Best Strength

Four specialist training areas feature in the full CompTIA A+ syllabus, of which you need to pass two to gain A+ competency. We would advise however that limiting yourself to 2 of the specialised areas could expose flaws in your knowledge when applying for a job. Choose a course with all 4 subjects – employers will notice the difference.

Once on the CompTIA A+, you will develop an understanding of how to build, fix, repair and work in antistatic conditions. You’ll also cover fault finding and diagnostics, through both hands-on and remote access. You may also want to think about supplementing the A+ with Network + as it will enable you to work with networks, which means greater employment benefits.

Ensure all your accreditations are commercially valid and current – don’t even consider courses which lead to some in-house certificate (which is as useless as if you’d printed it yourself). Only fully recognised qualifications from the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA and Cisco will have any meaning to employers.

Usually, trainers will provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. It’s not a very interesting way to learn and isn’t the best way to go about achieving retention. Research has constantly demonstrated that connecting physically with our study, is much more conducive to long-term memory.

Locate a program where you’ll receive a library of CD and DVD based materials – you’ll be learning from instructor videos and demo’s, with the facility to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills. All companies should be able to show you some simple examples of the type of training materials they provide. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and a variety of interactive modules.

Many companies provide just online versions of their training packages; sometimes you can get away with this – but, think what will happen when you don’t have access to the internet or you only get very a very slow connection sometimes. It’s preferable to have DVD or CD discs which removes the issue entirely.

Beware of putting too much emphasis, like so many people do, on the training course itself. Your training isn’t about getting a plaque on your wall; this is about gaining commercial employment. Stay focused on what it is you want to achieve. It’s a sad fact, but a large percentage of students commence training that sounds marvellous from the syllabus guide, but which delivers a career that doesn’t fulfil at all. Speak to a selection of college graduates for a real eye-opener.

It’s well worth a long chat to see the exact expectations industry will have. What certifications you’ll be required to have and how you’ll build your experience level. You should also spend a little time thinking about how far you reckon you’re going to want to go as it may force you to choose a particular set of certifications. As a precursor to beginning a particular learning program, trainees are advised to talk through individual job needs with an experienced industry professional, to make sure the training course covers all the bases.

A key package of training will undoubtedly also include accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. As a lot of IT examining boards tend to be American, you’ll need to be used to the correct phraseology. You can’t practice properly by just going through the right questions – they must be in an exam format that exactly replicates the real thing. Mock exams can be invaluable as a resource to you – so that when you come to take the real thing, you will be much more relaxed.

It’s quite a normal occurrence for students not to check on a painfully important area – how their company actually breaks down and delivers the courseware elements, and into how many bits. Students often think it makes sense (with a typical time scale of 1-3 years to achieve full certification,) for your typical trainer to courier the courseware in stages, as you achieve each exam pass. However: With thought, many trainees understand that the company’s typical path to completion isn’t as suitable as another. Sometimes, it’s more expedient to use an alternative order of study. And what happens if they don’t finish in the allotted time?

For future safety and flexibility, most students now choose to request that all their modules (now paid for) are delivered immediately, and not in stages. That means it’s down to you in which order and at what speed you want to finish things.

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