There are four specialised areas of training in the full CompTIA A+ syllabus, of which 2 passes are needed for your A+ qualification. However restricting yourself to two of the four specialities is likely to leave your knowledge base somewhat light. At least learn about all four – employers will notice the difference.

Qualifying in CompTIA A+ without additional courses will set you up to repair and fix computers and Macs; principally ones that aren’t joined to a network – essentially the domestic or small business sector.

If you add Network+ to your CompTIA A+ training course, you will additionally be able to assist with or manage networks of computers, meaning you’re in a position to move further up the career path.

Getting your first commercial position can feel more straightforward if you’re supported with a Job Placement Assistance program. The fact of the matter is it’s not as hard as some people make out to secure the right work – once you’re trained and certified; the shortage of IT personnel in Britain looks after that.

Help with your CV and interview techniques is sometimes offered (if not, see one of our sites for help). Make sure you bring your CV right up to date right away – don’t leave it till you pass the exams!

Getting onto the ‘maybe’ pile of CV’s is far better than not even being known about. Often junior support jobs are given to students (who’ve only just left first base.)

Generally, you’ll receive quicker service from a specialised and independent local recruitment service than you’ll experience from any course provider’s employment division, as they will understand the local industry and employment needs.

Many trainees, it seems, put a great deal of effort into their studies (sometimes for years), and then just stop instead of looking for a job. Sell yourself… Do your best to let employers know about you. Don’t expect a job to just fall into your lap.

Beware of putting too much emphasis, as many people do, on the certification itself. Training for training’s sake is generally pointless; you’re training to become commercially employable. You need to remain focused on where you want to go.

It’s unfortunate, but thousands of new students begin programs that seem spectacular from the marketing materials, but which provides a job that is of no interest. Try talking to typical college graduates to see what we mean.

Stay focused on where you want to go, and then build your training requirements around that – not the other way round. Keep your eyes on your goals and ensure that you’re training for something you’ll still be enjoying many years from now.

All students are advised to talk with an experienced professional before they embark on a retraining path. This gives some measure of assurance that it features what is required for the career path that has been chosen.

One area often overlooked by those weighing up a particular programme is the concept of ‘training segmentation’. Basically, this means how the program is broken down into parts for drop-shipping to you, which makes a huge difference to the point you end up at.

Usually, you’ll join a programme staged over 2 or 3 years and receive a module at a time. This sounds logical on one level, until you consider this:

Maybe the order of study insisted on by the company won’t suit you. It may be difficult to get through every element inside of their particular timetable?

To be in the best situation you would have all the learning modules packed off to your address right at the beginning; the whole caboodle! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede the reaching of your goals.

It’s likely that you’ve always enjoyed practical work – a ‘hands-on’ individual. Typically, the trial of reading reference books and manuals can be just about bared when essential, but you’d hate it. You should use video and multimedia based materials if you’d really rather not use books.

We see a huge improvement in memory retention when all our senses are brought into the mix – educational experts have expounded on this for decades now.

Courses are now available on CD and DVD discs, where your computer becomes the centre of your learning. Using video-streaming, you will be able to see the instructor presenting exactly how to do something, and then have a go at it yourself – in a virtual lab environment.

Make sure to obtain a training material demonstration from any training college. You should ask for expert-led demonstrations, slideshows and virtual practice lab’s for your new skills.

Pick CD and DVD ROM based physical training media every time. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with broadband ‘downtime’ or slow-speeds.

Author: Scott Edwards. Try www.CareerRetrainingCourses.co.uk/ucareco.html or Website Design Course.