The main thing to understand whenever you're thinking about any kind of I.T. training course is what you wish to accomplish from it. Are you looking at merely working on your skills to make use of your laptop or computer whilst at home, or are you looking for a little more in-depth coaching for your CV or job? Then of course, you may be looking to re-think your profession entirely and get into the I.T. industry itself.

Exactly where you would like to finish up should be the 1st consideration. Then, once you understand where you're headed, you can take appropriate informed decisions on which kind of study is going to suit your circumstances. This technique will also save you time & money, and means you are not wasting effort on inappropriate things.

If you browse around the pages on this website you'll find dedicated web-pages covering all these sectors - as well as the qualification tracks that are involved - to help you check things out a bit more. Alternatively, you can get our free information pack and then ring to speak to one of our industry advisors.

Going one level farther again, you might look into the 1st level of professional accreditation: 'User' & Systems-Support. Frequently, if you're going to offer Software Support to users in the business environment, the 'MCDST' ('Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician') may be suitable. A course of this nature typically takes approximately a hundred hours of study time.

We move onto full I.T. career training courses at the following level. To obtain a job working in hardware support or network-support you must look at doing your A+ & 'N+' qualifications from CompTIA. These will take care of the fundamentals of hardware and network installation, administration, security, trouble-shooting & support. The majority of combined 'A+' & Network+ training courses are taking the average person somewhere around 200 to 250 hours to finish, so can quite feasibly be studied around a full time job.

It is quite probable if you're thinking of getting into I.T. from a different profession you'll want to start your training program someplace around these stages. Where exactly depends on the skill-sets you have now. For any more advanced programs its advisable to talk your ideas through with a specialist advisor who has IT knowledge. In truth, if you're considering a new career, it's best to have this conversation before you attempt any certification - to ensure that you are taking the correct track from the start. Insufficient planning can lead to a lot of inconvenience in the future, & cost you a great deal more money than it should have!

Essentially, the starting place for a complete beginner, who simply wants to acquire a basic idea of how to get more out of their laptop or computer, is the European Computer Driving Licence. It will teach you how to run the standard elements of 'Windows' (which is the system which runs most home computers.) You will also learn about web-browsers (so you can browse the web,) plus email software (so you can stay in contact with friends and colleagues.) You'll also be taught the basics of word-processing and a little about what spreadsheets and databases are useful for.

Taking things on a stage further, you may be seeking more vocational instruction to improve your job prospects. Probably the most common of these is more in-depth instruction in Microsoft 'Office'. Two well accepted accreditation programmes are 'MOS' ('Microsoft Office Specialist') & MCAS (Microsoft 'Certified Application Specialist'). The 'MOS' is based around the Microsoft 'Office' 2003 environment in Windows 'XP' (which is still essentially the most commonly used in business), whereas the 'MCAS' is based around Windows 'Vista' and 'Office' 2007, and so might be better placed for the future. Each Microsoft 'Office' application is reviewed seperately with both qualifications, that is - 'Excel' for spread-sheets, 'Access' for data-bases, "Powerpoint" for 'presentations' & Word for word-processing. These certifications will reveal to an employer that you are adequately trained to utilise these packages to their maximum level.

You can split I.T. employment routes down into a number of different categories - The first is Networking & Support (including Security), the second is Programming (& Software Development), third is Databases and last is Web-Design. In each sector there are specific skill-sets to master, & accreditations to attain. Each sector provides an array of certification levels to build upon. The sheer amount of qualifications available in these areas can be at first off-putting to the brand new trainee, but this is where a good careers discussion with an advisor can explain what is ideal for your personality-type, objectives and learning style.

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