. The market sector continues to grow rapidly, and with the skills shortage of over 26 percent that we’re experiencing, it’s not showing any signs that things will be any different for the significant future.

We can guess that you’ve always enjoyed practical work – the ‘hands-on’ individual. Typically, the world of book-reading and classrooms is something you’ll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but it’s not really your thing. You should use video and multimedia based materials if learning from books is not your thing. Studies in learning psychology have shown that much more of what we learn in remembered when we receive multi-sensorial input, and we get physically involved with the study process.

Courses are now available in disc format, so you can study at your own computer. Through video streaming, you can sit back and watch the teachers showing you precisely how to perform the required skill, and then practice yourself – in a virtual lab environment. It’s wise to view a small selection of training examples before you hand over your cheque. The minimum you should expect would be instructor demonstrations, video tutorials and a variety of audio-visual and interactive sections.

Some companies only have access to purely on-line training; and while this is acceptable much of the time, think what will happen when you don’t have access to the internet or you get a slow connection speed. It’s preferable to have actual CD or DVD ROMs that removes the issue entirely.

(C) J. Kendall 2009. Pop over to Alternative Careers or NewCareerOpportunities.co.uk.

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