Computeach

[Whiternoise]

You could give the A+ Certification a shot?

It costs about £500 for the course here, but i just entered myself for the exam only (can't remember how much, but it was fairly cheap - when you think about the half grand you save) and bought a couple of revision guides to see what sort of stuff they ask, most of it is fairly basic hardware/troubleshooting stuff, but i think it's fairly well recognised.

I did GNVQ Intermediate ICT with my GCSE's - it was a complete waste of time. We spent ages and ages screenshot'ing excel spreadsheets/access databases, etc. In my opinion, it's not really worth the amount of work you have to put in (besides the fact that you can get up to four A's for a distinction). From what you've said about your experience with PC's, unless you really do need a general ICT qualification, then i wouldn't bother.

[this_is_gav]

//edit: post aimed at donut, not Whiternoise

To be fair, to take a change in career, or even to start one up, you have to dig deep, bite the bullet and go in with maximum effort.

You can't just do this or that, you're the one who has to make things happen.

Without knowing, it sounds like you're not a teenager working in a shop with a supporting paper-round. You've said you've been through 3.11 through to XP, so is it fair to suggest you're in your mid 20s or so? If so, it's a similar path to the one I took - though I'm perhaps a few years older, as I did a little of the DOS stuff before Windows really took off.

A couple of years ago I was tempted by a change. I've always been a huge motorsports fan, and a few mates were intending to start university doing motor-racing engineering (a major career change for all of us). It never happened, for me because I saw that I wasn't prepared to put that effort in again and go through the financial pain to start from scratch.

Yours is a different situation (less financial penalty, not as much pain, and an area you already have experience in), but that's not to suggest you can just sail in, do the course you wish to because you feel you can, and get the piece of paper. You're going to have to weigh up all the angles and go in 2 footed.

If you are in your mid-20s, you can't really afford to mess around with foundations if you're not going to be motivated by it. You have to sign up and do it and then progress to the intermediate and advanced, you have to look at an alternative method (such as job placement) or question whether you want to carry through and go with another career at all.

All questions I've myself a few years back, and while I saw lots of positives, there were too many negatives.

[Clstrphbc_donut]

You could give the A+ Certification a shot?

It costs about £500 for the course here, but i just entered myself for the exam only (can't remember how much, but it was fairly cheap - when you think about the half grand you save) and bought a couple of revision guides to see what sort of stuff they ask, most of it is fairly basic hardware/troubleshooting stuff, but i think it's fairly well recognised.

I did GNVQ Intermediate ICT with my GCSE's - it was a complete waste of time. We spent ages and ages screenshot'ing excel spreadsheets/access databases, etc. In my opinion, it's not really worth the amount of work you have to put in (besides the fact that you can get up to four A's for a distinction). From what you've said about your experience with PC's, unless you really do need a general ICT qualification, then i wouldn't bother.

I.T wasn't taken when I was at school, they taught it but didn't bother with the exam until I left.

[Clstrphbc_donut]

//edit: post aimed at donut, not Whiternoise

To be fair, to take a change in career, or even to start one up, you have to dig deep, bite the bullet and go in with maximum effort.

You can't just do this or that, you're the one who has to make things happen.

Without knowing, it sounds like you're not a teenager working in a shop with a supporting paper-round. You've said you've been through 3.11 through to XP, so is it fair to suggest you're in your mid 20s or so? If so, it's a similar path to the one I took - though I'm perhaps a few years older, as I did a little of the DOS stuff before Windows really took off.

A couple of years ago I was tempted by a change. I've always been a huge motorsports fan, and a few mates were intending to start university doing motor-racing engineering (a major career change for all of us). It never happened, for me because I saw that I wasn't prepared to put that effort in again and go through the financial pain to start from scratch.

Yours is a different situation (less financial penalty, not as much pain, and an area you already have experience in), but that's not to suggest you can just sail in, do the course you wish to because you feel you can, and get the piece of paper. You're going to have to weigh up all the angles and go in 2 footed.

If you are in your mid-20s, you can't really afford to mess around with foundations if you're not going to be motivated by it. You have to sign up and do it and then progress to the intermediate and advanced, you have to look at an alternative method (such as job placement) or question whether you want to carry through and go with another career at all.

All questions I've myself a few years back, and while I saw lots of positives, there were too many negatives.

Not far off age wise, I'm 21.

I've been through a few career's, tried a hand at motor vehicle technician and hated it, I've wanted to get into I.T for years, dreamed off it when I got my first PC at 6 years old, but college trying to dump me on what I view as a "thicko's course" isn't going to motivate me. 1 year of me paying for this foundation course, and 2 years for the course I want to take.. so 3 years for them to pretty much teach me what I already know, just so I have a better qualification and therefore a better chance at an I.T related interview. I know, for the long term, it's worth it, but at the moment through personal reason I don't have money to flush down the toilet, and thats exactly what I see the foundation as, a waste of money.

I know for a fact I'll ace it, who the hell doesn't know what a soundcard is these days? I.T and technology is growing and more and more people are understanding it, but the college seem to think your knowledge of Shakespeare or angles of a triangle equates to your knowledge of CPU's, OS's, or networking. Not so.

I bet half the teacher's won't even remember having to type "C:/win" to boot into windows! (I did anyway, unless it was because my Pc was set up incorrectly)

[this_is_gav]

I know for a fact I'll ace it, who the hell doesn't know what a soundcard is these days?

That leads us onto where you want to head in IT? There's very little jobs or money in knowing how to change a sound card for someone, or even build a PC.

In the end, a career in IT almost inevitably leads to networking, and you're onto a whole new level of ability there. I'm really not being patronising when I say that software networking would totally baffle those who haven't at the very least set up a server. Installing a domain is a simple task, but having the know how to trouble-shoot and develop that domain and the nest of PCs in it really does take a completely new direction to what the average enthusiast is used to. Building a PC is a simple task for almost every member of this forum I'd imagine. But the crossovers between it and maintaining a domain are next to nil.

[Clstrphbc_donut]

That leads us onto where you want to head in IT? There's very little jobs or money in knowing how to change a sound card for someone, or even build a PC.

In the end, a career in IT almost inevitably leads to networking, and you're onto a whole new level of ability there. I'm really not being patronising when I say that software networking would totally baffle those who haven't at the very least set up a server. Installing a domain is a simple task, but having the know how to trouble-shoot and develop that domain and the nest of PCs in it really does take a completely new direction to what the average enthusiast is used to. Building a PC is a simple task for almost every member of this forum I'd imagine. But the crossovers between it and maintaining a domain are next to nil.

That's where I want to go, then onto Web Design, possibly a bit of programming... thing's that take my knowledge further, not re-learning what I already know.

[yamangman]

You can't really whinge about the college. It is ultimately their decision to let you take a course or not.

In all honesty, if you didn't do these things when you finished school, you're going to have to face reality and start where you left off, no matter how patronising you find it - or you could go for a job and make an impression, you sound as if you know it all already...

[wombar]

The question you have to ask yourself is do you need qualifications to get into the kind of job you want? I don't know exactly what you want to do, but maybe you should create a CV outlining your skills and see if you can get a junior position somewhere. Might be worth a shot.

There's a lot of people who will give you an interview if you can outline your skills to demonstrate you know what you're doing. I'm always more impressed to see someone say they do stuff at home than have a qualification, shows they're really interested and do it outside 9-5.

In my last job I was interviewing for a web design position and the amount of people who had done mickey mouse courses was incredible. I conducted a basic skills test in Dreamweaver that consisted of creating a table, inserting an image into a table cell and creating an H1 header at the top of page. I gave them 15 minutes to do this and only 2 out of 10 people actually managed to complete it in the time allotted, it would take me all of 15 seconds to do that

Most of the people who only listed a CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster ) as their only achievement were appalling, that's not to say that it's a bad qualification but there are an awful lot of people out there who think a piece of paper means they can do the job.

If it were me, I'd be inclined to spend the money on books/equipment to teach myself and then try to get in at the bottom of the ladder.

[ikonia]

here is the harsh truth.....sit back. read it disregrard it and carry on. But is looks like know one has said this to you yet judging by your posts.

1.) you sound like you think you know a lot about PC's - guess what - thats nothing in business, your average office clerk can change memory and there is only a really small market for PC maintenence in businesses outside of PC builders.

2.) You suggest your reasonable with networking.....again no industry level expereience forget it.

3.)

I'm 21.

I've wanted to get into I.T for years, dreamed off it when I got my first PC at 6 years old

I.T wasn't taken when I was at school, they taught it but didn't bother with the exam until I left

So you've dreamed about being in IT from when you where six, yet at GCSE and A level you chose not to take it as a subject......and I'm sure your schools did teach it as they where teaching it at a basic level when I was at school at GCSE level at least and that was a lot longer than you. Why is that? ?? Can't have been much of a dream.

You suggest that your reasonably PC skilled - and that you would "ace" the college course - so ace it go do it, then move on.

Again you suggest your quite aware of what your doing and where you want to go, yet the skills you mention "building PC's" are nothing to do with "web design and programming" which is what you want to learn ??? so why are you looking at "PC building" style courses.

If you are as "fast trackable" as you suggest you are, why the hell where you sucked into even watching a computeach advert, let alone ring it on more than one occasions.

I suggest you really sit down and think about what skills you have that are applicable to a a job and how you can increase of further them to get you to a place you want to be - realisticly. No fast tracking - no skipping just a plan on how to get from A -> B aquiring the skills you need.

[Moby-Dick]

My Computing classes at school seemed to be focussed on the difference between a mainframe and a minicomputer , and that punched cards where a valid removable media

I'm showing my age now aren't I.....

[yamangman]

My Computing classes at school seemed to be focussed on the difference between a mainframe and a minicomputer , and that punched cards where a valid removable media

I'm showing my age now aren't I.....

Awww, nooo, I think most of us have tampered with such things. Well, except they wern't considered a novelty when I did though...

Hehe

[kidzer]

Just with the Punchcard bit, I had the mainframe/minicomputer stuff in Standard Grade Computing 2 years ago, so its still the same sorta stuff.

Punchcards on the other hand, never had those mentioned

[mathewdbarlow]

I'm with ikonia on this one.

Forget computeach and all these mickey mouse agecies that promise you unrealisticly large wages for completion of their courses, which I may add are not actually recognised as by most awarding bodies as being formal qualifications.

I work for South Devon College (www.southdevon.ac.uk) who offer technical certificates, diploma's, foundation degrees in computing. We offer courses in hardware engineering, software design, digital applications and programming etc.

We have alot of experience with people that have come to us after attempting a computeach (or similar) programme and have become so disillusioned that they have quit, lost there money and then had to pay us to teach them how to do it properly.

From what you've said about your experiences with them I would say you were lucky. If you had have got hold of this guy by chance then he would have most likely persuaded you have a meeting with an 'advisor' who would have then sat on your couch and refused to leave until you had signed up to one of their stupidly overpriced courses.

My advise to you...and i'm a careers advisor, is go to your nearest half decent Further Education college or get them to send you some stuff about what they offer, think carefully about what you're gonna get from each course, ask for an interview with someone that teaches on the course.

If this is not for you because of time or work etc then another option is to sign up to a distance learning programme with a college not so near to you where you will be able to get to for exams every now and then. Alot of people knock it but Open University is a good way to go, be prepared to pay for it though, and we're talking thousands here for a qualification worth having in IT.

For Networking qualifications the Network+ (network plus) by CompTIA is the way to go, its very tricky to obtain with only a 20% pass rate first time (I passed first time!!!) but it is worth it if you have the determination.

Hope this is of help. If you want any specific advice let me know...its my job!

[Clstrphbc_donut]

here is the harsh truth.....sit back. read it disregrard it and carry on. But is looks like know one has said this to you yet judging by your posts.

1.) you sound like you think you know a lot about PC's - guess what - thats nothing in business, your average office clerk can change memory and there is only a really small market for PC maintenence in businesses outside of PC builders.

2.) You suggest your reasonable with networking.....again no industry level expereience forget it.

3.)




So you've dreamed about being in IT from when you where six, yet at GCSE and A level you chose not to take it as a subject......and I'm sure your schools did teach it as they where teaching it at a basic level when I was at school at GCSE level at least and that was a lot longer than you. Why is that? ?? Can't have been much of a dream.

You suggest that your reasonably PC skilled - and that you would "ace" the college course - so ace it go do it, then move on.

Again you suggest your quite aware of what your doing and where you want to go, yet the skills you mention "building PC's" are nothing to do with "web design and programming" which is what you want to learn ??? so why are you looking at "PC building" style courses.

If you are as "fast trackable" as you suggest you are, why the hell where you sucked into even watching a computeach advert, let alone ring it on more than one occasions.

I suggest you really sit down and think about what skills you have that are applicable to a a job and how you can increase of further them to get you to a place you want to be - realisticly. No fast tracking - no skipping just a plan on how to get from A -> B aquiring the skills you need.

Christ, someone didn't have their coffee this morning.

1.) I NEVER stated I knew it all, I said the thing's that they want to teach me on this foundation course, I know already. It's general stuff taught in high school, which yeah I don't have a GCSE for but that isn't my fault, I couldn't help it, explanation below, as is above but you obviously seem to just disregard parts of my posts to ensure you can make a derogatory comment.

3.) I never took I.T in school BECAUSE IT WAS NOT AN OPTION - THEY DID NOT GIVE ME AN OPTION, we learnt it but they did not let anyone take the exam, they never bothered with it....clear enough?

Yeah as you say I may need to go back and start from where I left off last time, but there's simply no need to come across like a complete arsehole about it. All I was saying was I won't be happy about it & I feel like it will be a waste of money so my motivation won't be 100%.

I was asked if I wanted to take networking, to which I replied yes, THEN ONTO programming, web design... Again, are you skim reading because you seem to be missing bits or just misinterpretating them when they are clear as day. The course I want to take is PC Maintence & Networking, once that's done - programming and web design, I don't see the problem in wanting to learn all the in's and out's, but obviously you do.

I doubt they will just throw me onto a programming course with a few (quite bad through personal reasons again) GCSE's, because my GCSE's do make me look quite stupid...I won't stop there incase you think I'm trying to say I know it all, because Im not, but I know my GCSE's don't do me justice. I've more chance of getting onto the intermediate Building and Network course because I know standard stuff already, and if they give me a chance to prove that, I've more chance of getting on that then something I know nothing about. Once there's one qualification there, I can start looking at other areas of I.T because they can see I know Hardware & Networking.

Honestly, go and have a coffee before you reply again, There's no need to be like that. Yes my posts may have been slightly "full of themself" to you, but I didn't plan, type, nor interpret them that way.

[yamangman]

All I was saying was I won't be happy about it & I feel like it will be a waste of money so my motivation won't be 100%.

You're not an infant of pubescent teen are you? I can't think of anyone else who would have such a problem. If you really want to work in IT professionally, suck it in, do what you have to and get it over with. I'd of thought at 21 I wouldn't need to tell someone that. Last I checked you needed at least a C grade in GCSE maths to do even a national diploma in software development.

[Clstrphbc_donut]

You're not an infant of pubescent teen are you? I can't think of anyone else who would have such a problem. If you really want to work in IT professionally, suck it in, do what you have to and get it over with. I'd of thought at 21 I wouldn't need to tell someone that. Last I checked you needed at least a C grade in GCSE maths to do even a national diploma in software development.

Here's another one.

I am going to, but I'm going to attempt to get on the higher first, if the past repeats itself, I will take foundation course I need to, to progress to the one I want to do. I just dont have time & money to waste....But if I have to, I have to, like it or lump it. Doesn't mean I'm an infant because I don't agree with the college's decision.

I got 2 C's, (Maths, Media Studies) and the rest were D's due to a lot of time off school and lack of coursework.