Four separate areas of study make up a full CompTIA A+; you’re thought of as competent at A+ when you’ve gained exams for 2 out of 4 subjects. For this reason, the majority of training establishments offer only two of the training courses. In reality it’s necessary to have the teaching in all areas as many jobs will ask for an awareness of the whole A+ program. It isn’t necessary to qualify in them all, although it would seem prudent that you at least have a working knowledge of every area.

As well as learning how to build PC’s and fix them, students on an A+ training course will learn how to work in antistatic conditions, along with remote access, fault finding and diagnostics.

You might also choose to think about adding the CompTIA Network+ training as you can then also take care of computer networks, which means greater employment benefits.

Many training companies only give basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); very few go late in the evening or at weekends.

Find a good quality service with proper support available at any time you choose (even if it’s early hours on Sunday morning!) Ensure you get direct access to tutors, and not access to a call-in service which takes messages – so you’re constantly waiting for a call-back at a convenient time for them.

Keep your eyes open for training programs that incorporate three or four individual support centres around the globe in several time-zones. All of them should be combined to give a single entry point and 24×7 access, when it’s convenient for you, with no hassle.

If you opt for less than online 24×7 support, you’ll quickly find yourself regretting it. You may not need it in the middle of the night, but consider weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point.

So many training providers only look at the plaque to hang on your wall, and completely avoid what it’s all actually about – which will always be getting the job or career you want. Always start with the end goal – don’t get hung-up on the training vehicle.

Avoid becoming one of the unfortunate masses who choose a training program that seems ‘fun’ or ‘interesting’ – and get to the final hurdle of an accreditation for something they’ll never enjoy.

You need to keep your eye on where you want to go, and formulate your training based on that – avoid getting them back-to-front. Keep on track – making sure you’re training for something you’ll still be enjoying many years from now.

Sense dictates that you look for advice and guidance from an experienced industry professional before making your final decision on some particular training course, so there’s little doubt that the chosen route will give you the skill-set required for your career choice.

Getting into your first IT role sometimes feels easier to handle if you’re supported with a Job Placement Assistance program. The need for this feature can be bigged up out of proportion though – it’s quite easy for eager sales people to overplay it. Ultimately, the still growing need for IT personnel in this country is what will make you attractive to employers.

Help with your CV and interview techniques is sometimes offered (if it isn’t, consult one of our sites). Make sure you work on your old CV today – don’t leave it till you pass the exams!

Getting your CV considered is more than not being regarded at all. A decent number of junior positions are bagged by people in the early stages of their course.

Most often, a local IT focused employment agency (who will, of course, be keen to place you to receive their commission) will be more pro-active than a centralised training company’s service. They should, of course, also know the local area and commercial needs.

A big grievance for a number of training providers is how hard trainees are prepared to study to get top marks in their exams, but how ill-prepared they are to market themselves for the job they have trained for. Get out there and hustle – you might find it’s fun.

Throw out the typical salesman who offers any particular course without an in-depth conversation so as to understand your abilities plus your experience level. They should be able to select from a generous product range so they’re actually equipped to give you an appropriate solution.

Remember, if in the past you’ve acquired any qualifications that are related, then you will often be able to pick-up at a different starting-point to someone who is new to the field.

Always consider starting with some basic PC skills training first. Starting there can make the transition to higher-level learning a much more gentle.

(C) S. Edwards 2009. Hop over to www.AdultTrainingCourse.co.uk/aadtrc.html or Computer Based Training.