Advent Computer training

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Hi all, i joined the site this evening as i have seen some interesting posts about Advent Computer training aswell as computeach. I thought i would explain my experiences with Advent...Before signing up to the MSCE course i was working in a real dead end job and was really stuck in a rut with no motivation to look for a new job and no clue about what i wanted to do. I came Accross advent through a google search and looked pretty good as i really enjoyed tinkering with pcs but i had no experience so Advent sounded great. I was sucked into their sales pitch and signed up to an MCSE course £4450 which was suspended for 2 years. Im now starting to pay this back and am in the red each month - not good!
The only thing i got from advent was an i.t job within 3 weeks of signing up to the course so i was blown away with that BUT i created my own CV and did all the hard work, i was pretty lucky i know loads who are'nt. I work shifts and has been dam near impossible to do any training due to the hours i work and wanting to relax in between. I work with several others who have done the Advent course and are all in the same boat as me. After 2 years i have only completed the first section of the compTIA because finding the time is impossible! However i have picked 2 and a half years in I.T working with AIX/UNIX, I Series, WINDOWS, CISCO, SOLARIS and networking and am now moving into a more Technical field but this all boils down to experience and have built up my own knowledge of I.T through time.
My advise to anyone thinking of taking on a course with Advent or computeach is really really think about what your taking on because i was a dumb ass!!!! If i would have been wiser i never would have gone their.
If you are thinking about it look at other courses and other advent related topics! This site is a wealth of information and will save you a fortune.
In my opinion the sales people are sharks and know nothing about I.T they just want their bonus and will more than likely sell you the MCSE and say its right for you even if you want something else they will tell you the MCSE is best - Its the most expensive! thats why they want you to do it.
I cant fault them on the job front i started on 16k and am know on 22k which is'nt bad for someone with no quals but i did see offers starting at 12k to 14k not the 26-28k they promise.
If you are going the self study route keep this in mind look at the course these people are selling and look at buying the books yourself CompTIA you can get for less than a £100 and MS books for around £150 and exams are 80 to 100 so in all you could do the same course for under 1500 if your lucky! Search Search and Search some more.
If you really want to do I.T and have no experience look at low end roles like Operations, Admin or Helpdesk they are'nt great roles but you get your foot in the door and you get a bit of experience thats what employers want. Make yourself up a basic CV and supporting letter and send it to as many places as you can find JOBSERVE is one of many google i.t jobs you'll find them!
Set yourself up a lab aswell 2 pcs xp and 2003 if you can and ethernet them up with a live internet connection this is a great way of learning how to work with networks.

Bottom line people you can do without the likes of advent and computeach do it yourself for a quater of the cost they offer! Dont be another sucker like me coz im struggling with repayments now. If anyone knows how i can get out of the agreement i will be your new best friend but i doubt that will ever happen. Sorry for the HUGE post but i wanted to have a moan lol and give some advise also.

 

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Good testimony, thanks!

If nothing else, they did help you get your start in IT... which is something that many people on here would give their right arm for! Unfortunately... the benefit came with a very high price tag!

Welcome to the forums.

 

Hi and welcome to the forums.

I'm sure if you search around you'll find many on here who ahve commented on TP's including Advent and we all tend to advocate self-study.

Just one comment I feel obliged to make tho' - surely it's not Advent's problem that you couldn't find the time to put in the study ? Not having a go at you but if you commit to something like that (especially at that sort of cost) surely you need to make the time to follow it thru' ?

 

Hi guys and thanks for the responses so far.

Yeah im going to agree with you it's not Advents fault but its my own for not getting on with it. But working the hours i was doing made things really hard, a girl who i work with is in the same boat i think the general time scale is 2 years to complete the course, she however is studying as much as she can and over a year she has just completed CompTIA.
I think i just wanted to let other know that before you take on something big like with Advent or Computeach to really think about it - can you complete the course in 2 years? I think these types of course are ideal for people who are in a position where they have the time i.e. people out of work, people at home with kids or people fresh out of school.
If your in work and want to remain in work i highly recommend getting the books and doing a course at a time, as and when you can, and doing it in your own time not by a Tp timescale. My own stupidity left me out of pocket with nothing to show for it. However working in I.T is very rewarding and have learnt alot but off my own back without the likes of Advent, I did go on a a couple of training days with them - What a waste of time and petrol i did not learn anything i did'nt know already!

 

I agree its not advent's fault that you haven't kept up.

Lets face it i would happily pay 4K for a job, lets face it it was there lead that they gave you.
Your also lucky because advent don't normally help with the job process until you have the A+.
(noting that they cant guarantee a job)

Did you go to any of the workshops?????

PS they do also help with CV's just send it to them and ask

I think advent are very good.

Andrew

 

With advent you can take more than 2 years to complete.

Are you complaining because you haven't completed (and on 25K) in the time before repayments?

Andrew

 

Advent works for some people it did'nt me and many many others i know.

I was told 2 years but this seems to vary the more i speak to different people.

I did go to workshops/Training days and like i said i did'nt learn anything i did not already know and found it a real pain going all that way for nothing it seemed.

Advent are good in the respect that they do help you out and are always on the other end of the phone but i wished i would have done it differently. I just kept telling myself i was not good enough to do this and advent made me believe i could. If i would have believed in myself a bit more i could have done it myself which i have done without advent.

I had my CV checked by a friend who works in I.T aswell as a friend in recruitment i didn't need Advent for this but templates are easy to get from the web aswell as advise and take a stroll to a recruitment agency who will check it over and may even help find you as basic I.T roll.

I am anoyed i have to pay this money back with nothing to show for it but i hear it time and time and time again.

 

Or you could just do what almost everyone else did until about three years ago and write your CV yourself!. Seriously - I've never, NEVER shown any company my CV and asked them to rewrite it, or lay it out in a different way. Most of what recruiters tell you is bollocks - just because THEY look at a CV in a certain way, doesn't mean everyone else does. For instance - conventional wisdom would have you believe that your CV can't be more than a page or, at most, a page and a half long. Nonsense - my CV is four sides of A4 in length - and I haven't been out of work since I left school 18 years ago.

I agree with your sentiments on this thread though - Advent, and every other training company out there, are just after your money - they couldn't give a toss about your career.

 

How do you tell if a salesman is lying?

We know the answer..

thier lips are moving.

Once bitten twice shy, i wasted money myself, that is one of the reasons i post on here advocating self study. You will end up self studying anyway, and working in IT is all about self motivation and being able to keep up with the pace of the ever changing technologies.. ie you *have* to be able to self study, to be competitive in this market.

Sorry you found out too late and welcome to the forum.

Pete

 

You have a job and a start, also with 2 years experience you can surely rip through the early quals?

In which case why haven't you sat the exams? If you know it sit them and then you have a job and a cert to show for it.

Not to sound harsh but you make it seem like they tricked you into it, and that the evil sales man held your family ransom or some such. One of they guys who posts here normally is GreenBruceLee. Now GBL is militant in his belief in self study, which I do not necessary agree with, what I do agree with his belief in researching what you are putting your money too.

I went the same route as you, like you I went with advent, and like you I find it difficult to dedicate as mush time as I should to the study. However time can be made, what about during lunch, surely you can get a half hour done while eating your sandwiches?

What I suggest is the following:

1) GET ON AND STUDY

Stop making excuses and put some time aside, I have to and so does everyone else here, if you struggle with the motivation, say so advent and the guys here will give you a kick in the ass to help you a long. I do some of mine during lunch, while travelling on the train or while waiting for friends in the pub, there is always time to fill in. Also don't forget to ask your employer about training time and such, I asked mine and and got some leeway to study during work time (work load permitting)

2) IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW IT DO THE TESTS

Advent will have supplied you the Transcender stuff to do to help you prepare for the exam, if you know your stuff you will walk these, if you are weak in an area it will highlight that for you and allow you to get on and pass the exam and gain certs (which I know we all know and love). If you find a sticking point ask for help either on here or at work someone is likely to know the answer.

3) ONCE YOU ARE READY SIT THE DAMN TEST

Once you have jumped through Advents hoops (and there are a lot I admit) sit the damn exam as that's the point of it.

On the issue of Money, by the sound of it you have got a Career Development loan, speak to the guys who provide this and ask if you can pay the money back over a longer term, yes it will cost more overall but it may mean you don't end in the red each month.

At the end of the day Advent have provided their end of the bargin, they have provided the course notes, classroom time and offer of support to you, the only thing that stopped you progressing is you which brings me to my last point.

I am aiming to sit my 70-271 in September, I like you, believe I know all of this, so far my mock tests do not bear this out so I still have some study to do, as I assume you will as well to get you exam ready. So here is the deal I will pledge to buy you a pint, I will send the money (either paypal or cheque if you prefer) if you pass your exam before I do.

Let me know if you want to take the bet.

 

Hello Flyingman, & everyone else, Last Friday I had my interview with Advent and yes there great at 'selling' you Avent and sucking you in... only, I'm aslo in the retail industry & so am immune to the good old 'sales pitch'
Apart from the fact that I was continiously told that... "yea you'll fly through that" what put me off is that when I asked if i could do just the first stage I was told that this alone would cost £4k. 'You might as well pay over £5k and go all the way'
& that I have only 14 days to decide or I loose my place' I was told... i.e you have no control over how you direct your career change both academically & financially.

I love computers & want to discover the IT industry but my problem is that I don't know where to start or who to go with. I've heard the horror stories about training providers & its happened to me in the past too. I need to be in charge of where, when, what & how much it will cost before diving in!!

I'm stuck in a non rewarding 'no brains needed' (to use one of my collegues comments) retail job with low pay, iregular & at times long hours. I too want a major career change into IT. I've looked at career paths & Desktop Technition seems to be my first goal as love keeping my computers running well. Self study is what I'd like to do. Getting the books & materials my self? that,s great advice, but where from. Sorry if seem ingorrant. Many Thanks in the meantime

 

Hi there Flyingman, your message makes interesting reading. I had my interview with Advent last Friday & yea... there great at 'selling advent'. But hey, I'm in retail my self & thus the good old 'hard sale sales pitch does work with me. Training Providers have the same priorities as with retail.... 'do the numbers... 'put money in the 'till' Of course, theres nothing wrong with this... thats part of business.
What did put me off was the £5k cost fired at me when I asked how much upon asking if I could go as far as the Comptia A+ level i was told that that alone would cost the best part of £4k "why not go all the way" I was told. i.e. its all or nothing!! To then be told that I hald 14 days to decide
I love the idea of self study but I need to be in control of what, when, where, who, & how much before diving in. I've heard all the horror stories about training providers & had bad experiences in the past my self.
Being in retail in a non rewarding...no brains needed (to use one of collegues comments), low paid job, with irregular & at times long hours... Yep, me too... I want to take advantage of my interest in computing & get into IT but I've kind of got no idea where to start. I love the 'front end' of computing i.e. installing, maintaining software, maintaining the performance of computers & even if needed installing hardware etc
Having research career pathes Desktop technition would seem to be my first goal. If it is possible to obtain books and materials my self & save bucks that would be great... but from where, who, & how do I get hold of it all. Please help

Its great to finally find people out there with real experiences.