Looking for a Career in IT?

The number of computing students in universities and colleges has dropped almost 50% since 2001 to below 1996 levels, prompting fears that IT departments are on the verge of a new skills shortage.

The shortfall, revealed in a study commissioned by IT professors and heads of computing of the UK's leading universities and colleges, coincides with rising demand from businesses for skilled IT professionals.

What is the best way to get into IT?

Let me start by talking about why certification is important in the IT industry and your career.
Certification shows you have the skills for a particular job role. If the boiler in your home broke down, you would call a CORGI certified engineer out to fix it. Would you risk using an uncertified engineer to work on something that is vital to the efficient running of you home? Me neither…

This is exactly how many IT companies see uncertified staff. It can be very hard for an employer to gage an applicant's level of skill based on their work experience. Somebody may have worked in IT for 10 years but only dealt with a limited number of tasks and not have an all rounded knowledge or understand the correct way to go about things. Certification verifies the level of knowledge of potential employees and gives the employer a measure of reassurance.

In our training package we can offer you:

• Courseware for the A+, Network+, MCSA and CCNA
• Access to qualified instructors 24h day, 7 days a week.
• Real time exam preparation guides
• Interactive simulations to give real world examples
• Skill assessments
• Unlimited access 24 hr day while you have an account with us
• Course transcripts to monitor progress
• Downloadable text version of the courseware for future reference
• Add a note feature to create step by step guides and revision notes.
• Search and reference tools
• Unlimited career advice from trained professionals

Our Guarantee's

Job Guarantee

Once you have completed your package of training courses, let us know and we will assign you a careers advisor. We guarantee that if you follow his advice you will find work within 90 days or we will refund all of your training fees!

This guarantee comes with no hard to read small print or “Get out clauses” it’s a simple promise that if we do not do what we promise to do, then we will refund your training fee.

14 Day Money Back Guarantee

To make sure that you are completely happy with our service and the package you have bought we offer a no quibble 14 day money back guarantee with no hidden charges or get out clauses. If for any reason you are unhappy within this 14 day period we will refund all training fees.

Course Guarantee

We guarantee that the courses we recommend are the correct courses to improve your career. If for any reason you are not happy with the package of courses we recommend, we will swap the course for one you feel is more suited to you.

Tutor Guarantee

As our tutors presentations are stored online and can be repeated without the need for the tutor to stand there and speak, it free’s up our tutors to concentrate solely on answering students questions. We have this process so well organised we can offer tutor support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week direct from the online web portal.

Most questions can be answered in a few minutes but If the question is of an extremely complex nature and our tutor has to do some research then they promise to get back to you within 24 hours.

“What type of job can I get in IT?”

If you are looking to start a new career in IT then you are most likely to secure a job in some sort of IT support or network administration type role.

These roles require you to have a high level of technical knowledge that can be proven with the relevant IT certification. They are instantly accessible once you possess the right certification and working knowledge as you are maintaining and supporting existing systems usually under the supervision of senior IT staff.

Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA). This is the qualification from Microsoft that covers every aspect of the daily job roles for a network administrator.

"How do I get an MCSA?"

To achieve the MCSA without a years commercial experience you need to start with the CompTIA A+ and Network+. These two courses are the recognised foundation certifications required before starting, and also count as one of the four exams towards the MCSA.

A+ and Network+ certifications are aimed at confident PC users with no previous commercial experience.
The A+ covers concepts of IT, PC hardware as well as some legal issues within the IT industry. It is the most recognised certification for PC technicians and will give you the skills to build, maintain and support desktop PC’s both hardware and software. CompTIA does not just deal with Microsoft Windows PC’s, but also Linux and Macintosh. They cover the concepts behind computing to cover your foundation knowledge. In the industry we call this a vendor neutral certification.

The latest A+ syllabus came out December 2006 and is up to date with the latest technologies. It is broken down into 2 exams. The exam codes are 220-601 and 220-602.
After studying the A+ you will be able to :

• Have in depth knowledge of the components that make up computers and how to build them from scratch
• Be able to diagnose computer problems both hardware and software
• Install, repair and maintain laptops, PC's, Printers and scanners
• Understand what a network is and be familiar with basic configuration and troubleshooting
• Understand many PC related security issues
• Use advanced computing concepts
• Know how computers impact on the environment and how to dispose of them.

The Network+ is an introduction into networking. It gives you good foundation knowledge of the principles and technologies used in IT networking, as well as explanations of how the hardware, like network cards, are used. The latest Network plus exam is the N10-003.
After studying the Network+ you will be able to:

• Understand networking fundamentals and principles of networking technologies
• Use network media, devices and operating systems.
• Be able to configure wireless technologies
• Use remote access services
• Know about network security
• Diagnose network faults and perform disaster recovery

Once you have done your A+ and Network+ you need to complete these 3 MCP courses:

Once you have passed the A+, Network+ and the 3 MCP exams you will be a Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator.

These courses cover the administration of a Microsoft network. After you complete them you will be certified to work on existing Microsoft networks.

"Should I study Vista or XP?"

While Vista is the latest operating system, take up by businesses has been slow with most companies preferring to stick to XP. I would recommend for the time being to study Windows XP as it is most widely used.

"Is there anything else I should study?"

In the old days of IT, when computerised systems were just for large companies, it paid to specialise in one area. These days even small businesses can afford to have advanced IT Systems. Small companies cannot afford to pay several IT staff that specialise in certain areas. Instead they need their staff to be a good all rounder. To maximise your employability and secure a job you will need to also be able to deal with the network hardware.

Cisco is the largest manufacturer of network hardware. They have more than 63,000 employees and annual revenue of £18 billion as of 2007. They design and sell networking and communications technology and services which have become the industry standard.

What better way to prove to employers that you have the ability to use and maintain networking hardware than to be certified by Cisco?

"What Cisco course should I study?"

Cisco has released a series of qualifications that cover the technologies that they have developed. Some of these courses are extremely advanced but the starting point, and the course that will be most relevant to a beginner, is the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).

I previously explained that the A+ and Network+ need to be studied before the MCSA as they are the pre-requisites recommended by Microsoft and count towards the final certification. Due to this reason I would recommend you study the A+, Network+, MCSA and then the CCNA.

The CCNA covers some similar information to the Network+ so at this point with your current qualifications you should be able to proceed through this course at an accelerated rate.
After studying the CCNA you will:

• Have a more advanced understanding of networking concepts and technologies
• Know how to use and configure Cisco equipment (Router, Switches and Wireless equipment)
• Understand practical appliance of Cisco equipment and which Cisco equipment is needed to perform a certain task.

With the set of certifications we have talked about you will be ready to start your career as a highly sought after IT professional.

Employers will be able to see that you have a well rounded skill set, and able to perform all the tasks expected of an IT professional.

One of the biggest mistakes I see, is students not willing to certify or study to get into IT. They prefer to apply for jobs first, and nearly always they find it very difficult even getting a response from employers.
By taking the steps to get the right certifications you are showing employers you are dedicated and motivated to work in IT. You are much more likely to get interviews and job offers, employers can look at your CV, see what certifications you have and immediately understand what you can offer them.

It's sometimes the case where students will find work before they have completed all their studies, on the basis that they will continue to study while working. In this even a self paced study system can be a real bonus, as employers know you have access to self improvement and often will allow a certain amount of your working hours towards this.

The package recommended on this page will give you a very good all round skill set, and this will ensure you the edge when applying for jobs and interviews.

"How do I take the exams?"

Taking the exams is simple. There are test centres across the country and even across the world. All you need to do is go to www.prometric.com and register for an account. You will then be able to view a list of test centres local to you and book the exam online.

"What's the next step to get started?"

For A Limited Time Only...
For a limited time only you can start today for just £1! That's the price as a single lottery ticket, but this is no gamble. Taking this training is 100% guaranteed to improve your career, income and lifestyle.
This £1 payment will entitle you to complete and unrestricted access to our service and full career training package.

If at any point during this 7 day period you feel we haven't offered the best service and training then just let us know and we will cancel your subscription and even refund your £1.

You have absolutely nothing to lose!

Also, if you act quickly you will get discounts and bonuses worth over £400!

Please ensure you have read the information on this page to make sure this is the right course for you.

This is not all though...

We DO NOT tie you down into a long term contract, in fact you can choose to pay monthly, 6 monthly or yearly. All you have to do is contact us before your next billing period and you can stop our service at any time. We do not tie you up in any long term contracts as we believe our service is so good you will want to stay with us of your own accord.

Cost Effective Training

Delivering the training through our online portal means that we can cut overheads usually associated with training courses and pass these savings onto our students.

Just think, we cut the cost of running a training centre as the information is delivered online. We do not have to print expensive manuals as we offer this as a feature to the student to just print out the parts they need.
We go even further to give savings to our customers by not wasting money on radio or TV advertisement or sending out thousands of brochures. People find us, our information and what we offer online and by referrals from friends. As this is our main way of finding students, we hope after reading this you too will refer us on to friends and family so we can concentrate on course developments and providing value for our students.

Are you still unsure or need help?

We want to make sure everyone studies the right training package for them, complete your details in the form below and one of our trained advisors will contact you to check you have the right course for your career goals. They can also talk you through using our system and give a demonstration.