Be the Best You Can Be

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Adobe Dreamweaver is the starting point of study for almost all web designers. It’s reputed to be the favourite environment for web development on the planet. It’s also recommended that students get an in-depth understanding of the full Adobe Web Creative Suite, including Flash and Action Script, to have the facility to facilitate Dreamweaver commercially as a web-designer. These skills can lead to becoming an Adobe Certified Expert or Adobe Certified Professional (ACE or ACP).

In order to establish yourself as a full web professional however, there is much more to consider. You will need to learn certain programming skills like PHP, HTML, and MySQL. A practical knowledge of E-Commerce and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) will also improve your CV and employability.

Let’s admit it: There really is no such thing as individual job security anymore; there’s only industry or business security - companies can just drop any single member of staff when it fits the business’ trade requirements. Whereas a marketplace with high growth, with a constant demand for staff (due to a growing shortfall of trained professionals), provides a market for proper job security.

The most recent British e-Skills study demonstrated that twenty six percent of all IT positions available haven’t been filled as an upshot of an appallingly low number of well-trained staff. Essentially, we can’t properly place more than 3 out of 4 positions in IT. Well qualified and commercially educated new workers are consequently at a resounding premium, and in all likelihood it will stay that way for much longer. Because the IT sector is developing at such a quick pace, it’s unlikely there’s any better area of industry worth investigating as a retraining vehicle.

Seeing as the computer sector provides such an array of exceptional career possibilities for us all - what are the questions we should be raising and what areas should we be considering?

A so-called advisor who doesn’t dig around with lots of question - chances are they’re actually nothing more than a salesman. If they’re pushing towards a particular product before learning about your history and experience, then it’s very likely to be the case. With a bit of live experience or qualifications, you may find that your starting point is very different to someone completely new. Where this will be your opening stab at an IT exam then you should consider whether to start out with a user-skills course first.

At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be full 24×7 support via trained professional instructors and mentors. So many companies we come across only seem to want to help while they’re in the office (9am till 6pm, Monday till Friday usually) and nothing at the weekends. Beware of institutions that use messaging services ‘out-of-hours’ - with your call-back scheduled for normal office hours. This is no use if you’re stuck and want support there and then.

The best trainers use multiple support centres from around the world. By utilising an interactive interface to provide a seamless experience, no matter what time you login, help is just seconds away, without any contact issues or hassle. Search out a company that gives this level of learning support. Only true 24×7 round-the-clock live support gives you the confidence to make it.

It’s likely that you’ve always enjoyed practical work - the ‘hands-on’ personality type. Usually, the trial of reading reference books and manuals is something you’ll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but it’s not ideal. Consider interactive, multimedia study if book-based learning really isn’t your style. If we can get all of our senses involved in our learning, our results will often be quite spectacular.

You can now study via easy-to-use DVD or CD ROM’s. Real-world classes from the instructors will mean you’ll take everything in by way of the demonstrations and explanations. Then it’s time to test your knowledge by interacting with the software and practicing yourself. You must ensure that you see the type of training provided by the company you’re considering. You’ll want to see that they include full motion videos of instructors demonstrating the topic with lab’s to practice the skills in.

Seek out CD or DVD ROM based materials wherever available. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with the variability of broadband quality and service.

Qualifications from the commercial sector are now, very visibly, starting to replace the traditional routes into IT - why then is this happening? With the costs of academic degree’s climbing ever higher, plus the industry’s increasing awareness that key company training often has more relevance in the commercial field, we have seen a great increase in CISCO, Adobe, Microsoft and CompTIA authorised training courses that provide key skills to an employee at a fraction of the cost and time involved. Essentially, students are simply taught the necessary specifics in depth. It isn’t quite as lean as that might sound, but the principle objective is to master the precisely demanded skill-sets (including a degree of required background) - without overdoing the detail in everything else - in the way that academic establishments often do.

It’s a bit like the TV advert: ‘It does what it says on the tin’. Employers simply need to know what they need doing, and then advertise for someone with the specific certification. Then they’re assured that a potential employee can do exactly what’s required.

The best type of training course package should incorporate wholly authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages. Due to the fact that a lot of IT examination boards are American, you must be prepared for the way exams are phrased. It isn’t good enough simply answering any old technical questions - it’s essential that you can cope with them in the proper exam format. Simulations and practice exams will prove invaluable for confidence building - then when the time comes for you to take the real thing, you won’t be worried.

Several companies supply a practical Job Placement Assistance program, to help you get your first job. Ultimately it’s not as difficult as you may be led to believe to land a job - once you’re trained and certified; because there’s still a great need for IT skills in the UK today.

Ideally you should have help with your CV and interview techniques though; additionally, we would recommend everyone to update their CV as soon as they start a course - don’t delay until you’ve qualified. Many junior support jobs are offered to students who are still learning and have still to get qualified. At least this will get your CV into the ‘possible’ pile and not the ‘no’ pile. You can usually expect quicker service from a local IT focused recruitment consultant or service than you’ll experience from any training course provider’s centralised service, because they will understand the local industry and employment needs.

A big frustration of many training course providers is how much trainees are focused on studying to pass exams, but how un-prepared that student is to get the role they have qualified for. Have confidence - the IT industry needs YOU.