Top 3 Tips For Accredited IT Training
The IT industry is the toughest employment market on Earth. It’s also a tricky job market in terms of job mobility. Restructuring, new systems and new technologies routinely put pressure on IT workers at all levels, requiring the acquisition of new skills and current experience in sometimes multiple technical areas. Accredited IT courses, IT diplomas and IT certificates are often critically important, particularly for those in the early stages of their careers. Business schools are often the best all-round option for IT workers, because these schools provide a range of IT skills which can be adapted to any job or career requirements and provide valuable skills in related areas.
The big IT career question- To specialize, or not to specialize?
There are diametrically opposite views of specialization in IT which directly affect training choices:
- Specialization is dangerous, because it involves lack of skills in other areas, and IT jobs can come and go rapidly. Therefore it’s better to be a generalist, or an expert in multiple areas of IT.
- Specialization is great, because you can get top jobs in your chosen field.
In practice, neither of these views is quite accurate. The fact is demand for new IT skills can happen overnight. Job market demand is highly reactive to new technology hitting the mainstream, and accredited training is the only way to get these skills. Expertise in an area only helps if that area’s in demand. (Case in point: The new Windows servers caused a stampede into server training. The old servers are truly on the way out, and being an expert on them is no help whatsoever in the job market. Cloud computing is having a similar effect upstream in the IT industry.)
The advantages of accredited IT training
The most successful IT professionals are always developing their skills in some way. The job mobility required to get the best jobs means IT people have to be up to speed, all the time. Finding a good accredited training organization is money in the bank for them. At the start of your career, it’s critical. Accreditation is a passport to jobs in the various IT fields. Employers usually just won’t look at any unaccredited qualifications.
To be competitive in any job market for any IT job, you must have accredited qualifications. Accreditation is essential for international work. If you’re a contractor, a freelancer, a developer, or just trying to get a job, only accredited qualifications can be accepted as credentials. By international treaties, accredited qualifications are recognized standards, and anything else is effectively non-existent. Without these qualifications you couldn’t even meet entry standards for foreign workers in most countries.
Career planning and accredited IT training- Structuring your qualifications
The other area of huge importance regarding accredited IT training for careers is structuring your qualifications. The natural progression of qualifications from certificate levels up to IT diplomas and advanced degrees is a very good way of organizing you career progression. It’s straightforward, covers all the basic requirements, and fits into the prerequisites of training organizations.
A basic IT certificate course is a reliable first step in any direction in IT careers. Check out your options, and chart your course.