The CompTIA A+ training program covers four areas of training; you’re thought of as an A+ achiever when you’ve achieved certifications for 2 out of 4 subjects. This is why most training providers only teach 2 specialised areas. In fact you will need the training for all four areas as many jobs will ask for the skills and knowledge of the entire course. It isn’t necessary to take all four exams, however we’d advise that you take tutorials in all 4 subjects.

When you embark on the A+ training course you’ll be taught 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.

If you’re considering being someone who works for a larger company – in network support, build on A+ with Network+, or follow the Microsoft route – MCP’s, MCSA or MCSE in order to have a wider knowledge of how networks work.

Ensure all your accreditations are current and what employers are looking for – don’t bother with studies which end up with a useless in-house certificate or plaque.

Unless your qualification is issued by a big-hitter like Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco or Adobe, then you may discover it won’t be commercially viable – because it won’t give an employer any directly-useable skills.

Get rid of any salesperson that just tells you what course you should do without an in-depth conversation to assess your abilities as well as level of experience. Make sure they can draw from a generous range of products so they’re actually equipped to give you an appropriate solution.

Don’t forget, if you have some relevant qualifications that are related, then you can sometimes expect to begin at a different level to a student who’s starting from scratch.

If you’re a student embarking on IT studies anew, it’s often a good idea to start out slowly, kicking off with user-skills and software training first. This can easily be incorporated into any study program.

For the most part, a normal student really has no clue in what direction to head in a computing career, let alone which market they should look at getting trained in.

Perusing lists of IT career possibilities is no use whatsoever. Surely, most of us have no concept what our own family members do for a living – let alone understand the ins and outs of a particular IT career.

Generally, the way to deal with this quandary properly lies in a deep talk over some important points:

* What hobbies you’re involved with in your spare-time – these can define what areas you’ll get the most enjoyment out of.

* What sort of time-frame do you want for the training process?

* Where do you stand on travelling time and locality vs salary?

* Learning what the main Information technology types and markets are – and what differentiates them.

* Having a good look at how much time and effort that you’re going to put into it.

The bottom line is, the best way of understanding everything necessary is by means of a meeting with someone that knows the industry well enough to give you the information required.

Look at the following facts and pay great regard to them if you believe the marketing blurb about a guarantee for your exam looks like a reason to buy:

Everyone knows they’re still paying for it – it’s quite obvious to see that it’s already in the full cost of the package supplied by the training company. It’s definitely not free – and it’s insulting that we’re supposed to think it is!

We all want to pass first time. Entering examinations in order and paying as you go puts you in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt – you revise thoroughly and are mindful of the investment you’ve made.

Take your exams somewhere local and look for the very best offer you can at the time.

Big margins are secured by a number of companies that get money for exam fees in advance. A number of students don’t take them for various reasons but the company keeps the money. Believe it or not, there are training companies who rely on that fact – as that’s how they make a lot of their profit.

Also, you should consider what an ‘exam guarantee’ really means. The majority of companies won’t pay again for an exam until you’re able to demonstrate an excellent mock pass rate.

Spending hundreds or even thousands extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is remiss – when consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really guarantee success.

(C) 2009 Scott Edwards. Pop over to www.a-course.co.uk or IT Certification.