Best Strength

If your dream is to become a great web designer qualified appropriately for the current working environment, you’ll need to study Adobe Dreamweaver. For applications in the commercial world you should have an in-depth understanding of the full Adobe Web Creative Suite. This will include (though it’s not limited to) Flash and Action Script. If your goal is to become an Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) or an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) these skills will be absolutely essential.

The construction of a website is only the beginning of what’s needed – in order to maintain content, create traffic, and work with dynamic database-driven sites, you’ll be required to have other programming skills, for example PHP, HTML, and MySQL. In addition, you should gain a practical knowledge of E-Commerce and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

Being at the forefront of progressive developments in new technology gives you the best job satisfaction ever. You become one of a team of people creating a future for us all. We’re barely beginning to comprehend how all this will mould and change our lives. The way we interact with the world will be inordinately affected by computers and the web.

Let’s not forget that on average, the income of a person in the IT industry throughout this country is noticeably higher than average salaries nationally, therefore you will probably receive noticeably more with professional IT knowledge, than you could reasonably hope to achieve elsewhere. The requirement for certified IT specialists is a fact of life for a good while yet, because of the ongoing growth in this sector and the very large deficiency that we still have.

If the computing industry provides such an array of exceptional job prospects for us all – what are the questions we should ask and what aspects should we be considering?

It’s important to understand: a training program or the accreditation is not the ultimate goal; the particular job that you’re getting the training for is. Many trainers unfortunately place too much importance on the qualification itself. It’s a sad testimony to the sales skills of many companies, but a large percentage of students commence training that sounds magnificent from the sales literature, but which provides a job that is of no interest at all. Talk to many college graduates and you’ll see where we’re coming from.

Be honest with yourself about how much you want to earn and whether you’re an ambitious person or not. This can often control what precise qualifications you will need and what you can expect to give industry in return. Seek help from an experienced advisor that appreciates the market you’re interested in, and is able to give you ‘A day in the life of’ understanding of what you’ll actually be doing during your working week. It just makes sense to ensure you’re on the right track well before you jump into the study-program. There’s really no reason in starting your training and then find you’ve gone the wrong way entirely.

A lot of training companies will only offer office hours or extended office hours support; most won’t answer after 8-9pm at the latest and frequently never at the weekends. Try and find training with help available at any time you choose (no matter if it’s in the middle of the night on a weekend!) Ensure you get 24×7 direct access to mentors and instructors, and not simply some messaging service that means you’re parked in a queue of others waiting to be called back during office hours.

The best trainers use multiple support centres active in different time-zones. Online access provides the interactive interface to join them all seamlessly, any time of the day or night, there is always help at hand, avoiding all the delays and problems. If you accept anything less than support round-the-clock, you’ll end up kicking yourself. You may not need it in the middle of the night, but you’re bound to use weekends, evenings and early mornings at some point.

Trainees looking at this market are usually quite practically-minded, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and struggling through thick study-volumes. If you identify with this, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where learning is video-based. If we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, then we often see hugely increased memory retention as a result.

Interactive audio-visual materials utilising video demo’s and practice lab’s will turn you off book-based study for ever more. And you’ll find them fun and interesting. Every company that you look at should willingly take you through some samples of the materials provided for study. Make sure you encounter videos of instructor-led classes and interactive areas to practice in.

It doesn’t make sense to go for purely on-line training. Due to the variable nature of connection quality from your average broadband company, ensure that you have access to actual CD or DVD ROM’s.

Students will sometimes miss checking on a vitally important element – how their company actually breaks down and delivers the physical training materials, and into how many separate packages. Individual deliveries for each training module one piece at a time, as you complete each module is the typical way that your program will arrive. While sounding logical, you should take these factors into account: Often, the staged breakdown insisted on by the company won’t suit you. And what if you don’t finish all the sections at the speed required?

To be straight, the very best answer is to have a copy of their prescribed order of study, but make sure you have all of your learning modules right from the beginning. Everything is then in your possession if you don’t manage to finish within their ideal time-table.

One crafty way that colleges make a big mark-up is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course then giving it ‘Exam Guarantee’ status. It looks like a good deal, till you look at the facts:

Everyone knows they’re ultimately paying for it – obviously it has been inserted into the full cost of the package supplied by the training company. Certainly, it’s not a freebie – and it’s insulting that we’re supposed to think it is! People who take exams one at a time, paying for them just before taking them are far more likely to pass first time. They are conscious of the cost and so are more inclined to be up to the task.

Doesn’t it make more sense to find the best exam deal or offer when you’re ready, instead of paying a premium to a college, and to do it locally – rather than in some remote centre? Huge profits are secured by many training colleges that incorporate exam fees into the cost of the course. Many students don’t take them for one reason or another and so the company is quids-in. Believe it or not, providers exist that rely on that fact – as that’s where a lot of their profit comes from. Pay heed to the fact that, with ‘Exam Guarantees’ from most places – the company decides when you can do your re-takes. They’ll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied.

VUE and Prometric examinations are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in this country. What’s the point of paying huge ‘Exam Guarantee’ costs (often hidden in the cost) – when the best course materials, the right level of support and exam preparation systems and a dose of commitment and effort are what’s required.

Some training providers have a handy Job Placement Assistance service, to help you into your first commercial role. The honest truth is that it isn’t a complex operation to get your first job – assuming you’re well trained and qualified; employers in this country need your skills.

You would ideally have help with your CV and interview techniques though; and we’d recommend all students to work on polishing up their CV right at the beginning of their training – don’t put it off till you’ve finished your exams. It’s not uncommon to find that junior support roles have been bagged by students who’re still on their course and haven’t even passed a single exam yet. At least this will get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile. The top companies to help you land that job are normally specialist locally based employment services. Because they get paid commission to place you, they have more incentive to get on with it.

Do make sure you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, just to give up and imagine someone else is miraculously going to sort out your employment. Stand up for yourself and get out there. Put as much focus into landing your first job as you did to get trained.

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